There are so many things I wish I’d known about alcohol-free living before I quit.
Back then, I was convinced my life was basically going to be over, if I couldn’t drink.
Without alcohol, I thought I’d either die of boredom or I’d become a sad sober loser – abandoned by all her friends – and the loneliness would do me in instead.
(Dramatic? Me? Just a bit…)
With those kinds of beliefs, it’s no wonder I was a bit resistant to quitting drinking. And I know I’m not the only one who anticipates the worst.
So here’s my attempt to put your mind at rest.
I’m going to pass on some messages for you, from a few of my Sober School students.
I met up with them in person last month and asked them to write you a message. Watch the video to see what they have to say!
Key points
Their biggest wins
These aren’t small achievements. These are life-changing moments that happened because these women put down the wine glass:
- “749 days sober. My big win? Being effortlessly alcohol-free. No mental chatter, ever. An upgrade indeed.”
- “399 days sober. Thousands saved. My big win? I like myself.”
- “1076 days sober and £10,000 saved. My big win is that I got myself back.”
- “Seven and a half years sober. Saved enough to buy a car and get a mortgage on my own. My big win is that my partner has never and will never see me drunk.”
- “£6,000 saved in 1,120 days. My big win? Dealing with the sudden death of my husband without returning to drinking.”
- “I’m 3.5 years sober and I saved enough money in sobriety to get my teeth fixed – and I overcame my agoraphobia.”
What they want you to know:
- “Sobriety doesn’t need to be boring. Sobriety rocks.”
- “What a life upgrade it is.”
- “How good a nine-hour sleep feels. Life is bloody good fun without booze. People don’t really care if you’re not drinking.”
- “I wish I’d known there was nothing wrong with me because I was struggling to stop, and I didn’t have to be ashamed about being addicted. That I wasn’t broken.”
- “I wish I’d known that I could still be fun and interesting without alcohol.”
- “I didn’t know that I could be successful. I was so worried about failing after so many Dry Januarys.”
- “The importance of education. You need to know the truth about alcohol and the power of a community.”
I hope these notes strike a chord…
These messages were written by Sober School graduates who attended my recent event in Birmingham. As I said in the video, I know you might not believe me when I tell you how good alcohol-free living can be. But I hope these real, heartfelt notes do strike a chord with you, and perhaps you’ll be able to believe the women who wrote them.
I hope you noticed that not one of these women described sobriety as a sacrifice. Not one said they missed drinking or wished they’d waited longer to quit. What they talked about was freedom, sleep, money, confidence and getting themselves back.
Ready to create an alcohol-free life you love? Click here to learn more about my Getting Unstuck course.
One Response
Yes, anyone can look at those women on the video and see they love life. I do too, nowadays. I especially liked the comment about addiction – anyone can become addicted to an addictive item! Freedom becomes non-negotiable (what I wished I had known).