Just take the first step and keep stepping. So much good happens over time when you focus on progress over perfection. Guilt is a Boston Sober Homes choice and it doesn’t serve anyone. People talk about regrets, but guilt and shame are far more detrimental – and unnecessary.
Learning to check in with myself and what I want and need and requesting (or taking it) is a life-changing practice. Or maybe you just don’t like the way you feel after an extra glass of wine to take the edge off the day. But remember, every story shared here serves as proof that it’s achievable. Yet, countless individuals have managed to break free from destructive patterns and embrace sobriety as a lifestyle choice. The journey may be challenging, with struggles like alcohol use disorder posing significant hurdles.
Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed With Alcohol by Holly Whitaker
Visit the Voices of Hope project at valleyhope.org/recovery/recovery-stories to explore recovery stories, addiction information and treatment resources. Valley Hope’s blog provides extensive resources and information for loved ones, families and the recovery community. The best part is being comfortable in my own skin—which I’m still really not 100% all the time—but I feel that now more than I ever have in my life.
There are people for which sobriety is a deal-breaker. This might seem like a terrible thing; this is not a terrible thing. This is a JOYOUS and wonderful thing because it easily sorts out the ones that have a weird relationship with alcohol, or the ones that just aren’t for you. It will hurt (pretty bad at first), but in time you will come to see it as the gift it is—and you won’t waste time getting to know the wrong person. If people press that response, I’ll either stare at them and hold an uncomfortable silence (this is enjoyable at some point), or just change the subject. There are exceptions to this, like if someone alludes to their own struggle with alcohol, and then I might offer up a bit more of my personal experience.
Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Sobriety
Mental clarity is another significant advantage when you quit drinking. Excessive consumption affects cognitive functions over time which improves once you stop. We’ve all heard stories about those who started drinking socially but soon found themselves spiraling into excessive consumption patterns. Sarah’s story paints another picture; she started her sobriety journey after waking up in jail one morning following an excessive night out.
And I didn’t stop drinking to act the same way I was when I was drinking. I realize that I don’t give myself enough credit. I’m five months sober and I’m also transitioning. I am coming out to family members and really re-creating myself in the fullest extent possible. When a person transitions, it’s like rebirthing a human.
The Michael Palmer, MD Medical Student Health Lecture Series
Ariel Moore, the program’s senior director, has had her own mugshots taken. Moore hit rock bottom with an opioid addiction in 2016, when Bethany police raided a house where she lived with her infant son and other drug users. Shortly after the hacking incident, I was invited to dinner with my friend Annette and her college roommates. We had https://en.forexdata.info/why-do-i-sneeze-when-i-drink-alcohol/ become friends right before the pandemic and got through a lot of it together taking walks. I was flattered that she thought of me as the representative friend in her life and on the evening of the dinner I was feeling very tender towards her. When I arrived at the restaurant, Annette asked if I wanted a beer and handed me the list.
