I’ve been crafting this blog post for months.
Why so long?
Because I’m scared to post it.
That’s how I know I must post it. It’s going to be a long post and it’s not for everyone.
It’s only for those who wish to lead a self-honest, clean life.
OK….here it goes….
This is what I’ve observed over the last four years: too many people drink too much alcohol.
Alcoholic Drinks
What happened four years ago?
I stopped drinking. Not purposely, but as a side-effect of cleaning up my diet. My daily food gradually became so clean & simple that alcohol was too harsh of a contrast to stomach so it slowly phased itself out. Its appeal faded naturally over time. I was surprised because I did not set out to become a teetotaler.
I’ve been living sober in a drunk world for four years and have collected some observations:
1. Living an alcohol-free lifestyle makes others very uncomfortable. When everyone is ready to “have a good time” the last thing they want around is someone abstaining. I don’t even have to say anything other than “I’ll have some sparkling water” to cause others to silence, stare, shrug and/or walk away.
It would be easier for others for me to be this way if I had overcome an alcohol addiction, been through rehab, and were active in Alcoholics Anonymous. It would be more socially acceptable to be a rehabilitated alcoholic than a voluntary teetotaler. Alcohol has consumed our society.
2. Things look different when you’re the only sober person in the room. People are loud & silly and then they get stupid. It’s ok. Loud, silly & stupid are fun sometimes even when sober. But you know what? Loud, silly, stupid and drunk are not a pretty combination. It hurts to see others not being their highest (spiritually, not chemically) selves. It’s sad to me.
Alcohol is poison. I think about birds who eat fermented berries on the ground and then fly around bumping into branches or not being able to get off the ground. It’s sad to see a little bird wanting to fly but instead going in circles, grounded until the poison wears off.
3. Many a horrible thing has been said and done under the influence of alcohol. I don’t need to go into statistics of drunk driving for you. How often are alcohol-induced hurtful words spewed and then forgotten by everyone but the sober? How many words can’t be retracted because they can’t even be remembered by the one who delivered them? It’s dangerous to let fear lock up uncomfortable emotions and then let alcohol be the key that sets them free. It’s almost as dangerous as a car wreck.
4. Alcohol serves no nutritional purpose. There might be some antioxidants, vitamins, or minerals, but nothing that’s not available in good food. If alcohol helps you relax and be at ease with yourself, perhaps what you need is yoga or breathing exercises. If alcohol helps you take the edge off, perhaps you need meditation or sound therapy. If alcohol lets you have fun, perhaps you need play therapy. If alcohol lets you be “the real you,” perhaps you need psychotherapy. If alcohol helps you to numb what pains you, you definitely need psychotherapy.
5. Crazy things happen when people drink too much too often. Relationships are destroyed, professions are ruined, bank accounts depleted, and trust eroded. You hang around other people who support the alcohol habit and before you know it you’re surrounded by people who are too numb to be authentically real. Everyone seems happy in a bar, but it’s false happiness. Artificial, chemically induced happiness. If you want true happiness, you’re not going to find it in a bottle.
I want to turn wine into water, beer into tea, and booze into green juice. I want being SOBER & healthy to be attractive, sexy & fun. I want our world’s youth to see that alcohol is dangerous, that there are no answers or solutions in alcohol and that there are safer lifelong ways to enjoy life. I want to start a Sober Rebellion & encourage Nutritional Sobriety.
I know what it’s like to be addicted. I was bulimic for five years and a smoker for 16. I lied, I stole, I bummed, and I was in complete denial and unaware of the root of my pain. Over the years of being disgusted with myself I got honest, got help, and started making changes. I stopped binging and purging, I quit smoking, then went the coffee, the sugar, food preservatives, artificial colors, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, hydrogenated oils and other crap. Alcohol is so low on the pH scale that for me to ingest it now would create physiological turmoil. Alcohol vibrates very slowly and attracts low vibrating emotions like anger, fear & guilt. No wellness or recovery protocol advocates the use of alcohol.
Here’s how to know if your diet is clean enough yet: if you’re still drinking alcohol, it’s not. It could be once a week or once a day, it doesn’t matter. If you are open to putting alcohol in your body, then your diet is not clean enough for optimal wellness.
