It took me years to come to terms with the fact that I had an addiction to alcohol. I was always under the assumption that alcoholics were just people who couldn’t handle their lives and ended up alone and on the streets. That wasn’t me, I told myself. I had a good job, paid my bills, and had family and friends who cared about me. However, it was becoming increasingly apparent to everyone around me that I was having a problem with alcohol.
Four years after I took my last drink, I have no trouble admitting that I had an addiction. Now people ask me, Do you live a sober life? What does that feel like? I’m happy to admit that it feels amazing. No, it isn’t always easy. I struggle a lot, and the phrase “one day at a time” is one I lean heavily on. But the good completely outweighs the bad in every way possible.
Becoming sober feels like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. That sounds cliché, doesn’t it? It’s true, though. Being an alcoholic made me always want to drink. I constantly thought about when I would have my next drink and what it would be throughout the day. I worried about when I could start drinking without being judged. Now I don’t.
The judgment is tough when you are drinking. Whether or not people are judging your choices, you are also judging yourself. Even if it is just deep down, I know that it is happening. Because I did. I judged how often I drank, how much I spent on it, how many mornings I waste hungover. I don’t anymore. That judgment is gone. I feel lighter, freer, and happier.
One of the best feelings that come with sobriety is knowing you can change if you want to. Getting sober wasn’t easy, and I would never tell anyone that it was. I struggled to get clean in the very beginning, and I am not ashamed to admit I had setbacks. But I’m clean now, and I know I will stay that way. There is not a feeling in the world that can take that away! I feel like I can conquer anything that I put my mind to because I conquered alcohol.
Are you ready to accept help for your problem? Give us a call today at 954-523-1167. We are here for you!