45 min
S2:E38 Why I Recover Out Loud Sober Gratitudes
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- Self-Improvement
Nearly 9 years ago, when I arrived at a place in my life when I realized I could never have just 1 drink, I felt ashamed. I told only a few people because I felt like a failure. I didn't understand back then, that my drinking problem was not a moral failing. I was not a bad person, I was a sick person and I chose to get better. I chose to do something radical according to societal standards and better my life by abstaining from alcohol forever, one day at a time. It baffled me that I could never have just one drink. I hated the shame I felt
It had baffled me that I wanted to drink a lot. It baffled me that when I wasn't actually drinking, I was thinking about when I would be able to drink. In my 12 step program, I learned why I couldn't have just 1 drink. I learned I wasn't a failure or a weirdo. I learned that I had alcoholism. People helped me learn how to live a better life, freed from the chains of addiction. But for years, I was still incredibly embarrassed and ashamed and did not want people to know.
But, what if, 9 years ago, I decided to lose weight because I was harming myself with too many calories through sugar of fat? .... Would I have had the same feelings of shame like I did when I quit drinking alcohol? Would I feel like I needed to hide it as a secret? Would I worry that I would make people feel uncomfortable when I said "no, no seconds for me." Would people say, just eat less for 6 months and then you can go back to eating sweets/high fatty foods! It'll be fine!
I write this NOT to blame any person or group of people. Society has successfully made it perfectly normal to drink a legal drug to excess to cope with the normal realities of life. That's what made it so easy for me to hide my alcohol addiction. My ability to party hard was celebrated. Society cheers us when we wear shirts that say "drink wine because my baby whines." Do we see shirts that say "smoke that ciggy because your kids are exhausting you, so take a well deserved inhale"?
There is no shame in wanting to quit drinking . I believe in you 🥰.
#sober #soberlife #sobergratitudes #sobergratitudespodcast #wedorecover
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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sobergratitudes/message
Nearly 9 years ago, when I arrived at a place in my life when I realized I could never have just 1 drink, I felt ashamed. I told only a few people because I felt like a failure. I didn't understand back then, that my drinking problem was not a moral failing. I was not a bad person, I was a sick person and I chose to get better. I chose to do something radical according to societal standards and better my life by abstaining from alcohol forever, one day at a time. It baffled me that I could never have just one drink. I hated the shame I felt
It had baffled me that I wanted to drink a lot. It baffled me that when I wasn't actually drinking, I was thinking about when I would be able to drink. In my 12 step program, I learned why I couldn't have just 1 drink. I learned I wasn't a failure or a weirdo. I learned that I had alcoholism. People helped me learn how to live a better life, freed from the chains of addiction. But for years, I was still incredibly embarrassed and ashamed and did not want people to know.
But, what if, 9 years ago, I decided to lose weight because I was harming myself with too many calories through sugar of fat? .... Would I have had the same feelings of shame like I did when I quit drinking alcohol? Would I feel like I needed to hide it as a secret? Would I worry that I would make people feel uncomfortable when I said "no, no seconds for me." Would people say, just eat less for 6 months and then you can go back to eating sweets/high fatty foods! It'll be fine!
I write this NOT to blame any person or group of people. Society has successfully made it perfectly normal to drink a legal drug to excess to cope with the normal realities of life. That's what made it so easy for me to hide my alcohol addiction. My ability to party hard was celebrated. Society cheers us when we wear shirts that say "drink wine because my baby whines." Do we see shirts that say "smoke that ciggy because your kids are exhausting you, so take a well deserved inhale"?
There is no shame in wanting to quit drinking . I believe in you 🥰.
#sober #soberlife #sobergratitudes #sobergratitudespodcast #wedorecover
---
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sobergratitudes/message
45 min