I see very fit people, even ones who get paid to be fit, choosing alcohol. I do not understand this, but I do understand that body shape is 80% diet and 20% exercise. Working out creates fitness. Eating well creates health. There is no amount exercise that can undo or over-ride a poor diet. One can be fit on the outside and unhealthy on the inside, as demonstrated by fitness experts who imbibe regularly.
Am I saying that no one should ever drink again?
No. But I’d like to see a lot of people drink a lot less.
And I am saying that I would like to see choosing not to drink to become a hip, cool & sexy new trend.
Sober vs. Drunk © Carla Golden Wellness
Here’s how to know you’re drinking too much:
1. you drink every night (or God help you, every day)
2. you can’t go a night or two without drinking
3. your drinking interferes with your responsibilities: personal hygiene, finances, family, spouse, work, sleep, school
4. you have been challenged the morning after with remembering what you said or didn’t say, where you went and how, and/or what you did or didn’t do
5. you have regrets for what you did or said under the influence of alcohol
I firmly believe that we are all on a quest for inner peace & happiness. We want to feel ok about who we are and how we live. We want to be accepted by others, especially those whose opinions mean so much to us. When we’re not feeling worthy of love, when we’re feeling invisible like our life doesn’t matter to anyone, when we feel like we have nothing to offer the world, we numb ourselves to endure the pain.
But it’s a silly attempt at self protection because the more we numb and avoid our pain the longer we procrastinate before taking the bold, necessary steps that will help us like ourselves better. To take better care of ourselves we have to value ourselves more and know that we matter no matter what, whether someone tells us this or not. The next steps may be brutally hard, but the lifelong reward & liberation are grand.
Put the bottle down, face your fears. Seek help. Journal. Talk. Share. Open up and know you are not alone. Take the next healthy step and overcome what you’ve been trying to drown. Your demons never go away until you make them your allies and you can’t do that in a drunken state.
To move your life forward you must be sober.
Drinking is a sign that your spirit is wounded and/or your diet is not optimal. You can drop the alcohol and your diet will clean up or you can clean up your diet and the alcohol will naturally fall away.
While I am not qualified to help those with deep addicitons to alcohol, I can help you clean up your diet by recommending my program The Healers Diet™. I can encourage you to use your diet as your spiritual practice and how to eat for God. Since I’ve been eating this way I have made leaps and bounds in my spiritual evolution. Clean food is my medium for spiritual growth and I want to share the joy & peace with you.
There is no place in authentic joy, genuine happiness or spiritual enlightenment for alcohol. There never was. There never will be. Alcohol keeps you playing small and that’s not why you’re here. You are here to be happy.
Your happiness is a light. When you shine & share your light, you show others the path to happiness. A world full of happy people would be a bright, peaceful world.
Heal your body, elevate your spirit & increase your light. The world is waiting for you to illuminate the way.
Additional Resources:
The Do Plan, or Why We Know But Don’t Do
I’d love to read your comments below. How do you feel about living an alcohol-free lifestyle? Share your stories. Post additional resources. Be bold, be beautiful, & be bright!
{ 80 comments… read them below or add one }
Carla – I love this post! And I would join your sober revolution. In Scotland there’s an expression “Oh you can’t remember what you did last night? Well it must have been a good one!” Go figure the logic in that one…
I’ve actually always wanted to be tee total. Watching myself over the years I’ve found that I’m actually funnier, happier and more sociable when I’m sober. Despite this it’s taken me a long time to get here. I made a committment to myself (and an oak tree) that I would be tee total for 6 months. This ends on Jan 20th. Aside from a hot toddy I took when I had a raging cold (and that wasn’t even that nice!) I’ve stuck to it – even over the festive season. More importantly I’ve felt so much better in myself. Drinking is not a part of how I see myself anymore.
I’ve been thinking long and hard what I’ll do when this 6 months ends. What comes up for me is to renew the teetotal vow but this time for a year! And I’m looking forward to it 🙂
Tabi(tha) recently posted..Feeling the Fear
Thank you Tabi! I know you can renew your committment to sobriety for a full year with ease, grace & success! I toast you with sparkling water. Best, xo-C.
Thank you for writing about this Carla, I’m sure it wasn’t easy. One big side effect of alcohol is that it kills. I know this first hand because it has killed my uncle, my father, and my brother. It is just plain dangerous. Gratitude for you and your voice! Much love.
