“If you change nothing, nothing will change.”

Emotionally, physically, spiritually…alcohol can affect your life in every way.  Whether you want to admit it or not, if you ́re enjoying more than just the occasional drink, the alcohol in your life is having an affect. 

The effect of alcohol on your emotions

Alcohol affects emotions and moods. If you find yourself drinking when you´re upset, what is it you ́re trying to overcome? Feelings of fear, grief, sadness, shame, jealousy, guilt or loneliness? The list is long. 

Chances are all you really want is for the pain to go away so you can feel better. I remember those times well. 

But it didn’t stop there. When I was happy, I drank to increase the feelings of fun, confidence, self-esteem and belonging in social situations.

When we use alcohol to relax, it’s generally because we want to create a feeling of calm. We look forward to the worries of the day melting away but what we wind up with is a cocoon of numbness.

Alcohol: the barrier to my dreams

I clearly remember one day back in 1998…

I was sitting in my backyard, reading The Four Agreements while drinking a glass of chardonnay. While I knew that I wanted to grow personally, what I hadn’t realized at that time is that alcohol was getting in the way of that desire. My spiritual life was dreamed of, but quite short of being realized. It wasn’t until 2009 – the year I got sober –  that I finally recognized the true barriers to realizing my dreams. They were in a bottle and in my head. 

The emotional effects of alcohol abuse

Alcohol affects the cerebral cortex of the brain. This is where thought processing and consciousness are located. Drinking causes an inability to think clearly. Alcohol also depresses the behavioral inhibitory centers, which leads to poor judgment and less inhibitions.

Alcohol certainly affected my life. It worked for me, until it didn’t. 

My alcohol abuse affected me in so many ways. I experienced every negative emotion and feeling you can imagine and they only got worse when I drank.  

Poor judgment? Check. Fewer Inhibitions? Oh Yeah.

The physical effects of alcohol abuse

Did you know that alcohol’s impact on your body starts from the moment you take your first sip? 

While an occasional glass of wine with dinner isn’t a cause for concern, the cumulative effects of drinking wine, beer, or spirits will definitely take their toll over time.

“Sober Curious”

I don’t believe I´d ever heard the term “sober curious” before I got sober. In fact, I heard it for the first time, not so long ago. 

That’s exactly what I was, though. I was curious, and I didn’t know where to find out more about what I was feeling. 

The good news is…

There is an abundance of information available to you if you ́re wondering about getting sober and living in recovery.

Ready for recovery?

I’m here to tell you that getting sober was THE BEST THING I’VE EVER DONE FOR MYSELF!!

It made my life FUN again. And it can do the same for you, too! Laugh, party, travel! By saying goodbye to alcohol, you ́re setting yourself up for a brand spanking-new beginning and there isn’t anything you can ́t do!