Living an alcohol free life…
Living without alcohol is hard, but it is oh so worth it
It seems to be the only drug that you have to justify not taking.
Navigating your way into sobriety is tough, especially when you are new to it. Adjusting to different situations, dealing with the changing dynamics in friendships, responding to questions about why you are doing it, it’s all a learning and healing process
However the further you get into it the easier it gets, believe me. Plus the further you go the more benefits you realise and the less you want to go back
I don’t find it difficult anymore saying no to alcohol, I find it difficult understanding why others want to drink it.
Alcohol is a drug, we all know that. Alcohol poisons your body, I think we all know that too - especially after some of the hangovers we have experienced
So why do people keep going back to it?
If you ate something and it made you have a severe reaction, made you vomit, made you black out, wiped out the next day for you, would you eat it again? I’d say not. Yet alcohol does all of those things and people keep going back to it.
Why??
“It helps me to relax”
“It gives me confidence”
“It’s boring if I don’t drink”
“It releases stress”
The list could go on….
Maybe you should write your list of the reasons why you drink (or did drink if you are already sober)
Then take a look at the list and decide which ones are actually fact. If they are not fact, then they are probably what you believe to be true, and that’s completely different
Then take another look and come up with alternative healthier ways to achieve those outcomes;
Yoga, meditation, a salt bath, listening to music can all help you to relax. Working on loving yourself, putting on a power suit will give you confidence. Being sober is not boring in the slightest, without alcohol you experience every moment, you remember and feel everything, you are fully present in life rather than being distracted by where the next drink is coming from.
As for reducing stress levels, the exact opposite is true. High levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) in the body causes feelings of stress and anxiety. Alcohol raises those levels, it doesn’t reduce them!!
Alcohol really draws you in, makes you believe that you need it… you don’t!