One of the women in my online community asked for help to get through Drunksgiving, without drinking. She was struggling to stop drinking and stay sober but wondered how she could celebrate this holiday alcohol-free, on a night when it seemed that EVERYONE in her world would not only be drinking, but be celebrating getting drunk.

When did Drunksgiving become an official, unofficial holiday?

Is Drunksgiving just the natural progression that follows celebrating the beginning of the school year by bragging about drinking wine in your PJs all day?

When did we become an adult culture that bullies each other to feel like we HAVE to drink to fit in?

It’s been reported often over the past few years that early deaths from alcohol abuse are at record levels and on the rise. The biggest increase in fatalities are among women. Alcohol is killing more people, and younger. The biggest increases are among women, These reports and statistics are depressing but not surprising in a culture where wine and alcohol, in general, are sold as the panacea to the stress of modern life.

I’ve been reading articles like the one linked above since I stopped drinking almost five years ago. In early sobriety, I actually expected other people to see the same articles and maybe fight back, begin to break the status quo, or at least question the alcohol industry gleefully touting drinking wine daily as a healthy choice. But sadly, the articles that tell you wine will help you lose weight and fend off heart disease still get a lot more social media shares than those saying people, especially women, are dying in record numbers.

When I stopped drinking, I had no idea where to look for help. I knew that I needed to stop drinking but I also knew that I needed an alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous. I needed a community focused on celebrating alcohol-free living. I needed accountability, resources, and support and I needed it to come to me. Attending AA meetings seemed an impossible addition to my already full schedule but luckily, in this world where alcohol is the only drug that people will question you for NOT using, a world where Drunksgiving and Mommy’s Morning Wine Time are celebrated, there is a huge, supportive and diverse online community of people encouraging each other to Rethink the Drink. On private sites and public platforms, from Facebook to Twitter to Reddit to Instagram, people are reaching out with a fresh perspective on staying sober.

If you are afraid that you might become a statistic, if you want support to learn how to celebrate life alcohol-free, REACH OUT! We’re here.

Five years ago when I was 49, I was tired and fed up—and dull.

I was dragging around a bottle of wine like a ball and chain that I thought I NEEDED, DESERVED, and had EARNED. Celebrating alcohol-free at an event like Drunksgiving would have felt impossible to me. It took some time to adjust to ending a day without a bottle or two of wine. But at almost five years sober, I am vibrant and free and I am never turning back!

With so many diverse voices online today, no one has to feel alone or misunderstood in their choice to celebrate alcohol-free during the drunking season. I feel empowered, happy, peaceful and free and so can you!

Thank you to all who have joined me on the road. For leading the way and walking beside me. For letting me turn and reach back to you. Sobriety truly does deliver everything that alcohol falsely promised—and so much more.

If You’re Drinking too Much too Often

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More reading :

Why Women Are Dying for a Drink and What We Can Do About It

Delusions of missing out this Drunksgiving ?

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We aren’t missing anything
It’s a mugs game
Always seems to end the same

It’s like advertising
The product looks so appetising
But we’re buying into a dream

It’s not reality
In actuality it falls far short
And costs so so much
Way too much in many cases

People chase a high
That doesn’t last very long
It leaves them hurt and not feeling strong

The whole premise of the alcohol ideal is wrong
But the alcohol industry doesn’t wanna sell us that song
That the dream cannot materialize for very long
Before it becomes a nightmare

We should wake up and wise up I think
Put down the drink
While we still can
And while we still care

It’s stupid to die
On the back of a lie
So don’t cry
Enough is enough
It’s nasty stuff

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If you’re “sober curious” …

If you are drinking too much too often and want to stop or take a break…

We are an independent, anonymous and private community who share resources, support and talk it through every day. It helps to have a community behind you in a world where alcohol is the only addictive drug that people will question you for NOT using

Talk to Us. 

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https://boozemusings.com/care-to-party-sober/

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