I drank from 16-19, getting black-out drunk every week, putting myself in really risky situations with men, and even covertly drinking through the day to cope with anxiety. I went sober at 19 (now 31!) and told everyone I was never doing it again. I see now that was a radical act of self-love and taught me how to advocate for myself- as you mention! Although I was ostracised at uni initially and I'm a bit of an oddity at work because of British drinking culture, I now have a solid group of sober friends :)
I've hated the term alcoholic, because it makes it seem like there's a shortcoming with the person, rather than a problem with the substance itself. Instead, I've found it better to think about how it wasn't serving me anymore, so I cut it out of my life. If I cut out fast food, no one bats an eyelash. Why is it so different with alcohol? Why do some people insist on pressuring you into doing a substance you've determined is harmful to you? Thanks for this video! It's nice to see your positive, uplifting take on this sensitive matter.
I couldn't agree more. In fact, while I was going to AA, I oftentimes would feel odd hearing people say "hi I'm so and so and I'm an alcoholic" because I couldn't shake the idea that this meant there was something fundamentally wrong or broken about this person. HOWEVER there is scientific proof to support the idea that certain people are indeed genetically predisposed to most likely developing alcohol use disorder if they have family members who also had AUD. This is not to say this doesn't exist. But I find that it often means that we look at the person and not the substance. I see alot of comments about how "alcohol isn't bad" or whatever and how alot of the sober community doesn't want to "demonize drinking" because they probably are scare of being divisive or whatever. But the bottom line is this: That shit is poison. It is OBJECTIVELY bad. You can say whatever you want about how some people don't have problems with it. That's fine. They don't have problems with it. But no matter what way you cut it, it is a poison that wreaks havoc on the body and mind, plain and simple. So those AA meetings always got me raising my hand to sort of talk about these things. Individuals aren't the problem. It's the culture surrounding drinking that is the problem. That is why it's so important for us to build a sober community around living life for the sake of living life. I really like how Lucy talks about how she gained so much inspiration from sober influencers who focused on living life instead of being sober. That is so important. It's also a mindset that got me to stop going to AA. That group is so focused on sobriety that I felt like it was missing the point of living life. I don't want to live my life by avoiding something. I want to live my life by engaging with everything else that makes it beautiful. When I do that, booze seems completely pointless and dumb, which it always has been. THAT IS TO SAY that AA works well for some people and I am in NO WAY saying that it doesn't work. Peace and love
I was never an alcoholic but it was in my family. I didn’t like the way I felt when I drank and I didn’t drink in a way that was healthy. I chose to be dry when I was 23 and it’s been a decade now. I don’t miss it. The “worst” part is the constant “why don’t you drink” from coworkers and acquaintances.
Thank you for never shying away from sharing your journey with this!! I empathize so much with your story--tried abstaining so many times but finally 9 months this month and feel like this is really it this time! From one young woman to another please keep sharing! Helps tremendously to know we are not alone!
Nice job! The first year is the hardest. Going through all the holidays, seasons, celebrations, birthdays, weddings etc. now, this second year is so much easier. I’ll never start drinking again. Good luck to you 🙏🏼
This video couldn't have come out at a better time I just hit day 150 yesterday but am feeling myself slipping into the 'just one' mindset so it's a nice little goal reinforcement. Hearing your story made me so thankful for my friends who never once questioned my quitting and I wasnt a social drinker I was a solitary binge drinker so they never saw the worst of it.
congrats on your milestone! hopefully this video can help you reflect on the positives that not drinking has brought you and it can keep you on the upward journey. all the best!
Congratulations on 150 🎉 I'm 6 months sober and it can be challenging but so worth it. That voice in your head that tells you moderation is possible is a liar xx
I will be one year sober (different addiction) tomorrow and I am so so proud of you Lucy and I look up to you so much. Thank you for showing people like me that sobriety is *possible* 💖
I think something your journey/you speaking about your journey makes so clear to me, is that we only teach such a narrow image of what issues with alcohol can look like, like it can only be a "problem" if it looks one specific way and otherwise it's fine. In the end, the you're only one who really knows if things are "fine", and if they're not and you reach out to others for help, you deserve to be taken seriously and treated with compassion. Because if it feels like a problem to you, then it doesn't matter if it meets any other criteria, it's impacting your life significantly enough to be something you think about, and everyone deserves to be taken seriously when that's the case.
This is incredible Lucy. I didn't ever really drink all that much, but I've been sober for 4.5 years now. I discovered it was the number 1 reason my endometriosis pain was so excruciating so I decided it wasn't worth it anymore. 19th June 2019 was the last time I had a drink. To me, this was never a huge deal, I knew I was serious about having children and I grew up with an alcoholic dad (who is doing incredibly well now) so that helped me. When I talk to others with endo, I'm totally shocked at the responses to my pain reduction. People will do the most to try to prove me wrong, despite science being on the side of alcohol causing inflammation. It was only then I realised how common alcohol addiction truly is, even if people are coping seemingly fine.
was addicted to what i called a trifecta Meth, Opium, Alcohol. I also suffered severe depression and cptsd. i went to a party and consumed about 2g of shrooms i was lost in my head for 6 minutes but when i came back my depression and addiction to my trifecta was gone. I didn't realize it at the time. The psychedelic experience is temporary but people have good permanent results. 6 years totally clean. Much respect to mother nature the great magic shrooms.
