This is my call out to anyone who committed to stop drinking on January 1st or to anyone who decided to at least try a Dry January pledge. This is a call out to anyone who has decided that they want to try sobriety and has stumbled. This is a call out to you – if you woke up yesterday morning determined not to drink last night and found that that pledge didn’t stick. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and come talk to us! We are still in a fresh new year and a fresh new decade. Anything is possible if you take it down alcohol free.

Here is the story of my ‘Dry January’ last year.

Last year, right before New Years Eve, I casually told my husband

‘hey, I’m gonna try to do dry January – just so you know. It probably won’t work. But if it does, I might go even longer. Maybe I’ll try a year of sobriety. But it probably won’t work.’

I think I said this with a glass of wine in my hand. Because, really, while I knew I needed to quit drinking, I actually never really thought I would.

BUT! now that I have and I’m not going back.  

And here I am. Almost a year later. A year of sobriety. Yes! I slipped twice and had two nights with a couple of glasses of wine. But the rest of my year was 100% alcohol free.

I think I found the Boom Community about seven days into my Dry January 2019 pledge. And (duh) … I was so surprised to find other people having experiences similar to mine. And it helped. The community support really made the difference. Little tiny comments helped me, called to me, and urged me on. Small words of encouragement, small words of commiseration. All found here. And all gave me a year sober.. yes a year of sobriety! I’m Alcohol Free!

I found, for me, that the changes, the really big ones, happen slowly. Its a patience game. There aren’t these cataclysmic shifts, but slow gentle ones. But looking back to a year ago, the changes in me feel real and powerful. I am a much more confident and contented me than I was a year ago, and 100 fold more confident and contented than 5 years ago when I was at my worst. I am not thinner (damn 🙂 ) But I am stronger, braver, calmer, clearer and a much better wife, sister, daughter and friend. Professionally, my life has taken off.

And my only resolution for 2020 is to stay alcohol-free one day at a time – oh, and to complete my ten-mile swim in August. 🙂 

Over the holiday visit I saw the spouse of an old friend. He remarked several times that I looked ten years younger than the last time he saw me a few years ago. He kept wanting to know ‘my secret’. 

Sobriety is a bit of a super power. I feel like it gives me the power to think more clearly, to have more patience and not to respond reactively to life. I know it sounds a bit odd. But hey – it truly makes me feel special.

Come join us. What do you have to lose?

This post was written by a member of our community who is now in her fourth-year alcohol-free! Here is more of her writing

Where’s my Miracle?

6 Reasons I’m Staying Sober – Perspective from 6 months Alcohol-Free

Loving Life Takes Practice

Lessons from the Middle of the Lake

Sober I am no Longer the Victim in the Tragedy of my own Making

Once Upon a Real Life 

---

If you’re “sober curious” … 

If you are drinking too much too often and want to stop or take a break…or if you have stopped drinking and are trying to stick to sober! Talk to Us. 

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

You can read more about us Here And join  Here

Download the Mighty Networks app here for free easy access and search BOOM Rethink the Drink– community support 24-7 or sign up and sign in here