Getting Help

What does it mean to live without alcohol?

There came a point for many of us here at Living Sober when we accepted the brutal truth – that despite our best attempts to moderate our alcohol intake we were unable to do so. Many of us accept that, for whatever reason (or reasons), we cannot control the drug of alcohol.

In accepting this truth we are accepting that the only way to free ourselves from our terrible internal struggle is to remove alcohol from our lives completely. This is no small thing. It is difficult to transition from living boozily to living sober. Cravings must be dealt with, uncomfortable emotions must be encountered, social events must be navigated and a lot of wide-open brain time has to be managed. But it is do-able, thousands of people get sober, and we can help you get through it.

It can take time to get to the point where you're ready to stop drinking; so don’t worry if you’re not here yet. Take your time and talk to others in the community to see if this is the right decision for you.

How do I know if I need to remove alcohol completely?

There are many ways you can tell if you’ve got a problem with alcohol.

• How often do you have six or more standard drinks on one occasion? (check your pours, one standard glass of wine is 100mls)
• As a result of your drinking, did anything happen in the last year that you wish didn’t happen?
• Have you started lying to yourself or others about how many drinks you’ve been having?
• Are you trying to set yourself limits but keep breaking them (e.g. “I’m only going to have one glass tonight… dammit I had four”)
• Do you hanker for 5 o’clock to roll around so you can start drinking? Maybe 4 o’clock is ok on the weekends….?
• Are you rationalizing with yourself, comparing yourself to others who appear worse off (e.g. “I’m not as bad as Joe – he drinks to black out most nights”)
• Are you thinking about drinking a lot of the time? Beating yourself up, making excuses, feeling guilty, worrying…?

Experiencing life sober

Living sober is experiencing life in a healthier, happier and calmer manner than living boozily will ever allow you. Living Sober is living a life that is real and raw and gritty and fascinating. Sometimes it is joyous, delightful and exhilarating, other times it’s grim, tricky and uncomfortable, but always it is life at its raw best, with no smudged edges or blurred realities. Hold on to the idea that you can get to a place where you don't miss drinking at all. Picture yourself as a happy sober person, living your life easily without alcohol. You can get there, just stay focused on the goal, and keep helping yourself by reading articles, watching videos, lurking or interacting in the Members Feed, and accessing other support if need be. You've got this.  

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