Episode 215
NEWSFLASH! - Our Breaking Free Program is open for enrollment until 30th May - get more info here
I'm Janet Gourand, founder of Tribe Sober and I celebrated my 9th Soberversary on 23rd May, 2024!
Most of our Tribe Sober members know my story – how I quit drinking and started Tribe Sober but as we are getting new podcast listeners every week I’m re-releasing my story along with my Goodbye to Alcohol Letter.
But before that I have some fresh content that will be useful to everyone on this journey….
In this episode:-
Common mistakes when we're trying quit drinking
Mistake number 1 — Waiting for rock bottom
I knew I had a problem but I was in denial for years. Convincing myself that I wasn’t that bad. I couldn’t possibly be an alcoholic because I was holding down a responsible job and raising a family. An alcoholic was that homeless man in the park who had lost everything. That wasn’t me!
Mistake number 2 — Moderation
I spent a decade stuck in the Moderation Trap. Once I’d learned that the low risk limits of alcohol are just one and a half bottles of wine a week I decided that I would drink within those limits. It was only when I tried (and failed) to do that that I realised just how dependent I had become.
Mistake number 3 — Fearing failure
I almost never got started on this life-changing journey because I believed I would fail. I just couldn’t imagine quitting alcohol, never having a drink again. I knew that I had tried (and failed) to moderate my drinking again and again. Surely it would be even harder to quit completely?
Mistake number 4 — Worrying about other people
Peer pressure is powerful. I was trapped in my drinking because I couldn’t bear to peel away from the herd and be different. As an introvert and a people pleaser I didn’t want to be the centre of attention as I was bombarded with questions about why I wasn’t drinking.
Mistake number 5 — Being influenced by marketing
As a teenager I believed that alcohol was cool. Wine became the essential parenting aid as I joined the mommy juice culture. Mid-life challenges needed wine as did juggling a career with family life. Retirement gave me time to relax and drink even more wine!
Mistake number 6 — Waiting for happiness to strike..
I had relied on alcohol to make me feel good for a such a long time that I missed those chemical highs when I stopped. During my first few months of sobriety I didn’t change anything in my life. I just didn’t drink. I expected to feel happy because I was sober. But I didn’t, I felt flat and rather depressed. I learned that I would need a project to keep my happy brain chemicals firing!
Published on 1 year, 7 months ago
If you like Podbriefly.com, please consider donating to support the ongoing development.
Donate