So sorry about your losses Laura. Thank you for sharing comment. Hopefully it will inspire others to save themselves. Much love, xo-C.
Loved this post!! So true to face your fears. I found that getting all of that in order, leaves no reason to self medicate. Feeling really fine sober is something that’s hard to imagine when one is haunted by so much inner turmoil.
Thank you Kathleen! Your insight is brilliant. Thank you for sharing it! xo-C.
Great post! Brave girl 🙂 I notice that the more I meditate, clean my diet, do what I love, I’m so ‘filled’ that drinking just makes me feel shittier. Every year I drink less and less and it is the result of being just plain happier in all other areas of my life. I loved the article and YES I wish #1 wasn’t the case. That is seriously the hardest part. But, hey, if that’s the hard part of my life… I got it pretty good. And NOT doing something because it’s difficult isn’t really my style. Gratitude & Hugs – Jina
Thank you Jina! Just like you, alcohol naturally phased out of my life the more I learned to love and care for myself. Thank you so much for your comment. It is inspiring!! xo-C.
Carla,
This is something I have been thinking of doing for all the reasons you mention. Kudos to you for writing something brave!
xxoo
kirsten
I know you can do this Kirsten! I believe in you!! xoxo-C.
Fantastic, Carla–and so timely! I quit drinking recently, and not because I had a *problem* with it. Yet, all drinkers do have problems, even if just occasionally, with consumption. This is a choice for my health–I no longer want to voluntarily poison myself–and pay for the *pleasure* to do so!
I feel so much peace, so much weight lifted off, that I no longer drink. I can truly assess what’s going on in my life, without blaming it on too much to drink the night before, etc.
Thank you for this post.
shanna recently posted..World Becoming: A Personal and Global Manifesto
Hi Shanna~ Thank you so much for your thoughts. I’m glad you feel better living an alcohol-free lifestyle. It is a brighter place, indeed. I know your comment will inspire other. Thanks!! xo-C.
I’m sharing this with my FB / Twitter friends tomorrow, because I think it’s a great topic. So many people struggle with alcohol addiction. Thanks for this post.
Josephine recently posted..Dating with Chronic Illness
Thank you Jo. I appreciate you and your work so much!! xoxo-C.
I made the decision in 2008 to stop drinking. I just quit. I didn’t have the bounce back I did in college – it served me no purpose. Now – if I could do that with crap food and cigarettes – I’d be cookin with gas. One step at a time. I’m strengthening my relationship with God, increasing my knowledge on nutrition, and making my self realize that cigarettes are NOT my friend. Thank you for this post !!! 🙂
I smoked for 16 years and wrote about it yesterday. I hope it helps you to quit. You are beautiful Heather and deserve the healthiest life you can live. https://www.carlagoldenwellness.com/2013/01/06/what-16-years-of-smoking-taught-me-about-playing-small/
Carla, Thank you for writing this. This topic has been swirling in my mind the last few months as alcohol has completely fallen out of my life. Now, even one drink gives me a slight “hangover.” My body, mind, and Spirit reject it. And I love it….but many people are very uncomfortable with this. I wholeheartedly agree that the world would be a much better place if people chose less alcohol. Thank you again for putting this to words and sharing your Light.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me Tara! Amazing how easily alcohol falls away when the bright areas of our life are tended to. Happy for you!! And thanks for being an inspiration here. xo-C.
Yes! Yes! Yes! Such insightful observations, Carla. It struck me that only a clear mind could write such an enlightened post. When I stopped drinking I realised how much alcohol affected my thinking for days after. I am bookmarking this and re-visiting it any time I need extra encouragement not to reach for a drink to ‘take the edge off’.
Christina recently posted..Top 3 Tips for Manifesting Success
So glad it inspires you Christina! More self-love, less self-numbing. You are so worth it my dear! xo-C.
Hey Carla!
Great thoughts! I drink very, very rarely & always used to attribute it to the fact that I just don’t like the taste of alcohol. Now that I’m a mom of four, I guess I just don’t have the time to feel crappy. I’m sure on a hot summer night I would enjoy a cold beer, but if I never had another drink again, I know I wouldn’t miss it. I guess I’m lucky to have this outlook, and I hope you keep doing what you do and that you can spur positive change for those who need it! And never be scared to say what you have to say…solid people should respect a person’s opinion, even if it differs with his or her own. xo
Thank you Katie for your wise words!! xoxo.
