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mardi 2 mai 2017

Here's What Happens When You Quit Drinking

Our friends at YourTango gave up drinking, and this is what they learned.

It changed everything.

Since a young age, my mother has warned me of the dangers of alcohol. But, not in the same way that other parents might've, but in the weary way that you do when you know your child has been genetically cursed with the drinking gene on both her paternal and maternal side.

I've recently watched my father struggle with alcohol after decades of not drinking due to his father.

I spent my childhood watching my aunt battle her addiction with alcohol and drugs, and yet I went away to college and decided I could handle it. Although looking back, that was a lie. I went from being a sleepy drunk to a sloppy one. First, it was throwing up and then it was making an ass of myself while blacked out.

But, it wasn't until my past birthday that I decided to step back from inside the bottle after putting myself in one too many bad situations.

I've passed out in CVSes and Colombian clubs, woken up in a drunken stupor to find a $100 Uber bill and ran around hotel rooms ass naked.

But, the bottom line was when I couldn't remember having sex because I was so f*cked up. Despite being positive I was a willing participant, the only actual telling sight of sex was my achy vagina the next morning. After that, I decided it was time to put the bottle down for now before I was forced to do it later.

(The decision was further confirmed by a friend reminding me how I'd slipped into bed with her and her boyfriend, while still in the buck).

Truthfully, after nearly 100 days of consistent sobriety, I'm still trying to figure out if alcohol is something I could be able to enjoy leisurely since my problem was binge drinking as opposed to needing and wanting it every second of the day.

I knew how to have a glass of wine or just one beer when I was at home but when I turned up, it wasn't for play - it could actually be really scary.

The point is I'm still working out some of the details of this no-booze thing, but here's what I have discovered has happened since I stopped drinking.

1. I socialize less.

During the past couple of months, I've cut back on going out and not for the fear of being around booze but because I can't stand the pressure coming from so many directions. And, when I try to give a half-ass explanation simply stating it's to get healthy, I almost always end up just having to give an uncomfortable explanation of the previous actions that led to this decision (not in detail, of course).

2. But I socialize more.

Before you judge me for the contradiction, hear me out! Often times I would drink in social settings to get comfortable with a certain group of people or in a certain atmosphere. For instance, I only like dancing when I drink. So, I drink. But, without a boozy buffer, I've been forced to be social, strike up conversations, and bring the party on my own introverted merits. And while it's sometimes awkward at least I can recall the conversations now.

3. I lost weight.

It's no secret that alcohol isn't the best for your diet. You start to put on weight if you drink too much - and that was me. Mimosas (and screwdrivers) on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday - well - that's definitely not a recipe for weight loss. So, without it, I've fast-tracked the loss of my little pouch and said goodbye to my wine-induced FOPA.

4. I became more productive.

This one is really to the point. When you don't spend your days in bed mending your hangover just to prepare for another night of drinking, and thus another hangover you get sh*t done.

5. I saved money.

Drinks start to add up. I was drinking for brunch, joining monthly wine clubs, and still buying. I don't get paid enough for that madness.

6. I saved my life ... maybe.

With all the crazy stunts that I was pulling under the influence, it's really a lucky miracle that I wasn't kidnapped, assaulted, or worse.

My grandfather's life ended in a bottle and that's a fate I'm trying to spare myself from.

mardi 2 mai 2017