I stopped drinking to love myself all over again

“I have been drinking since time immemorial; so much so, I can’t pinpoint an exact
time in life where I didn’t indulge in alcohol to get through the day. What I did not realise is that I relied on booze to escape my pain, the kind that has no cure. Although I must admit, it got me far.”

Ever since my mother passed away, everything seemed surreal. Considering the fact
we had a tough childhood, barely making ends meet, it was our mother that got us
through the toughest of times. The sacrifices she had to make, slowly and eventually,
sucked the life out of her. I guess it is this guilt that eats me alive, seeing how when I
finally stood on my feet, there was little I could do to comfort her as she took her
last breath.

Now you know what caused me to lose myself to alcohol, you must understand it did me more harm than good

I could always rely on booze to drown my pain and sorrows, but it never allowed me
to recover. By recovery, I refer to a state of happiness. What is even more saddening
is I have a caring husband, with two adorable children and yet I feel sorrow. No
matter how hard I try, my past seems to haunt me. What I have realised is that
alcohol adds fuel to fire, making my life more miserable, although things were not as
bad as they seemed.

“The biggest drawback of alcohol consumption is that you lose your self-esteem. You
pity yourself while your confidence wavers.”

The purpose of sharing all this is so that others realise they are not alone. I wish for them to change their ways, for a healthier and prosperous future. Everything may seem well and good in the beginning. Eventually, there will come a time when it will be difficult to function without alcohol.

The affects of an alcohol dependancy

Since I was finding it difficult to deal with my addiction, I thought it necessary to do a bit of homework to find the motivation I needed to get myself sober and stay that way. Believe it or not, it worked! I got over alcohol for good and now I feel a lot more confident, happy and efficient. For this reason, I thought it necessary to share my experience.

The list of problems caused by alcohol can go on and on, with the most prominent of
them being lack of happiness, satisfaction, and self-esteem. Even though you may get rid of your drinking habit, your problems will not disappear into thin air. However, it will give you the breathing space you need to think with clarity, thus eradicating the chance of making terrible mistakes that could affect you and your family.

At the same time, you will learn new things about yourself

It will take some time before you reach your true potential where your self-esteem gives you the ability and confidence to build relationships with people that matter.

Eliminating alcohol from my life has done wonders for me. I feel positive, doing
whatever it takes to serve as a role model for my family, to show them they can aim
high and be happy, instead of punishing themselves for not being the person they
want to be. I’ve also put a limit on caffeine consumption and have made significant
changes to my eating habits to boost productivity.

As absurd as it may seem, small steps lead to big things, and that is a fact. Also, don’t
shy away from seeking professional help. The idea here is to grab whatever opportunity comes your way and make the most of it rather than complain about everything. This requires courage and self-belief, which is not all that difficult to gain.

No matter what problem you are dealing with, just know this, you are not alone.
Alcohol never was, and never will be the answer to your problems. If you are willing
to take a leap of faith, by taking small steps, you will never find the need to depend
on alcohol again.

If you do need support to change, check out Hello Sunday Morning’s behaviour change mobile program Daybreak.

Blog written by Hello Sunday Morning supporter, Jenny.