You don't have to hit rock bottom...or any bottom.
You can just quit.
I didn’t quit drinking because anything had “happened.”
I didn’t lose my family or biz.
I didn’t get a DUI or have an accident.
A doctor hadn’t spoken to me; there wasn’t an intervention with family or friends.
It was just time to stop.
Because our culture is still obsessed with the idea of being an “alcoholic” or not, or being “addicted” or not, it can be difficult to quit when you are in the grey.
You may drink like your community or friends. You may even drink less.
It doesn’t really matter. The only thing that matters is that you want to stop drinking.
I was tired of being low-key tired. My peri-menopause was beginning to kick my ass, and I knew drinking wasn’t helping.
I was tired of being anxious and depressed. And even though I am medicated for both, I somehow thought that drinking on the meds didn’t affect me. Like, I dismissed this bit of science, as well as dismissed the fact that alcohol worsens anxiety and depression. I don’t blame myself for ignoring science; our entire culture has made willful ignorance our religion when it comes to drinking and mental health.
I was tired of wondering how much of my life I had missed and was missing. I showed up for everything and was a high achiever, but what parts of me were being compromised by drinking? The problem was…I didn’t know. And the only way to know what you’re missing is by quitting.
I was tired of thinking about it. Buying it. Monitoring it. Relying on it to relax. Relying on it to have fun, feel sad, watch TV, be with friends, eat good food, eat shitty food, go on vacation, and be bored.
I was tired of knowing that had I started to drink when I was so young…and I deep down knew that it hurt my ability to process my emotions, handle frustration, and communicate clearly. I was tired of using my intellect to compensate. Alcohol left me one click out of my life.
You may relate to all of this or none of it. That’s okay. I just wanted to share that you don’t need to wait to quit. You just can. I first went to Soberful for a group of like-minded peeps; I also use SheRecovers, and I also love The Luckiest Club.
Love you.