I can’t remember exactly when I realized my drinking had stopped become an occasional social event and when it became the main event. I know that like many of you, the slide was gradual. What was once a way to have fun had become my primary coping mechanism, a substitute for feeling sadness and joy. Though my kindle shows that I have been looking at “sober lit” for close to 10 years, it wasn’t until 4 years ago, just before my 40th birthday, that I consciously tried to stop, not just moderate my drinking. I have had some starts and stops since then but like all things, practice makes perfect. And life is not perfect.

So what happens when you stop drinking alcohol? You get sober. Sober has a lot of baggage, both the word and the condition.

I hate the word sober. It’s too close to somber, serious, stone cold. I prefer to think of myself as awakening, renewing, rediscovering. It’s about what you are gaining, not about what you are stopping. Notice I didn’t say losing, because avoiding feeling like shit is not losing.