Choosing Sobriety: A Path to Empowerment, Clarity, and Self-Discovery
A fresh start & new beginning
My Life Before Sobriety
I used to drink. I used to drink as a teenager and in my early twenties. I used to spend my weekends at bars and clubs drinking. I used to drink at house parties. I used to drink when I was bored with my friends. I used to day drink. I used to wake up the next morning hungover and bond with friends over the dumb things we did or said the night before.
I used to think that drinking was fun and harmless.
But then my perspective started to shift.
I noticed someone close to me who couldn’t go a day without drinking. Who couldn’t eat at a restaurant without ordering a beer. Someone who couldn’t not have a pack of beer in the fridge at home. Someone who found an excuse to drink no matter what the day, situation or event was. Someone who couldn’t just have one beer, but 5-6 each time.
I started to get curious and pay attention. Why was it that this person couldn’t seem to go a day without any amount of beer in their system? What was so hard about being sober? Why couldn’t they order a Coke or Ginger Ale at a restaurant, why was it always alcohol?
Then I started to look at myself.
Can I go without alcohol? Why do I drink? Why can’t I show up to parties sober? Is it a crutch for me?
I started to realize my friend group and how we all drank all the time. I started to realize I don’t have any friends that DON’T drink.
Then I felt a pull to change and one day in 2019, I decided I was going to quit cold turkey.
Then I started to gain self awareness.
Realizations
I realized I had social anxiety. Alcohol helped me feel included and be social.
I realized I loved saying what was on my mind and not worrying about what people think of me. I loved the feeling of being free. Alcohol helped me do that.
I realized I had a closed heart and alcohol helped me open my heart temporarily.
I realized I avoided my negative emotions and alcohol helped me do that.
I realized that when I decided to stop drinking , I turned a page in my book and encountered an unfolding.
I was ready to start healing.
I was ready to look at my social anxiety and be with it. I was ready to look at my closed heart and have compassion. I was ready to see my suppressed emotions and thoughts, and get to know them.
I was ready to grow up.
What I learned over the years of being sober
When we drink alcohol, it’s often the ego’s way of avoiding deeper emotional truths. Instead of confronting negative emotions, we bypass them, temporarily jumping to a state of artificial positivity. It allows us to “forget our problems” and “feel good” for a moment—but this isn’t reality. True reality lies in embracing the full spectrum of our emotions, both positive and negative, because being human means experiencing it all. Facing our emotions is an essential part of the human condition
When we consume alcohol, we become far more vulnerable to negative energies. With our defenses lowered, we are more naive and susceptible. In contrast, when we abstain from alcohol, we remain clear and open, allowing light and positivity to flow into us. Alcohol serves as a distraction, hindering our spiritual growth and connection
Giving up alcohol meant taking full responsibility for my emotions and, ultimately, my life. It was a step toward emotional and spiritual maturity, allowing me to face my feelings honestly rather than numbing them. By letting go of drinking, I opened the door to greater self-awareness, growth, and a deeper connection to my true self and God.
Looking back, quitting alcohol was one of the most transformative decisions of my life. It taught me to sit with discomfort, embrace my emotions, and take full responsibility for my journey. Over time, I discovered a deeper sense of peace, clarity, and connection—things I had been searching for but never found.
If you’re questioning your relationship with alcohol, I encourage you to get curious. What might be waiting for you on the other side of this habit? Change doesn’t happen overnight, but every small step you take toward understanding yourself can open the door to growth and healing.
Remember, true freedom comes from facing reality, not avoiding it. And when you choose to show up as your authentic self—without numbing, hiding, or escaping—you’ll find that life becomes richer, fuller, and far more meaningful.
I say this all with love,
