"Everything is new and better": Why Chrissy Teigen quit drinking.

In December 2020, Chrissy Teigen announced that she was four weeks sober. And on Inauguration Day, this past Wednesday, she shared a post from the steps of the Washington Monument reflecting on her new life, alcohol-free.

"Ran our asses up the stairs for this shot. Just incredible to be here. Sober. I know that’s weird but it’s like... a different world for me. Everything is new and better. Very happy. The most happy bigly happy," she captioned a photo of herself, her husband, John Legend, and their children, Luna and Miles.

ran our asses up the stairs for this shot. just incredible to be here. sober. I know that’s weird but it’s like...a different world for me. everything is new and better. very happy. the most happy bigly happy pic.twitter.com/kdbp9A8ocE

— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) January 20, 2021

In December, Teigen uploaded a post to her Instagram story explaining that it was when she received the book Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed With Alcohol by Holly Whitaker, that she realised it was time to give up drinking for good.

"One month ago, on my birthday, I got this book from my doctor and friend," Teigen wrote. "I was done with making an ass of myself in front of people (I'm still embarrassed), tired of day drinking and feeling like shit at six, not being able to sleep."

"I have been sober ever since and even if you can't see yourself doing it or just plain don't want to, it is still an incredible read," she continued.

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Back in 2017, Chrissy Teigen spoke to Cosmopolitan about her complicated relationship with alcohol; something that runs in her family.

"I was, point blank, just drinking too much," she told the publication. "I got used to being in hair and makeup and having a glass of wine. Then that glass of wine would carry over into me having one before the awards show. And then a bunch at the awards show."

"And then I felt bad for making kind of an ass of myself to people that I really respected," she continued. "And that feeling, there's just nothing like that. You feel horrible. It's not a good look for me, for John, for anybody."

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Teigen also explained that no one ever mentioned this to her, so she assumed that her behaviour was okay.

"Nobody really brought it up to me," Teigen said. "They just assumed that it was okay because I always felt okay the next morning. I knew in my heart it wasn't right. It makes you very short with people. People think it's cutesy and fun to go on these boozy brunches, but there's more to it. I've never once been like, 'I'm sure glad I had that boozy brunch!'"

According to the 2018 ABS National Health Survey, one in three women in Australia are exceeding single occasion risky drinking guidelines, and one in 11 are exceeding the lifetime risk guideline (drinking more than two drinks a day). 

The most common age bracket of women exceeding the lifetime risk guideline are women aged 35-44.

35-year-old Teigen has battled with sobriety for years. 

In April 2013, she announced on Twitter that it was time for her to give it all up. "I am going sober. First for a month, then taking it from there," she wrote.

"I used to think it was kind of nutty to have to go totally sober," she told Cosmopolitan, "but now I get it. I don't want to be that person... I have to fix myself."

If this post has raised any issues for you about your drinking, please contact your general practitioner. If you're based in Australia, you can also contact Drug Aware, the 24-hour alcohol and drug support line. You can reach them on (08) 9442 5000 or 1800 198 024.

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