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A Surprising Lesson Learned in 4 Years of Sobriety

Life reflections on my longest stint without alcohol

Michele Maize
Black Bear
7 min readJan 7, 2025

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A rose budding with 3 others waiting to bud.
Blooming in sobriety — Photo by author

Another year has come and gone. Today marks 4 years without substances in my life and each January I reflect on just how much better my life is without alcohol. I believe you are reborn when you cut the addictive substances from your life that ravish your well-being.

It’s also why they celebrate sober birthdays in Alcoholics Anonymous. We are reborn into a new life, one with freedom from addiction. Each year is a testament to how far you have come.

I have never been sober this long since I started drinking at the tender age of 16. It is said, and I believe to be true, that alcohol stunts your growth. If you drank and used drugs consistently for years, you are likely not to grow up emotionally.

I was stuck being that 16-year-old girl for many years. Immaturity and addiction led to a lot of bad decisions and poor choices. I was fairly young and just starting my serious drinking career when I had my two daughters at 26 and 28. I was not in the right frame of mind to have children but for some reason, I felt my clock ticking, like my meter was running out.

While of course, now I wouldn’t change a thing because I wouldn’t have my amazing husband and two incredible adult…

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Black Bear
Black Bear

Published in Black Bear

At Black Bear, we share informative articles and personal stories about struggling with mental health and substance use disorders.

Michele Maize
Michele Maize

Written by Michele Maize

Sober Traveler | Wannabe Vegan | Yoga Addict. Dog-loving extrovert turned introvert. Owner of "The Maze". Editor at Black Bear and Globetrotters.

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