Thanks for your reply Julie! You certainly put a lot of work into your quit. No wonder you were successful. You deserve this success; so I hope you give yourself lots of kudos and rewards :)
I remember you well. So great to hear that all is well with you too!
Ashley,
So glad to see that you are still here offering support. You were so very helpful to me. Thank you so much!
The supports I used at the beginning were blogs for example “Tired of Thinking About Drinking“ and podcasts like “The Bubble Hour”. I read every book I could get my hands on about drinking, quitting drinking, self compassion etc. I began meditating regularly, I exercised regularly, I journalled. I posted on here often asking questions, talking about my situation, being accountable and asking for help. I used the calendar here to track my mounting days without alcohol. Each success and each day built my confidence, and I was able to meet the next challenge even though I didn’t quite believe that I would be able to manage without alcohol.
Eventually I began counselling to get at the “why” of my overdrinking. This has helped so much in so many ways.
I am so very glad that I took the steps to stop drinking. It is the single best thing I have ever done for myself!
Great post! We started our alcohol free journey around the same time, and I'm glad to hear that you are in a happy place in your journey. It's good to hear from you. Stay safe!
A note of encouragement for those who are struggling with alcohol. It took me a long while and many attempts to deal with my problems with alcohol. There are many paths that can lead your solution. Mine was a cobbled together support plan from many sources. Don’t give up. Keep adding more supports until you find what works for you. Although things may seem hopeless and impossible, it is something that can be overcome. It may seem like you can not live without alcohol as part of your life. In fact, the opposite becomes apparent. You can live a much better life, a more joyful life with wide horizons without alcohol. You can let all the guilt, shame, helplessness go when you let alcohol go. I encourage you to find your way through.