Thanks for your article, Carla. I have never been a drinker, not because I’m opposed, just that I didn’t like the way it made me feel. I can certainly identify with your observations on being a non-drinker. That has been my experience as well. The reactions of people are almost as if I am purposely trying to spoil their fun. But in reality, they cannot simply ignore it, which is a tacit approval, because then they would have to look at their own lives and how alcohol is affecting them. I believe they also feel that by not drinking, we are somehow judging and criticizing them for drinking. I have never minded drinking, but I certainly don’t enjoy being around a drunk. That is just not fun in any way for me. Instead, I silently wonder what dragon they are trying to drown with the booze. What has happened in their lives that is so awful, they want to numb away the pain with booze? Thank you for sharing your feelings. I agree with everything. Can we share the website link to your blog with others?
Thank you so much for sharing your insight here Nancy! It is an interesting place being on the sober side of a relationship or scene. I’m glad I’m not alone in my observations. Please do share my blog post wherever you’d like. I hope to inspire people to cut back or eliminate alcohol from their lifestyle. Thank you again Nancy! xo-C.
Carla, thank you for the courage you had to post this.. Well written…While I cannot identify with your situation, I applaud your progress and success. March on, girl!!
Thank you so much Donna! xo-C.
Courageous post Carla, kudos!
My vice has never been alcohol, I’ve never really liked it, the taste or the effects. Like you, my current lifestyle supports radiant vitality and like you say, there really is no room in my system for any of it effects. When I look at my peers and close friends, I believe alcohol ages us super fast and all the creams in the world wont undo the damage.
Now I know your beauty secret Rommy!! ;o) So thankful for your kind words, support and friendship! xoxo-C.
Carla
This is wonderful. Since my return from my many years abroad, I am completely overcome with the fact that alcohol seems to be a requirement for having fun here.
Thank you for taking the time to spell it out so clearly. I completely resonate in agreement of every word that you shared here. Love it, love you.
Aw, thanks Sarah. Yes it must be quite the shock to see how infused American culture is with alcohol. Drinking is an epidemic here. Thank you for your love and support. xoxo.
Carla….this was an amazing post!!!! I’m not on fb anymore to follow you so when I saw this from you I really wanted to read it. Great job, so authentic and well communicated! Keep going w your b school dreams because this was a touch of genius!!!!! BTW…..No I don’t drink anymore due to a heath condition that I have been battling with for 3 years, and you were right on the money! Go girl!
Thank you Laura for your kind words!! I hope you are feeling better!! xo-C.
Carla, just music to my ears! You completely nailed the message we at Harrogate Sanctuary want to get across, and if more women like you are open rather than treating the whole subject of alcohol and women with judgement, guilt and shame, then I really think we will see a change of attitudes. You have made my day.
Thank you so much, just loved it.
Sarah
Thank you Sarah! I appreciate your kind words and thank you for the important work you’re doing to help women live an honest & clean life. Best, Carla.
Hi Carla,
I have recently, and also very gradually, come to the same conclusion. I did not set out to do so, it was never an intention, it just happened naturally as I moved a long my path of being clear in my life. I even began to wonder why I was doing it. I would try to drink again for special occasions, and realized it just wasn’t working for me, both physically (sleep disturbed, and more hot flashes), and emotionally (less centered, less clear). I actually do still miss it, it had become a “treat” for me once in awhile, to let myself relax like this. But I am finding other “treats” in the healthy food that I enjoy. It is not worth the side effects that it gives me anymore.
I also have given up netflix and dvds for the same reason, I gradually, gradually stopped wanting to see most movies or tv shows because I saw most of them filling my mind with images and ideas I no longer related to, even the benign ones.
I watched the much awaited new Downton Abbey on Sunday night with a friend, and wondered afterwards if it had been worth it. As much as I used to love that series, it lost its luster for me. Real life and the truth of living are so much more full for me. I realize I used movies to fill my life before because it was empty. It is still “empty” by society’s standards (I live alone with my cat, and am currently unemployed), but “full” in a new way with Being, and seeing Life.
