What I’ve learned from 5 years sober.
8 November 2022 - my 5 year soberversary
Recently I celebrated my soberversary. It's surreal to believe 5 years has passed already, as I couldn’t imagine 5 days in the beginning.
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If you’re thinking about making this change, here’s some things I’ve learned along the way:
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🎈Not everyone will understand why you’re doing this – and that’s ok, they don’t need to. They’re not in your mind and your body; you are.
🎈There is not one size fits all to doing life without alcohol. No magic program or quick fix. No one has all the answers. Try it all - and see what sticks.
🎈Ignore anyone who says you’re not doing sobriety properly (because you still want to hang out in pubs, you take medication, drink AF drinks, don’t do specific programs, etc), don’t let them derail you.
🎈You’ll likely need support of some kind – whether it’s a counsellor, a recovery community or just good friends who get you. When you stop drinking, stuff you’ve been supressing will come up.
🎈 Asking for help when you’re really in a pit is one of the bravest and most humbling things you’ll ever do. It’s a dent to the ego, alright. But it’s much better than the alternative.
🎈 If you’re drinking too much and you’ve been doing it for quite a while, it’s often easier to abstain than to keep trying (and failing) to moderate.
🎈 Take things one day at a time. Cliché, but true. None of us know what life holds tomorrow, so just focus on today where you can.
🎈 The scales will start to fall away from your eyes when you stop drinking. You’ll see how indoctrinated we are around alcohol and its use. It’s good to question and to learn more about this but respect the fact that everyone has a right to choose what’s right for them and their body. You’re not the alcohol police.
🎈 Sobriety doesn’t cure all ills. Sure, you will make huge gains across many areas of your life, mostly in your relationship with yourself, but there are plenty of hard parts. Prepare to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. That’s where the growth is, pretty much always.
🎈 Lastly, if you’re sick and tired of living with a love/hate affair with booze, choose you.
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