It took me ages to learn to drive. As someone who had historically been a high-flyer and had quietly rejected or mocked anything I wasn’t good at (namely building anything practical and any sports involving hand-eye coordination), I really didn’t know how to cope with learning to do something that I wasn’t quick at. It…
Triggers and tribulations
What is the biggest trigger, the biggest threat to our sobriety, especially in the early days? I suspect it’s the same for many of us: the fear of not fitting in socially. The fear of being so awkward that we’ll explode. The fear that our awkwardness feels so tangible that we wear it like a…
“18 months sober me” would like to say a few things to “30 days sober me”
Keep going. I promise it won’t always be this hard. Not drinking won’t always feel like starving yourself of oxygen and food. I know you feel like an elastic band stretched too far, ready to snap back to the old ways sooner or later. But you won’t. Not this time. That feeling, the resistance, the…
The 8 weirdest things people have said to me while I’ve been recovering from Alcohol Abuse Disorder
To celebrate being nearly 18 months sober, I am writing my first “listicle” – reminiscing about the weird shit people have said to me because my not drinking makes them feel super awkward. I would like to make the disclaimer here that most of these were said by friends who I love and also love…
500 days! Boo-YAR!!!
“Well, I drank more than a lifetime’s worth in the first 36 years of my life, so I thought I should call it a day.” “I just couldn’t moderate, so I figured I shouldn’t have it at all.” These are the sort of responses I have typically given when people ask me why I’m…
Witness The Crazy
Well, it’s been quite a while since I’ve blogged, as you can see. What have I been up to? End-of-school-year Music Teacher stuff, end-of-school-year mum stuff, and THE BIGGY – BUYING A HOUSE stuff. Finally, I understand the reason why people who are doing all the admin, never mind the physical preparation, for a house…
Second time lucky
Yesterday I went to my local town street festival with my husband, Mr. 5 and Miss Nearly 3. I anticipated a bit of FOMO, on account of the street festival street-drinking. A day when drinking in the high street is deemed socially acceptable, with local rock bands playing? “COOL!”, a little part of me still…
Let it go, let it go! 🎶
I’m sat writing this in bed at 6.45am on Saturday, 13 months sober TODAY I just noticed. I’m gladly sacrificing my one weekly ‘lie-in’ (OK, I am lying in, but not sleeping). My husband and I get one lie-in each at the weekend, the other getting up at the usual daily 6.20am as dictated by…
The Raincloud
Today I may be breaking one of my own rules: to only blog content that I feel serves a positive purpose. To only post uplifting stuff. I’m struggling today. Not struggling with sobriety per se, just… struggling. I cannot write when I feel depressed. I can’t find the words… but I’m going to try to…
Eat, drink, be … recovered
Alright, so, today I’ve been mulling over just how much recovering from alcohol abuse disorder has shed light on my old eating disorder. One of the hardest parts of overcoming the E.D. to which my life became tethered throughout my late teens and early twenties was my deep confusion, guilt and frustration about it. I…
Ultraviolet Sobriety 