I have no judgement on anyone else for doing either of these things, in fact I might even still do them sometime myself, as I think I am still in the last phase of letting go! I just share my observations with you.
Thank you for your sharing.
Hi Viki~ So glad to have a fellow unintentional teetotaler here! Your sentence “real life and the truth of living are so much more full for me” resonated with me so deeply. Just beautiful! Thank you! I appreciate your insights and your willingness to share them here. xo-C.
Carla, great article and you said it so well. I have been sober now 5 year. My story is a miracle in my eyes and I am sure there are many others out there who feel the same. I struggle with the same issues you outline. In my case, no longer drink, and my husband does. It has been a big conflict in our relationship that we have had to work through and continue to work through daily.
When I began my journey of sobriety, I read a book about the effect alcohol has on your system, depleting it of many of the vitamins and supplements it needs to be strong and healthy. I was amazed at the unseen damage no one talks about from a nutritional standpoint that alcohol causes. This is a great service you are offering. I learned that when people tried to quit, because their resources were so depleted by the alcohol, the body actually craves the alcohol which is why it makes it so hard to give up.
Congratulations on your sobriety Taryn! So interesting to realize that alcohol masks where we are deficient, including nutritionally. Thank you for pointing that out! I pray for you to stay strong and keep your honest commitment to yourself regardless of how those around you choose to live. Best, Carla.
Thanks for your raw honesty and caandor. As someone who hates getting drunk, but has no problem with having the occasional drink or two, you’ve made me see things from a different angle.
Thank you Nicole for your honesty and kind words. I’m glad my article expanded your vision. Best, Carla.
Carla,
This is a great post. While I still choose to drink moderately, I know what a slippery slope this can be. I have seen many lives and relationships ruined by it, and it certainly impacts health and weight. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I’m inspired to make sure that my personal choice remains a choice and not a compulsion.
Thank you Linda for showing the consciousness necessary to drink sensibly. I appreciate you being that role model!
thanks for being so honest in this blog. i experienced some personal upset, something so deep, you could say was traumatized by it, in my life many years ago. it took me 4 years to dig myself out of it. the first 2 years were spent heavily drinking until i realized that the drinking was suppressing my hurt and not helping to heal the root of the problem. this is when i decided, with the help of close friends, a therapist, and several other forms of holistic healing, i became completely sober for 2 years. i cried, i got angry, i even dealt with other issues/emotions i knew existed, but didn’t know i could actually come out of. being sober was the best decision i made for the better me. so many things became clearer. i forgave. i mended my heart. many of us drink because of fear and the unknowing. it takes a brave soul to actually say “no” to alcohol. how much do you love yourself? that is the true question. having said all this, i do have an occasional drink, but by no means do i drink like it’s 1999.
sober/drunk acronym = spot on.
I am so glad you shared this Soum!! It offers insight & wisdom from someone who has walked the path of danger and safely found their way out. Kudos for being so strong and now your reward of peace is forever yours. You will inspire many! So proud of you!! xoxo.
EXCELLENT!! So true, we are a society that is fueled by chemical substances, unfortunately Big Pharm endorses and promotes it. Not to mention the alcohol industry.
Thank you for your sensitive and profound topic, a topic of TRUTH.
Love sober living.
Thank you Vivian! Your words mean so much to me because you know the struggle and the freedom. Keep on thriving lady! xo.
Aloha Carla:
Thank you for being brave and conscious enough to write this. My family Dragon is addiction….the buck stops here. My brothers and sisters (all 4 of them) have a challenge with alcohol. My mother was an alcoholic …stopped drinking and took up gambling and almost lost the family home…My mothers mother married 5 alcoholics and lost the family resort when he borrowed against it without her knowledge…my fathers dad drank every day…a gentleman, just in pain with life. I know what it does to families. My daughters husband is in AA and his parents drink every day…and are in poor health. Thank God/Goddess my daughter has never joined the “club”. Thank you again for posting this. Anne
Thank you for your kind words, Anne! So sorry to learn how ravaged by alcohol your family has been and is currently, yet glad to learn that you and your daughter have resisted the darkness. Blessings to you, xo-Carla.
