Do you know why I created Sober Mom Tribe and why I share my personal struggle with alcohol? Because I don't want you to get to the low point that I did. I truly believe you don't need a rock bottom to change your relationship with alcohol, and I'm here to prevent someone from hopefully quitting before something "bad" happens.
Society has conditioned us to believe that we need to lose our job, get a DUI, be drinking morning until night, or have some other debilitating consequence from our drinking before we stop. Do I believe it's harder to stop without a lower rock bottom? Yes, because there's nothing "forcing" us to stop, but that doesn't mean you can't.
What inspired this post was a story in the Reddit r/stopdrinking forum the other day. By the way, that forum is a great resource so check it out!
A mother who...
Left it too long to admit she had a problem.
Kept it a secret from her family and friends.
Waited too long to get the medical assistance that could have saved her old liver.
Wanted to keep drinking and kept getting deeper and deeper into her addiction.
It took her life being in serious jeopardy to get her to stop. The point of this post is to start questioning your relationship with alcohol and trying ways to get out of the habit loop before you get to the point where it becomes harder, and you truly are dependent on alcohol to survive.
People always ask me, "how will I know if I have a problem with alcohol?" Trust your gut and the fact that you're questioning it. People who don't struggle with alcohol aren't feeling that gentle nudge inside themselves that something doesn't feel right. If that's you, then take a break from alcohol for a bit, listen to podcasts, read quit lit, and most importantly, surround yourself with others who will support you not drinking.
The 60 Day Alcohol-Free Challenge is a great way to assess your relationship with alcohol and gain tools and resources to have in your back pocket, and have a group of mothers who get it. Link in bio to enroll in our challenge that starts January 1st!