I have nothing but fond memories of that ice-cold liquid in the glass, but for me, one drink is always followed by a drunk. I can’t forget my last drunk—it lasted eight months.

Life still gets lifey, and I’d be lying if I said I never romanticize the idea of having a drink to dull the pain, even temporarily. But I have a lot of "not yets" that I want to keep that way. The only way to keep those "not yets" from turning into "remember whens" is to stay away from the first drink.

This morning, I reflected on what I’m capable of as a drunk. It’s embarrassing, shameful, and much of it I don’t even remember. My mind was warped, my life was unmanageable, and I felt trapped in a life of misery.

But, amazingly enough, when I stopped drinking and put sobriety first, I became the person I always wanted to be. I wouldn’t have believed it if you’d told me then, but today, I have choices. I have freedom from obsession. Life is beautiful—simply by removing the cloak of alcohol.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube.

Visit me at ⁠⁠⁠recoverydailypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ or email me at ⁠rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com⁠.

#SobrietyJourney #AlcoholFreeLife #RecoveryIsPossible #SoberLiving #FreedomFromAddiction #SoberCommunity #LifeWithoutAlcohol #SobrietySupport #OneDayAtATime #ChooseRecovery