Hi Carla, it was a nice read! The meaning of SOBER and DRUNK made sense. I admit drinking was one of my vices and I think I can’t avoid it. Maybe I can lessen the intake but not completely live an alcohol-free lifestyle. Although I understand all the consequences of alcohol in health, maybe I just need some motivation. Thank you for the kind words. I’ll keep them in mind to move forward and somehow try.
Hi Amber~ So glad you liked my post and that it resonated with you. I wish you luck & perseverance in your quest to reduce your alcohol intake. Best to you, Carla.
Thank you for posting! So true and needs to be out there. I have alcoholism on both sides of the family (two grandparents). My parents very rarely drink and I was taught about that dangers of overindulgence. My husband and I have decided to clean up our food habits after stomach issues and I am looking forward to your food habits guide!! Love you!!!
Thank you for your comment Sarah and I’m so glad you’re here! xo-C.
Dear Carla – you continue to touch cords with your writings. My husband started AA 23 years ago, right after he/then we/ decided to go with vegetarian plant based lifestyle. We were strict vegans for a few years but then relaxed that a tiny bit…meaning we are 99% clean and green in our foods. But we allow for those occasional changes of heart. 😉 In any case, those were two of the very best decisions of our lives. I’ve never been much of a drinker….maybe two – four a year LOL, but it’s still poison and I believe I may become a complete tea toteler. Huge hugs for your amazing post!
Thank you Kathie! The alcohol phased itself out of my life when I refined my diet. The alcohol seemed so incongruous to everything I was eating. I have absolutely no desire to drink it as it would be like eating a fast food burger to me at this point. xoxo.
What a beautiful article you have written. Thankfully, I have never been attracted to drinking.
Thank you Rachel!
Thank you Carla! It’s my birthday and I wanted to have fun with my friends. They started to get too drunk for me to look at, and I decided to go home. Earlier I had left this article open for later reading, and I found it now that I got home. It’s nice to know there’s other people out there who see what I see now!
I used to be a quite heavy drinker. At least once or twice, sometimes three or four times a week I had alcohol at least the amount equivalent to two bottles of wine. I was excited, I felt like it’s the high light of the week, the only way to actually have fun. After listening to my feelings I found my way to vegetables, I gave up grains, sugars, artificial stuff, meat, milk and so on. Lost more than 40kgs. Also I started to exercise almost automatically. In other words I was getting closer to my true needs, my true self. I quit smoking 8 and drinking 7 months ago. I’m clearly healing. This article was very helpful for me today, thank you again. (:
Happy Birthday!!!Sounds like you are on a solid, clear path to fully restored wellness. Kudos, congrats, and enjoy!!! You will enjoy many, many more happy birthdays this way!
This is one of my favorite blogs that you have written. I re-read it occasionally to confirm that I am not the only sober person in the world :). You hit the nail on the head about some many of the points and it’s nice to know someone feels the same way I do. Thank you again for being that voice of reason.
Much Love and Respect
Tracy
So honored to share this sober journey with you sweet Tracy!!!! xoxoxo.
Haven’t touched a drop since Nov 2011. Never miss it. Alcohol is the usurper of progression, growth, clarity and balance. Happiness, confidence and laughter borne through sobriety are far more authentic and offer a stable foundation from which to really grow. I was a fraud as a drinker. I have faced me and learnt finally to love and respect me through sobriety. Sober is my greatest lifestyle choice ever, for all its perceived ‘losses’ (people, venues, lifestyle). Never been more content. X
That was so beautiful to read Nunu. Kudos for you and I know your words will inspire others. I can totally relate to you experience.
I love this post, Carla! I have wanted to post a version of this myself but never pressed the send button, so to speak. Thank you for your courage.
Glad you loved it Renee. Thank you for taking the time to read & comment!
All so true. Thanks for this post. Drinking used to send me through a portal into a state of jolly carelessness and cynical denial. It was fun? It was the way to procrastinate and put real feelings at a distance. It has been four years of sobriety and my mind/body/spirit are vibrating so well. The mind is the most wonderful gift we have. Let’s shine bright.
Excellent! So glad to read your comment Marvino. Thank you for taking the time to leave it. It’s a lifestyle that many find hard to imagine, yet the rewards are too magnificent to ignore. I wish more people would give it a try.
Good job. We want to experience our true natures as clear and pure consciousness, but alcohol blurs the lens.
Exactly Joan! Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!
