We had a discussion in my sobriety community this morning that prompted me to want to say this.

You do not have to be an alcoholic to decide to stop drinking.

You don’t have to bottom out, get a DUI, drink in the morning or drink every day.

You just have to decide you’re done.
You may be tired of being hungover a few days a week.

You may be feeling a creeping sense of shame at the way the volume has ticked up in lockdown.

You may not like what it’s doing to your emotional capacity even when you’re not drinking.

You may just decide that...
... at this moment in history, to make the most difference, you’d prefer to be clear all the time.

Don’t assume you have to have done or be doing profoundly self-destructive things to decide to quit.

Don’t assume you have to identify an identity that doesn’t feel like it fits.
You just have to decide you’ve had enough, and find people who will support you in that effort.

There are a lot of sober folks in my community who do not identify as alcoholics and never had withdrawal symptoms or horror stories. They just decided, like I did, that they are done
Now, before anyone shouts at me about dry drunks, please know that regardless of why you quit, or what your experience is like in sobriety, or DOES KICK UP SHIT that you’ve been avoiding.

For example, here is my light and joyful weekend reading RN.
It will allow (and force) you to feel discomfort and challenges you’ve been avoiding.

But it will also allow you the room to actually heal.

This week, I managed to avoid a responding to *major* triggering event that recurs in my life from time to time.
That in turn allowed me to not jack my central nervous system in a way that historically would have sent me running to a glass of wine.

It’s also allowed me to start evaluating relationships (personal and professional) that haven’t served me in a long time, with an eye toward...
...why I chose them in the first place, given the toxicity.

So, in other words, don’t assume that it’s all wine and roses (har) when you quit drinking.

However, I can tell you that I slept through the night last night for eight hours with no nightmares last night.
I am surrounded by amazing people who see me and get me and send me love on the journey without judgment.

I am prouder of my accomplishments than I have allowed myself to feel for a long time.

I am making rational choices about how to engage (or not) with others emotionally.
And lastly, I’m walking in this space right now all the time.
You can choose to quit *anything* that doesn’t serve you any more.

No shame. No am I or am I not.

You can just decide you’ve had enough.
Much love to my friends on the path who are with me.

Happy Saturday, all, or Day 17 as it’s known in this household.

Onward.
(As usual, apologies for the typos. I’m on a new phone, my pop socket isn’t where I want it, and I’m not in the mood to correct anything LOL.)
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