At one BBQ, a woman caught me looking just as she was topping off her glass of sparkling wine. When she noticed me, she told me, “Don’t look.” I was baffled – why did she care? Was she assuming I was there to police her alcohol consumption? I’m not the alcohol police; I’m simply someone recovering from alcoholism!
That said, I recognize that I’ve chosen to be open about my sobriety and to advocate for recovery online and through the media. I aim to communicate that my message isn’t anti-drinking; instead, it’s a pro-message for individuals like myself who can’t drink in moderation.
I want to connect with those who may be quietly concerned about their drinking habits, feeling trapped and isolated as I once did. It’s important to let them know they’re not alone. I want to reach out to people who are just starting their journey to sobriety, assuring them that there’s a community of us living without alcohol.
What I definitely don’t want to do is make anyone feel guilty for drinking or give the impression that I’m judging their choices. Other people’s drinking is not my concern.
It’s impossible to truly understand someone’s drinking just by seeing them at an event. Perhaps that woman at the BBQ was enjoying her annual celebration – and that’s fine! Maybe she drinks regularly but feels perfectly fine with it and it doesn’t affect anyone negatively – and that’s okay too! It’s not my place to comment.
Honestly, I don’t think everyone on earth needs to quit drinking (although, can you imagine if we did?). My goal is to be transparent about my own complicated relationship with alcohol because I believe that sharing our stories helps everyone. I want to encourage honest conversations about alcohol, highlighting that it’s not a harmless substance for everyone. It’s important for people to realize that many struggle with alcohol and that there shouldn’t be any stigma attached to that.
Most importantly, I want anyone contemplating quitting to understand that it requires effort but is absolutely achievable and, in the long run, so much better for you!
It’s scary to consider where I might be now if I hadn’t chosen to stop drinking. In the last year before I quit, my alcohol consumption was rapidly increasing. I could have been drinking more every day, feeling heavier and bloated, more emotionally distant, and increasingly disconnected from my family and surroundings.
I am so grateful that’s not my reality. Instead, I’m sober and content with my decision to eliminate alcohol from my life.
I’m focusing on what’s good for me, and I feel fantastic about my choice to stop drinking 2297 days ago.
Merry Christmas!
Love, Mrs D xxx