Hello and welcome to another episode of the Perception Podcast with me your host Caroline Partridge. Today I'm joined again by passionate outfluencer and queen of sustainability Anna Kilpatrick. In this episode, we talk about Anna's decision to give up drinking 4 years ago during lockdown and how it drastically affected not only her appearance, but also her life in ways she could never have imagined. We also discuss the lies that we're sold about alcohol by advertising companies that encourage our increasing consumption, and the psychological drinking games that we play with ourselves to normalise drinking to excess. So please join me as we look at life through the bottom of an empty glass.   https://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Naked-Mind-Annie-Grace/dp/0008293465 KEY TAKEAWAYS Anna lost weight as a consequence of quitting alcohol. She has found the way she is perceived differently now, particularly around her style and fashion sense. Drinking is normalised throughout all of UK society, from having a relaxing drink in the evenings to socialising with friends. It’s incredibly easy to feel like your relationship with alcohol is normal. Anna found she was limiting what she would do in the evenings to ensure she had the time and the capacity to drink. It was in May 2020, during lockdown, that Anna stopped drinking. We are all ‘sold’ alcohol throughout our lives, that it’s needed to enjoy ourselves and to be a real adult. Whilst the stresses of parenting made Anna drink more, it was also parenting that made her want to give up. She wanted to show her children there was an alternative life that didn’t include alcohol. Most people are unaware of the amount of sugar that is in alcohol and the damage this can create. BEST MOMENTS “We do judge people by their weight” “It is so culturally accepted, to drink” “My world shrunk down to the places I could drink in” “You will never satisfy your need for alcohol by drinking alcohol” “Sugar is in so much non-food” “The size of you means nothing to do with style”   ABOUT THE GUEST Blog Anna Kilpatrick started the Instagram account @not.needing.new to document her exclusive use of second hand clothing and homeware over the past twelve years as a single parent on a very limited budget. She is very interested in ideas around satiation and in finding the joy in realising what is enough. Anna is represented by Curtis Brown and is researching for a book about our relationship with fashion and how we have got to the point that we are now at.    Socials & Contact Website: https://www.notneedingnew.com/ Instagram is https://www.instagram.com/not.needing.new Linktree: not.needing.new | Instagram | Linktree   CONTACT METHOD FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/caropartridge LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-partridge-03131520 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/partridge_caroline