I have been following http://www.6yearhangover.wordpress.com for my entire sobriety. He is hilarious and wise, and can really capture how I feel about my steps of recovery. I have been having trouble articulating how I feel, and he does it effortlessly. I wrote him an e-mail, because I wanted to thank and compliment him for all of his work. I then realized it got a lot of feelings off my chest that I haven’t been able to really unload in the past month. I hope he doesn’t mind how much information I let out right away, but it did feel great to talk to someone who gets it. If you have a chance, definitely read his blog. Recovering or not, it is a delight to read.
I am 1 month and 16 days sober. The longest I have ever been sober since I started drinking. Ever.
Hi,
I just wanted to e-mail you, because I feel like you needed to know how much I have been seeking your blog for help during my sobriety. I am a writer myself, and I had a book of drunk escapades called “gin n sardonic”. It was supposed to be funny, yet highlighting growing up as a 20 something, that whole deal. I am 23, so I don’t have much experience outside of drinking, studying abroad, and waking up in a dude’s bed after a night of binge drinking. Anyway, I lived in Los Angeles and was partying for two years straight until my drinking got me to a point where I was so depressed I was suicidal. I struggle with mental illness, and yet it never occurred to me that I should stop drinking. My brother nearly killed himself drinking and luckily got sent to rehab after a very scary DUI. My parents are alcoholics. I am an alcoholic. It’s all very obvious in hindsight, but I just didn’t see it.
I realized my friends didn’t care about me, just as long as I was drunk and fun, and I lost my job (not due to drinking, because I didn’t drink on weekdays, but binged for a whole weekend, like you mentioned in your posts, but the alcohol withdrawal definitely affected my emotional state). I finally decided to quit. For real. I moved home, I live with my parents, I don’t have as many “friends” but I have a few people I know in my hometown, and I tired to write a blog about my sobriety to help me get through it. I thought that could be my new calling, writing about sobriety in my 20 something life…and I did write it, but for some sad reason, it hasn’t clicked. I am without a doubt happier in my life, and I know that I can never drink again, and I am happy to not drink again. Like you have mentioned, I hate that I can’t drink like a normal person. I hate that every single social setting includes alcohol. I have been sober for almost 7 weeks, the longest I have ever not drank since I started at 17, and I am thankful for it, but I have to relearn how to do everything…even learn how to write again.
I wanted to spill my soul to you because I take great solace in reading your blog. It addresses EVERYTHING I feel, has that humor I desperately am trying to find in my writing again, and it is great to see your peaks and valleys. It makes me feel much less alone. I am really scared and alone right now, with no idea what I’m going to do with my life anymore because I stopped drinking. This should be exciting for me, but all it has done is make me sad to realize a lot of my passion, humor, has all stemmed from drinking. But it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make because every problem I have had, all of my battles with depression and mania, all of my fights with friends, all of my resentment, all of my over-budget spending, has all come from alcohol, too.
What I’m trying to say is, thank you. Thank you so much.
I’m sorry to bore you with all of my details. Please keep going, and know you have so many people rooting for you, and eagerly waiting for your next post.
Cheers *raises glass of Pelligrino*,
Life, Off the Rocks: A Sober Blog 