I'm Present

My first year of sobriety has honestly been one of the biggest shifts in my life. Not in some dramatic way. More slowly, just realising things are different.

Before I got sober, mornings were awful. Proper awful. Waking up feeling rough, head pounding, mouth like sandpaper....NEVER AGAIN!

These days I wake up clear headed. No hangover, thankfully! Just a normal morning, which used to sound boring to me, but now honestly feels like a gift.

The first few months of sobriety were weird, though, I’m not going to lie. When drinking has been part of your routine for so long, everything felt a bit off without it.

Sobriety has forced me to actually sit with myself. My thoughts and emotions, the stuff I used to avoid. That’s not always comfortable. I’ve learned a lot about myself so far. Some of it is good, some of it is hard to face. But at least I’m actually facing it.

One thing I definitely don’t miss is the cycle. Drinking, feeling rough, promising myself I’d take it easy next time… then ending up right back where I started. That loop was exhausting!!

Now my energy goes into things that actually matter. My mental health is better. My head feels clearer. I feel more like myself than I have in years.

Now every time I wake up without a hangover, without anxiety, without regret, I’m reminded why I chose this.

2years ago, I didn’t really know what life would look like without alcohol. If I’m being honest, I thought it might feel empty.

 

Turns out it feels the opposite. 💅