Amy Kiernan says it took time to unlearn the belief that alcohol is needed to have fun. Photo: Darragh McSweeney Sober October, which kicks off today, is a month-long annual initiative for people to rethink their relationship with alcohol and explore what life feels like without it. Five people across Ireland who have made the choice to quit drinking, each for their own reasons — from struggling with anxiety to facing addiction — reveal what it’s really like to live without booze, and why it’s been a game-changer for many of them.

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