Once upon a time, booze seemed to be the answer to everything. Need to unwind? Drink. Need a confidence boost? Drink. Need to feel happier? Drink! I used to rely on alcohol for so much. It was a pick-me-up when I felt down and…

Do I need to quit drinking? Years ago, when I was trying to decide what to do about my own drinking, I used to google this topic endlessly. I was never sure if I was overreacting or not – I wasn’t a rock bottom drinker, but I didn’t feel…

I get a lot of emails from people who want to know if I think they’re drinking too much. They’ve added up their drinks, worked out the units… and they’re worried. Or confused. After all, don’t most people drink more than the…

Do you keep promising yourself you’ll do something about your drinking – only it never seems like quite the right time? Back when I was thinking about quitting (but not actually doing anything about it) my thoughts went like this…

I’m on holiday in France, a country often associated with wine. When I first quit drinking, the idea of staying alcohol-free during trips like this seemed crazy. In early sobriety, it was so hard to get my head around the idea of being sober in France! I worried…

Have you ever wondered how to have fun without drinking? When I was thinking about quitting alcohol I worried about this a lot. Back then, my entire social life revolved around booze. I couldn’t imagine not drinking – it was what I…

I watched a movie over the weekend that I haven’t seen for ages: Groundhog Day. Do you remember it? The basic premise is, the hero (played by Bill Murray) keeps making mistakes that result in some sort of disaster, and so he…

“I am not going to drink this week.” I used to make promises like this ALL the time. Sometimes I’d stick to my plan for a few days. Sometimes I’d change my mind within a few hours. It was all too easy to give up on my sober goals…

Whether you’re jetting off on holiday or enjoying the heatwave at home, this is a great time of year to get lost in a book. You don’t have to be ready to quit drinking in order to gain a lot from reading books about sobriety. In fact…

I used to love barbecues when I was drinking; they were the perfect excuse to day drink without feeling like an alcoholic. The warm weather made me crave beer and the idea of watching the sun go down stone cold sober seemed…

This week I’m on holiday enjoying some sun and a chance to relax. It’s at times like this that I feel particularly grateful not to be battling a hangover, or letting alcohol dull any memories. I know that if you’re newly sober or…