13 hours agoMember-onlyWhy Would You Celebrate Your Sober Anniversary and How Will You Do It?In certain circles, this is known as a "sober birthday and, in others, a soberversary. — I'll be alcohol-free for four years on September 13. I'm damn proud of this. I didn't celebrate the first three. I did mention it to loved ones, and they congratulated me. Most of them didn't understand why I quit. They didn't think I was "that bad." Of course, it doesn't…Sobriety3 min read
Published in AINYF…Alcohol is NOT Your Friend·1 day agoMember-onlyHow James Clear's 3 Levels of Behavior Change Can Help You Achieve SobrietyAre we trying to change the wrong thing? — When I decided to quit drinking, I had a goal — to be alcohol-free. Isn't that what everyone who quits drinking wants? I failed at my first two attempts. I quit and managed to be AF for a couple of months, only to fall back into ethanol's sharp clutches once…Self Improvement4 min read
Published in AINYF…Alcohol is NOT Your Friend·2 days agoMember-onlyHow Will You Ever Find Happiness In Your Newly Attained Sobriety?You’re sober and avoiding the drink. Now what? — When I first quit drinking, I was ecstatic. I tried two times before and relapsed within two months. The last time I quit, I was determined not to fail. I knew I would never try again if I didn’t succeed this time. It was now or never. The first six…Sobriety3 min read
3 days agoMember-onlyWhat the Heck Is Spontaneous Sobriety and How Do You Find It?Is this something we can accomplish on our own, or do we need help? — In This Naked Mind, Annie Grace relates how her father quit drinking and smoking just like that. He gave it up, never to relapse even once. That seems miraculous to me. I quit drinking, too. Only not quite as easily. It took two years of daily reading and absorbing books…This Happened To Me4 min read
4 days agoMember-onlyWhat Risks and Consequences Do Women Face With Their Alcohol Consumption?Are you concerned about your drinking? If not, perhaps you should be. — I was overdrinking almost every night. I felt free to imbibe as I retired and no longer had a reason to rise early. Little did I know I was not free at all. I was shackled to the chains of ethanol. Many women are. This is not to say men…Health4 min read
6 days agoMember-onlyWhy It's Important That You Know Alcoholism Is a Progressive DiseaseFor some, this may be obvious. For others, you may think drinking is simply a fun sport. — When I started drinking regularly in my 20s, I only imbibed on the weekends. This relatively common practice continued throughout those years. After my son, Anthony, was born, no longer nursing, and I was a stay-at-home mom; I added a glass of wine to my schedule on several weekdays. I…Alcohol Addiction3 min read
Published in AINYF…Alcohol is NOT Your Friend·Aug 12Member-onlyWhy My Drinking Escalated the Last Two Years Before I Sobered UpI have a feeling you may have experienced the same thing. — I've been sober for almost four years, and I've been writing about my attaining sobriety for the last year and a half. I've explained that I retired and moved to a new state where I knew few people except my new husband's friends. All my friends were back in California…Sobriety3 min read
Aug 11Member-onlyThese 5 Famous and Talented Women Couldn’t Be Saved From Their Drug AddictionThey tragically died, but can you learn from them? — I loved my alcohol and drank for the majority of my adult life. I finally found sobriety almost four years ago, and I couldn’t be more grateful. It took many years of casual drinking before I began indulging to the point of concern. Sure, there were instances throughout my life…Addiction4 min read
Published in AINYF…Alcohol is NOT Your Friend·Aug 10Member-onlyUse These 5 Steps to Cultivate a Gratitude Practice to Help You Quit Drinking and Love Your LifeGratitude solves all kinds of problems; why not addiction? — I was so afraid of failing when I first quit drinking, yet I had a belief in myself that this time I would be successful. I knew I had to stop the insanity of my imbibing. I felt my life depended on it. I failed two times before my final…Sobriety3 min read
Aug 9Member-onlyIf You Drink, Then You Know Alcohol-Induced Anxiety is Real and It’s FrighteningHave you noticed feeling more anxious the day after overdrinking? — Have you ever awakened at 2 a.m. after a night of overdrinking, feeling panicky? Perhaps, sweating, cotton-mouthed, and with an awful heaviness of remorse filling your mind and heart? Then there was the sickening feeling that I may have made a fool of myself while out to dinner with hubby…Alcohol3 min read
