Have you recently tried a “sober challenge” and found it more difficult than you expected? A Dry July or Dry January can feel impossible to achieve if you don’t stay engaged with a supportive community. We celebrate an alcohol-free challenge every month in our Boom Rethink the Drink community. Whether you’ve decided to take on a Sober September, an Alcohol-Free April, an Arid August, or a dry challenge any time of the year, you can do it more easily with community at your side.
Here are two invitations from different members of our group encouraging you to join us this month!
Holding a Space For You
As I rambled down the country road yesterday, I spotted a metal fence post in the middle of a tree line.
This innocent fence post is like Boom: We are Holding a Space for You.
You may see strong trees all around you, as you gain the courage to plop your feet into the soil and allow your sobriety to take root. You are like a seedling in your sobriety. (???) Maybe the big tree on the right intimidates you, because his roots are strong and his shadow is daunting. Maybe the tree on the left reminds you of a pesky relative, full of pollen and dropping her pinecones everywhere as she insists that she knows the best way to be a tree. Maybe the little tree, two spots down on the left, is the REAL one you want to plant your roots next to, because this lovely unassuming tree is busy being a good tree, and will just love on you when you complain about the wind, or the birds, or the lack of rain. And maybe the little cluster of tree offspring collecting around your tree trunk are messy and distracting and you forget why you planted your roots in that exact place: family drama at its finest!!!
We are all trees, here on Boom, of all different species…. and we are holding a space for you. When you are ready, dig in. Plant your seed and spread your toes into the warm soil. Reach for the sun, and be grateful for when the tears and rain wash over you.
You are loved here. You are growing, day by day. In time, your little seedling will grow into a bigger tree, and the little buds that you didn’t even know existed will appear, and grow with you. As you turn your face towards the sun, your presence will be the shade for another doubting seedling, who may also be wondering whether this sobriety thing is worth it.
Whether you are a seedling or a big tree, I promise you that sobriety is worth it. “Sobriety offers everything that alcohol promises“, podcaster Jean McCarthy of the “Bubble Hour” once said, and that is so true.
Come join our tree line. We are holding a space for you.
Everyone’s sober journey is different
People drink for different reasons. Some drink to self-medicate mental health issues. Some start out as social drinkers and end up in a cycle of gray-area drinking or even full-blown addiction. Others have experienced trauma and abuse. Some never learned different ways to cope with emotions because drinking was the way their parents handled strong emotions.
People quit for different reasons. Some are told to stop drinking or they will die soon by their doctors. Maybe their job and relationships are in jeopardy or they end up in the legal system because of drinking and driving or fighting. Others want a healthier lifestyle or see where continuing to drink will lead in the future.
In the beginning of any sober journey, there is a plethora of advice on how to get sober and stay that way.
The quit lit, ads for rehab facilities, podcasts, testimonials, online support groups, and in-person groups like Alcoholics Anonymous are everywhere.
The bottom line is that there is no one-size-fits-all way to stop drinking. You have to sort through all of the information and decide what works for you.
If you try something and it doesn’t work or it seems like complete bullshit, keep trying until you find what works with your personality, situation, and values.
Do whatever it takes!
For me, AA wasn’t going to work. I am a feminist. I am not powerless. I refuse to label myself as an alcoholic. I am a bit of a rebel.
Some of the podcasts and sober gurus seemed a bit touchy- feely for me. My inner child is a foul-mouthed, scabby- kneed little badass with a chipped front tooth and an attitude. She doesn’t need affirmation and praise.
Yoga? Are you kidding me? I like to feel the wind in my hair. My idea of fun is well, not that.
Meditation? 😆 🤣 😂 You have to sit still for that.
Christianity? Jesus isn’t a babysitter. Then there’s the feminist thing.
I decided to do whatever it takes to stay sober on my own terms. The things I do may not work for anyone else. They might seem quirky to others, but they work for me.
Do whatever it takes for YOU to quit and protect YOUR quit. It doesn’t have to fit a certain philosophy. It doesn’t have to be what works for millions of other people. Your way to an AF life doesn’t have to look cool or please other people. It just has to work for you.
More by the Authors of These Invitations to Rethink the Drink
The Unexpurgated Truth About What Sobriety Can and Can’t Do
WHO ARE WE?
Online Community Support to Stop Drinking – BOOM!
If you’re “sober curious” …If you are drinking too much too often and want to stop or take a break… 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
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