A thumb up from the Netherlands where I read your article 2 years after you posted it. Thank you. Well done. I resonate with your progress. Since a couple of yours I am waking up to this pure, natural and spiritual way of being. No TV. No radio. Clean food. No coffee. No alcohol. A natural process. It all went by itself. The last challenge was falling in love with this wonderful man who admitted on drinking a bit too much. After 1,5 years of totally incomprehensible events I ended our relationship. In the meantime I had gone back to drinking wine. When I decided to give it up again it was the beginning of the end of our relationship. Only now I realize I was dating an alcoholic with an underlying pathology of addiction. I was an addiction too. I am still recovering from this relationship, but how happy am I to have become a tee totaler as you call it. For sure life is wonderful. It is so simple to see. And I see it better without all those layers. They numb. Great you found the courage to post your article and motivate all of us! Xxxx
Wow, Linda, I am so impressed! So happy for you that you found the path to self-love, care, and protection. Stay true to yourself…it will serve you well.
Hello from Poland. Thanks for this post. At a certain moment of my spiritual journey, I realised what was slowing down the process was my addiction. I consider myself an alcoholic, although I never drunk excessively, but yes, almost every day. When I stopped I started struggling with alcohol obsession, or, as I now perceive it, possession. Jung, whom I appreciate a lot, wrote about alcohol and spirituality, had a correspondence with AA founders on the subject. The most probable etymology of the word itself is from arab: al khoul, which means “evil spirit”. I can see now how it twists the perception, what it means to see my life through a sober perspective. It takes courage and a lot of work, but it’s worth it, even though sometimes difficult to communicate with the rest of the world :). And yes, now I know I’m the one to be fine, I can see how insane the reality is, at least the Western culture.
Hi Karla, thank you for taking the time to read, comment, and share your inside journey. I’m happy for you that you’ve found the freedom from alcohol. I didn’t know the origins of the word, but it makes perfect sense. Stay true to yourself and keep that “evil spirit” at bay. God bless.
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Thank you Edith for letting me know that my site loads quickly on your phone! Good to know!
Hello. This is very interesting topic for me. As my diet has improved and progressed to about 97% vegan I have found that I no longer tolerate wine. I used to drink it every day with dinner. It is so strange it’s like I literally cannot drink it. Sometimes when I make pasta I still open a bottle because I just used to love red wine and pasta so much but now I can barely choke down a few sips. It is so very odd. In reality I barely even tolerate the spaghetti anymore. It’s such an amazing phenomenon. I used to hear people with really healthy diets say they could not tolerate this or that unhealthy item and thought they were being over dramatic but now I am one of them. Coffee, ice cream, wine all gone. It’s kind of sad being left without vice really, though I do feel fantastic.
You have no idea how much I loved reading your comment Allison! I tell people what you wrote here all the time and, of course, very few people believe me. You really have to experience it to believe it and it’s true for so many people. Alcohol is junkfood and once you eliminate junk food out of your diet, alcohol naturally goes. I’m glad this has been true for you and you’re reaping the joy of a clean food life! Thank you for taking the time to read & comment.
YAY to you Carla for spelling it out so clearly! Alcohol actually messes with the whole balance of our body’s chemistry, both physically and emotionally.
I disagree with only one of your statements — you say you are not advocating no drinking ever. Why not??? Why is it that nobody is brave enough to say NO ALCOHOL EVER. Seems like people with huge followings or businesses who need to attract large numbers of people shy away from saying a blanket “no” to alcohol when realistically it is killing people, causing diseases, ruining childhoods, causing crimes, and so much more.
THank you for this wonderful article. I hope it’s okay if I share it on Soberistas.
This was in Divine Order. This has been on my mind for a while. Drinking has made gain weight and its becoming more and more toxic. I’ve been “involutary detoxing” for a month due to trying to be social with family and friends and I’m done. Very Happy and grateful to make this choice for a more well and healthy life. And so It is!
Beautiful Jakini! Welcome to a sober, clear life! xo
Hello, I am Nayna Thank you For the Content. My earliest experience with addiction was with my friend’s mother. She drank heavily, eventually passing away from cirrhosis of the liver. He was in middle school, and her death hit him hard. Children’s Lives can be destroyed because of these kinds of drug-addicted parents.