Interview by Ben Rowles - Photography by Rob Whiston
Like most males in their late teens and early 20s, James Bush’s drinking primarily seemed social in nature to begin with, but as the years rolled by, his relationship with alcohol gradually intensified. Beyond the beer-fueled good times portrayed in his video parts, or the tales of drunken nights out put forward in his interviews, heavy drinking had gradually become part of James’ day-to-day life, and despite the concerns of his family and friends, it wasn’t something that he was able to bring under control.
Following a turbulent few years, earlier in 2021, James was finally able to cut alcohol out of his life entirely, so Ben Rowles decided to sit down with him and find out more about his journey through alcoholism, how he’s currently combatting the urge to drink, and how life has improved over his first 100 days of sobriety.
Can you tell us about the reasons you've recently decided to stop drinking alcohol?
I’ve had issues with alcoholism and addiction for a few years now. My increase in alcohol intake was gradual at first, but the last few months before I quit, I was rapidly declining, and in a dangerous place. My physical and mental health was at such a low point; I was close to death. On my final day of drinking, Callun (Loomes) ended up taking me to hospital and we agreed that it was time to throw in the towel permanently. Massive shout out to Callun, Mark (Stern), Chantelle (Jones), Kieran (Wilcox) and Laura (Walsh) for helping me out that night.
How do you feel now that you have not consumed any alcohol for a while?
As I’m writing this, I’ve just hit 100 days sober! I can’t even begin to explain how it feels. Basically, I didn’t realise that I’d felt permanently ill for about four years. Within a couple of weeks I’d noticed an unfathomable change in my physical fitness; I could skate for hours more per day, and skate every day, as opposed to only managing short skates two or three times a week. Quickly after, my mental health started to improve too. Honestly, I can’t stress enough how mind-blowing the physical and mental changes have been.
Switch backside heelflip on a sober Birmingham night.
Did you ever consider cutting down on drinking alcohol before?
To be honest, I’d tried cutting down so many times over the past six or seven years that I’d lost track. I’d done the whole ‘month off’ thing a few times, which always resulted in me coming back to drinking harder, so by the end it was clear that giving up entirely was the only logical option.
What strategies have helped you in cutting out alcohol, and what prevents you from picking up the beers again?
I’m lucky enough to have fantastic and supportive friends and family around me, so I don’t use professional alcohol support like AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), for example. Some people unfortunately don’t have a strong support group around them, so I think if I were in that situation, I would probably seek support through professional means. I still go out like normal, but drink alcohol free beers to help with the cravings; this obviously isn’t the healthiest thing, but they’re a damn sight better than actual beers. Being out but not drinking alcohol is real test of willpower, so I don’t think it's for everyone, but it’s worked for me so far.
When you decided you wanted to stop drinking alcohol, did you find it easy to speak to people about it?
I had a few drunken discussions with my closest friends here and there, but nothing was properly talked about at first. This is potentially where the problem was though, and the reason I held out seeking help until I was in such a dangerous position. I didn’t feel comfortable acknowledging the issue until it was almost too late.
As you’re not seeking professional support right now, what would you do if you found yourself slipping back into old habits?
I’m feeling really strong at the moment, so hopefully it doesn’t come to that, but if it does, I’ll probably try to isolate for two to three weeks and speak to my friends and family. Both Jason Cloete and James Woodley have been incredibly supportive, as people who have a much longer-term experience with sobriety, so I’d probably speak to them and ask advice.
Would you agree that being around the right people has been an integral part of you reaching 100 days of sobriety?
Yeah, it’s definitely been a huge help; all of my friends have thankfully focused on helping me progress from the moment I told them I was quitting. What I would say is that if you’re acknowledging an addiction to your friends and they’re still encouraging you to keep giving in to it, then they may not be the best people to hang around with.
With the power of hindsight, is there anything that you would have done in the past to prevent alcohol from becoming a problem?
To be honest, I never really had a ‘good’ relationship with alcohol. However, I do wish I’d listened to myself more when I started to consider that I might be developing a real problem, and to keep an eye out for red flags. For example, a couple of my red flags were feeling the need to hide empty alcohol vessels from friends and family, or being embarrassed to put out my recycling as it was just transparent bin bags full of Stella cans.
Do you think there is anything that we could do better in regards to raising awareness of alcoholism and addiction issues within the skateboarding community?
We need to just stop glorifying alcoholism and drug abuse. Many skate videos feature non-skate footage of people drinking, or acting out drunk. Magazine articles and social media also have a lot of stories of drunken nights out on skate trips…but I have always been a very guilty party in all of this. I think I used glorifying drinking as a means to excuse my own issues; “if everyone’s doing it then I don’t have a problem”. In terms of support for skateboarders, I don’t think there’s a huge amount readily available. The Ben Raemers Foundation has obviously been doing truly fantastic work, and they do touch on alcoholism and drug addiction, but as one part of the wider mental health picture. I apologise if I’m wrong, but I don’t think there are any groups directly focused on drinking and drugs within the skateboarding community.
Finally, what advice would you give to somebody going through a similar journey to yourself?
Most importantly, I’d say look at yourself, not the people around you. Surround yourself with friends and family that genuinely support you. If they’re saying, “go on, just have one or two”, I would avoid them, however hard that may be. If you don't have a strong support group available then I’d say to seek support professionally, something that Woodley said has done wonders for him. I wish the best of luck to anyone who’s battling with these issues, and I really hope you find the help you need!
Reducing alcohol intake is a great way to improve overall health. Research shows that drinking under 14 units per week can significantly reduce the risk of developing illnesses such as cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
When consumed frequently or in large amounts, alcohol can have a detrimental effect on somebody’s mental wellbeing. If you're struggling with your mental health, then make sure you seek support from a trusted friend, family member, or healthcare professional.
Drinking non-alcoholic beers or 'mocktails' are great ways to reduce alcohol intake without having to stay away from the party. This presently works well for James, but be aware that it may not work for everyone.
Surrounding yourself with supportive and trusted people can be really helpful when trying to manage alcohol and/or drug addiction. If you do not have a supportive group of people around you then seeking professional support is always an option.
For anybody struggling with alcohol, drugs, or mental health, you can either speak to your local NHS general practitioner (GP) doctor, or head over to www.benrowles.co.uk/lifestyle to find helpful resources, including search engines for free local support services here in the UK.
Follow Ben - @benrowlesphysio @okaytoaskforhelp
Follow James - @jamesbush93