"Enough is enough" — The Bachelor alum Chris Soules opens up about nearly 6 months of sobriety

The Bachelor star Chris Soules, who appeared on season 19 of the show in 2015, recently shared an important update about his life during the January 24 episode of The Ben & Ashley I Almost Famous podcast. He opened up about his decision to quit drinking and revealed that he has been sober for almost six months now.

“It was a way of life for me for so long, alcohol’s just not really healthy for you. I just made my mind up, enough is enough,” he said.

The 43-year-old from Iowa shared that he decided to quit drinking in August 2024 after realizing it had become a way to deal with stress rather than something he enjoyed. He also talked about how drinking was affecting him physically and said it no longer felt worth it.

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The Bachelor star Chris Soules shares his journey to sobriety

Since giving up alcohol, The Bachelor star Chris Soules shared that he has experienced more mental clarity and overall well-being. He said that alcohol often added to his anxiety, making it harder to handle stress. Looking back on his decision to change his lifestyle, he expressed how it has positively impacted his life. Soules said,

“Mentally, I’m much more clear-headed. The level of self-made anxiety and stress, internally, alcohol does not make it easier. It makes it tougher.”

Now, instead of spending his mornings "recovering," he focuses on healthier habits such as going to the gym, which has become part of his new routine. The Iowa native also spoke about the environment he grew up in, describing how drinking was a "deep cultural thing" of life in the Midwest.

“Beer was very much a staple,” he shared.

The Bachelor star added that he began drinking before he even had a driver’s license. Soules admitted that this early introduction to alcohol made quitting a challenging decision. He described the past six months as the longest period he has gone without drinking since childhood, which he considers “astounding.”

His decision to quit drinking in August 2024 came from the realization that alcohol had become less about "fun" and more about coping with daily stress. Moving forward, Soules expressed optimism about this new phase of his life, saying,

“It allows me to be a better person to the people I love — more there, more present, which is huge.”

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Chris Soules opens up about his future plans

Chris Soules shared his plans to maintain his focus on personal growth and well-being as he moves forward. He discussed how sobriety has given him mental clarity, enabling him to explore new practices like meditation. Reflecting on this positive shift, he said,

“Mentally, the clarity that you get from that, and [I'm] starting to work on other things, just meditation and things like that. I’m getting to be an old man now."

The Bachelor star added that he has the next 40 years of his life ahead of him, so he will be trying to "really, hopefully, embrace that."

Chris Soules, who has faced legal issues in the past, including an arrest for driving under the influence, shared that there wasn’t a single defining moment that led to his decision to quit drinking. Instead, he explained that the decision came after realizing the toll alcohol was taking on him. Soules mentioned that drinking for him had reached a point where the hangovers were not "getting any easier."

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