Why I’ll Never Go Back to Alcohol
When I quit drinking, my goal was to stay sober for the rest of my life. Three years later, my conviction is as strong as ever.
Excessive drinking had chipped away at my well-being for years. I allowed it to damage my health, hurt my finances, and get in the way of my social relationships.
Now that I’ve finally quit, it seems obvious to me that I’d never want to go back to it.
Despite this, my “sober for life” stance has surprised more people than I would have expected. In the age of “Dry January” and “Sober October,” has quitting alcohol for good become an anachronism?
I can see how short-term breaks from alcohol could be helpful to a lot of people. For me though, the only real solution to my trouble with alcohol is to keep it permanently eliminated from my life.
I’ve Never Been Able to Moderate
There was a point in my life when I was very tempted by “what if” questions. I knew I had an addiction to alcohol, but I wasn’t willing to admit that I needed to stop drinking entirely.
Instead I’d ask myself:
- “What if I moderated my drinking?”
- “What if I could cut down to just drinking on weekends?”
- “What if I only drank with friends?”
