Reflections – 6 Months Alcohol-Free

(Note – this reflection was written by me on Sunday, Jan 26, 2020 and posted to the r/stopdrinking subreddit. It is copied here in lightly edited form.)

Today it has been 6 months since I last consumed alcohol. I want to give a message to anyone who has fallen prey to alcohol’s deceptive grip:

  • There is hope.
  • You are not alone.
  • You can escape.

I still browse r/stopdrinking, though with less frequency than I did during my first weeks of sobriety. Often I read stories of those who are just beginning their journey in sobriety. People who, like I once did, know the location and hours of every liquor store within a mile radius. People who were on a first-name basis with liquor store clerks like I was. People who, day in and day out, still drudge to the store to buy booze while a tiny voice screams in the back of their head, “Please PLEASE just stop. Don’t go. Don’t do it again.” But that voice is shielded behind bars in a prison run by alcohol.

Like some kind of sad automaton, the motions of buying booze become routine and thoughtless. Drinking creeps from weekends to weeknights to every day. Suddenly every second of every day is spent in chaotic anticipation of the next drop of alcohol.

Every time I read these stories I am nearly driven to tears. I know that horror, and I was that person. And now? I am so much happier, healthier, and more alive than before. I wish with all of my heart that those people can make it to where I am. I want them to know that a life without alcohol IS better, and it IS possible.

I know that the first step is hard. It’s probably the most difficult thing I’ve had to do in my entire life. But once I was free from the clutches of alcohol, life got better. I have more free time, sharper memories, clearer thoughts, and stronger emotions.

All of the worries and problems that I have were never solved with alcohol. They were still there the next day, and drinking only made my alcoholism deeper and more powerful. Now that I am sober, I can actually face my problems and find solutions. I’m finally done running from them!

I hope that this message reaches someone who needs to hear it.

Stay strong, friends.

IWNDWYT

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