Thanks for sharing your story. That's rough I sympathize. Save your health save your mind. Life is better without heroin, cocaine, alcohol and cigarettes. And you have more money in your pocket. God bless everyone who has rejected the devils intentions to be addicted to alcohol and cigarettes etc which can cause so much damage to health. I will pray for you all.
Hey mates! Can you help with the source? I suffer severe anxiety, panic and depression and I usually take prescription medicine, but they don't always help. Where can I find those psilocybin mushrooms? I'm really interested in treating my mental health without Rxs. I live in Australia don't know much about these. I'm so glad they helped you. I can't wait to get them too. Really need a reliable source 🙏
YES very sure of Dr.alishrooms. I have the same experience with anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction and Mushrooms definitely made a huge huge difference to why am clean today.
Ive done shrooms last month in my house. It taught me how severely traumatized I was from alcohol. I healed from many mental traumas from my past and was able to forgive, let go. Shrooms to me is a remedy not a vice. I even felt more refreshed the morning after. So no hangovers. No depression mood for days. No anxiety.I now have a more calm mind
Omg this is so me! The black outs are insane, it’s sad to think that ppl don’t believe that they happen and happen frequently! And like you said sometimes after only a few drinks. I’ve been sober now for going on for four years and it is definitely the best decision I have ever made, I feel so secure in myself and my decisions. I love waking up from a night out or a party knowing what happened, knowing that I didn’t say or do anything stupid and knowing that a didn’t upset my friends. Congrats on this journey and sharing it online ❤❤
I'm almost 6 months sober and your videos really helped me to realise I had a problem in the first place. Like you, I knew my drinking was an issue for a long time but I never thought quitting was an option or possible. I remember watching your video and crying because I related so much to it. I'm happy to say that I won't ever go back to alcohol and I'm much happier and healthier as a result x
Well done, Lucy, I'm so glad that you're on an upward journey. As a Drug and Alcohol Counselor and Clinical Psychologist I can understand how difficult it must have been for you to get here, but I know how rewarding it can be also. Take care and much love.
Two years. You are amazing. I don't follow you (sorry!) but I have bookmarked your Hi I'm Lucy video. I show it to everybody because I think it is so brave, vulnerable, raw and honest and your determination is absolutely palpable. And not that the people I show it to have alcohol problems (necessarily...) but just so they can see it from the inside because you explain it so well. I'll say it again - you're AMAZING.
I really, really wish I had found sobriety at your age. I feel I’ve wasted huge chunks of my life by drinking to excess. Really going to get behind this now. Your description of your behaviour while drinking resonates so much with me. Got two young kids now, want them to see me at my best. You’re a real role model 😊
lucy, i just wanted to pour my heart out a little to you about how much your channel has meant to me over the years since i found your channel as a young uk teen. now in my early twenties, seeing someone a few steps ahead of me in life always being so real has been such a positive and comforting influence over me, i can't help but see you as something of an older sister. thank you for all your content over the years lucy, we love you!!💕
Thank you for having these conversations! I've never really been into alcohol, and over the last few years I've decided I'm better off without it in my life. I'm just glad that more and more people are talking about not drinking and making it more normal! I swear it's the one substance you have to justify NOT taking, and I wish more people would just accept it as a personal choice.
i’m so glad i found this video when i did. been trying to get sober for a while now and after my last lapse i felt so hopeless and deflated, like maybe sobriety just wasn’t meant to happen for me. but you reminded me of some of the many reasons why it IS worth fighting for, so thank you so much. 16 days today. determined to make it work
Beginning my alcohol-free journey now. I resonate so much with your story.. felt like I lost so much trust in myself. No drink is worth the anxiety, bad decisions, shame, self-doubt that I feel afterwards! I'm really nervous but I know that this is a major act of radical self-love!!
can i just say congrats to all the wonderful people in this comment section who are sober and working on themselves? you guys are so amazing. it's such an amazing achievement to be able to wade through all of the weird societal pressure to look introspectively find what it causing the problem and then go out and try and solve it! sobriety is a journey- you've got this! sincerely, a teetotal girlie, who never really got into drinking x
Thank you for sharing. I’m a few days from being 1 year sober and although it’s still hard I am so much happier and balanced. Going into year 2 of sobriety I hope to build some healthy habits and continue to exercise regularly
1 month ago I watched this video and only got 11 seconds in before my entire life changed. "how much more are you willing to lose?" and i knew the answer was no more. the work has been excruciating, but I know I can never go back.
I love when you share things like this. The first video you shared about alcohol years ago stuck with me because it helped me see that how I viewed alcohol was something I could change, that it wasn’t just me, and I ultimately did change it. So when I hear stuff like this I feel I’m on this same journey with you and I’m hearing the things I’m thinking too without having to talk about it with the people in my life (they can be difficult!) so thanks for this :)
The hanxiety and blackouts as well as my troubling solitary drinking has made me work towards sobriety at 21. I love seeing other young women speaking about their experiences because I feel like I never fully understood how dangerous alcohol was until I made the decision to stop. Congratulations on two years.
