Not drinking this month?

A few resources for you ❤️

Hi!

Like Dry January, Sober October is one of those months that seems to have entered our cultural consciousness in the last few years. When I was struggling with alcohol in my twenties, there were no buzzy social media campaigns encouraging people to drink less, and it felt really lonely. Hopefully, if you’re re-examining your relationship with drinking, this month can be the fresh start or reset you’re looking for. But I do always like to mention this one caveat.

Before getting sober, I actually did dabble in breaks from alcohol. I was obsessed with moderation and trying to figure out how to drink “normally.” A couple of weeks or a month without alcohol here or there, I thought, served as proof that I didn’t have a “real” drinking problem. Which was a relief! Because people who have big problems with alcohol can’t just go a month without drinking, right? Well, I could. But every time I resumed drinking again, I picked right back up where I left off. Binge drinking, blackouts, hangovers, shame. Addressing the root causes of my drinking — external stressors, anxiety, not enough to eat before taking a few shots — wasn’t enough. Call it an allergy or a chemical reaction, but once I start drinking, something in my brain just wants more and it’s really hard for me to stop. Which is why removing alcohol from the equation entirely was the only way I could be free.

This might not be the case for you! So many sober curious people have completely different relationships with alcohol than I did. But if you find yourself staring down the next 30 days with the desperate hope that maybe this time will be different, I’m just here to offer the perspective that you actually don’t have to drink again if you don’t want to.

Below, some resources that you might find helpful this month & beyond:

• My book, Drinking Games, offers a deeper look at my first three years without alcohol — dating, friendships, work, wellness culture, living in NYC — and how sobriety changed everything.

• How To Break the Cycle of Drinking Culture (Well with Arielle Lorre)

• The Language of Sobriety (Conversations with

  Cameron Oaks Rogers
  )

• The Effects of Alcohol on the Body & Mind (The Skinny Confidential Podcast)

• Why I Gave Up Drinking — And How It Changed My Life (Cup of Jo)

• Dry January Only Delayed My Sobriety (Bustle)

• How I Survived Wedding Season In My First Year of Sobriety (The New York Times)

• This episode of We Can Do Hard Things featuring

  Laura McKowen

• A Sober Girls Guide Podcast

• This assortment of gorgeous seasonal mocktail recipes by

  Ella Henry

• Local recovery meetings are always free and available to anyone who has a desire to stop drinking ❤️ you can search “AA" + the name of your city for a full list!

Xx

Sarah