If a lecture on the dangers of drinking was all it took to motivate someone to quit, you wouldn’t be reading this.
And personally, I much prefer talking about the benefits of alcohol-free living, because it’s such a lifestyle upgrade after all.
But the other day I had a conversation with one of my clients that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about – as I explain in today’s video:
Key points
The real worry
One of my Getting Unstuck students – who’s now in long-term sobriety – recently said to me, “Looking back, I often wonder why I was so afraid of sobriety, when I was never afraid to drink and face the consequences.” I was exactly the same. I spent hardly any time thinking about how scary it was to continue drinking. I glossed over those risks and put my time and energy into worrying about sobriety and how impossible it seemed. However, the potential for worrying things to happen is so much greater if you continue to use alcohol!
The risks of drinking
Most of us have done things whilst drinking that we regret. For example: walking home alone. Losing keys. Sending angry text messages. Having an argument that you can’t remember the next day. Staying up late drinking the night before an important presentation at work. Embarrassing yourself in front of people you wanted to impress. Flying to the other side of the world on holiday and seeing very little because you’re hungover. Falling over, risking your health or injuring someone nearby… the list just goes on and on.
Your brain is tricking you
The only reason that drinking seems safer right now is because sobriety is the unknown thing. Your brain likes certainty and alcohol feels relatively ‘safe’ and familiar compared to sobriety. But what I’m trying to show you is that drinking isn’t really safe at all. There are so many risks – you could be right around the corner from something bad happening. I’m not scaremongering here, but my point is, if you’re going to worry about anything, worry about the risk of drinking. Don’t be scared of sobriety, because there’s nothing to be scared about. If you quit booze, you won’t regret it!
Ready to create an alcohol-free life you love? Click here to learn more about my Getting Unstuck course.
17 responses
Hello from Canada, and so, so true. Took your course several years ago and am 6.5 years sober now and when I think back on what I did while drinking (driving, smoking cigarettes, battling hangovers with young kids), I am beyond grateful to be over that — but I also never take my sobriety for granted. Great post and video!!!
Huge congratulations on 6.5 years sober! It’s amazing how much life changes once we’re out of that old cycle and your gratitude really shines through. I’m so glad the course supported you and it’s wonderful to see you thriving. 🙂
Hi Kate! I don’t know where to start, wow…this video, the being scared to quit thing, I am going through this right now!! I have been following you for a while but I didn’t feel ready to quit drinking. I mean, I wanted to, but didn’t feel I could. This morning I woke up feeling groggy and miserable AGAIN and I decided to get serious about this. I have been sitting in my kitchen for 2 hours now, desperately trying NOT to drink. Then I figured I would look at your website to help distract me and THIS video is what I watched….it really resonated with me, YES!!!!! WHY am I so afraid NOT to drink, when really I should be afraid of drinking! I have signed up to be notified for your next course in October, in the meantime I am gonna be reading and watching everything you have..and I bought your book today! Thanks so much, for the first time in years I have some hope xx
It’s so good to hear that you’ve been spurred into action by my blog today. My approach will guide you though a six week break from drinking, so you don’t need to decide you’re NEVER drinking again. Let me show you another way of living your one and only life, then you choose what comes next. In fact, I wrote another blog on this exact topic that I think you’ll find helpful: https://thesoberschool.com/quit-drinking-forever/
Well done Jan. You should be proud of yourself, today is the day you change your life for the better. Tomorrow morning when you wake up hangover free, you will feel so much better. Keep going xx
Hi
Day 134 of sobriety today. Sobriety is my number 1 priority now
Hello from across the pond, and I for one certainly remember “glossing over risks” during my drinking days; esp. using excuses of why my class/rehersals were off! Now after 3+ yrs. sober it is scarey to remember non-alert driving and dizziness in class which can result in broken bones, etc. Even more so, in my case lots of money spent on attorneys to get me out of the alcohol consequences here in USA. Sobriety is a lot less work and much more predictable, clear lifestyle. How interesting that every lady/story you have helped, Kate, proves how dangerous alcohol is.
Looking back, it’s absolutely true I had more to worry about when boozing than I ever have in sobriety. I was doing so much damage to my liver and kidneys which, suffering in silence, never gave any clues to alert me to what I was doing to myself. Silly me though took the lack of hangovers and my ability to get through work the next day just fine to mean I didn’t have anything to worry about. 20 years and 3 medically-diagnosed conditions linked to my boozing later, it’s clear i should’ve been worried as all hell. By contrast, living in sobriety all those years wouldn’t have landed me where I am now with a doctor saying things like “if the kidney function drops a few more points, it usually means dialysis”
You can’t change the past, but you can do the best for your future self Rose. Here are the details of my next course, I’d love to help you look forward to a healthy and hangover-free future: https://thesoberschool.com/course/
omg! This is an INCREDIBLE Blog, Kate! It all resonates so well!!!
Hi Kate
You and your words are definitely drawing me in.. I really don’t like 12 step programs. Reading what you say means so much. Mind you I have only been sober for 2 weeks.!
Many congratulations on two weeks sober, that’s a really meaningful start. It’s completely okay not to connect with 12 step programmes; there are many ways to build a life that feels free. I’m really glad my words are helping and that you’re keeping an open mind. You’re doing something important for yourself and I’d love to help you further. Here are the details of my next course, please take a look: https://thesoberschool.com/course/
Kate, everything you say is me.
Been a drinker for far too long, more than I want to remember.
This is the first time in a long time that I’ve reached out. Scared, absolutely. Do I need help, I sure do. Thank you for being there and bringing some reality back into my life.
Thank you for being so honest. Rest assured, you’re in the right place and I can help you stop drinking. Here are the details of my next course to get you started on creating an alcohol- free life you’ll love: https://thesoberschool.com/course/
What a meaningful video – very powerful
Thank you
I really resonate with this. I had my final scary moment when put myself in a dangerous situation when drinking. The getting unstuck course changed my life and now 3 years sober. The idea of ever drinking again is the thing that scares me now and alcohol free living makes me feel safe.
Three years sober is amazing! I’m so glad the course helped you find that sense of safety – huge congratulations on how far you’ve come. 🙂