So great to have more voices out there questioning alcohol's value in our society. I think a lot of people live with the consequesnces you are describing but don't realise that alcohol is linked to the experiences they are having because of the way that our society glamourises and normalises drinking. Thanks for sharing!
I will be 2 years sober in April- i've appreciated your videos so much because I feel like our journeys with quitting have been so, so similar. It's been invaluable to feel like i'm not alone, I especially relate to still loving to party and be out! Watching these videos have been such a comfort to me in that we can still have those luxurious and chic nights out, and still remember them & feel great :) Thank you so much!
I really like that part where you say that achieving this doesn't "fix life", and that bad things do still happen etc. I think it's easy to get carried away with the misconception that if we do give up things that harm us, suddenly it'll all be sunshine and rainbows forever. In reality, those things still happen to us, but we're better equipped to deal with them than we were before. Well done mate and congrats on 2 years.
love the point you made about building your trust in yourself back up - and the effects of not being able to stick to your word (to yourself) on your self esteem. this is so real. thanks for sharing lucy
What valable insights! So interesting that many people were dismissive of your wanting to quit alcohol ("but you're not an alcoholic...?"). If someone tells you they want to quit drinking, please be supportive, kind and curious. They probably have a very good reason.
I haven't had a drink yet this year. I'm really not bothered about alcohol at all anymore but I worry how my friends will react when I tell them I'm not drinking. Some people take your life choices as an attack against themselves which I don't know how to deal with. Me not drinking is no reflection on them but they can't see that 😑
I can see when you talk about this that there's a part of you feeling like you have to explain yourself. I totally understand why, but I also wanted to say you don't have to. you know yourself. trust yourself. thank you for sharing your experience with us, it's so generous of you.
I'm just a smidge over 1 year sober now, and I just wanted to pop by and say thank you for your sobriety videos. Early on, I created a sobriety playlist on youtube and your videos are still on it. They really helped me as I was struggling to stay off the sauce. Now I'm far on the other side of it and very grateful for your content. All the best to you and congrats on 2 years!
I deeply relate to a lot of this, i have quit drinking in the past after blacking out and damaging friendships. I've never identified myself as an alcoholic but it's definitely been unhealthy. My nearest and dearest have said they notice i'm much more peaceful and myself these days (though i still really struggle with anxiety and depression). I only had one drink over this festive period and am so glad for it, i'm considering packing it in for good for the sake of my mental health. Thank you for sharing your story 💗
First of all, congrats!! I just did a year alcohol free and this inspired me to do another. I also feel that life is still challenging, but now I have the headspace to address the things I never would’ve gotten around to if I’d kept drinking every night.
hi lucy!! you couldn’t have posted this at a better time for me. i’m deciding to be sober from drugs this 2024 and this motivated me SO MUCH. i’ve had a problem with drugs for quite a while but i always had an issue calling myself an addict, and hearing you say that terminology doesn’t matter changed my entire perspective. thank you, so much, for sharing such a private part of you with us, you’re a great help. happy new years!
thank you for sharing 🙏 i relate to your story so much. started my sober journey in 2019. i was so resentful of not being able to drink for a long time but the day i realised i that i now genuinely did not want to drink to "deal with" painful emotions any more was a turning point in my life. i just knew in my heart it would only make things worse and i truly didn't want that. never could have imagined it possible. that indifference to booze you talked about truly is a mental and magical milestone isn't it haha
Detoxed twice, and went to rehab for 4 months. I had to go to the hospital today for suicidal ideation. Hopefully, now I can quit. I'm sick of being sick all the time
The fact this video came up in my recommended made me wonder if I'm drinking too much. Not a binger but after a day grafting often bosh a few cheeky pints. Can't see myself ever not liking a few beers but definitely spending 4 days a week at least sober is a good target for most people
These videos mean so so much to me in a way I know you understand intimately. I'm so grateful you're still willing to make them when your life has largely moved on. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!! I get a step closer to making the jump each time ♥️
I'm 17 days sober and I'm stuck in the phase you described: cobbling together short bursts of sobriety, but inevitably going back to it. You mention building a sober community of friends around you, but I'm totally at a loss... where do I find these sober friends? I've attended some 12 step meetings but, in all honesty, I live in a small town and the people at these groups are a completely different demographic to me and I always feel left out. If anyone wants to reach out or even recommend some online resources, that would be so great. Tbh I feel that community is what I'm missing. I need a sponsor, sober friends and a sober support network. Doing it alone is just too hard!
think there's a bit of trickyness with viewing individual experiences with sobriety through a, like you say "defining", rulebased quasi AA lense of timestamping it etc: „do you think it matters what i am (…) do you think the terminology even matters“ oof YES! you've made me aware of the "advertised-desirability" of alcohol, with the TV or musicians i am exposed to it's often also smoking weed, it grows the temptation so much when trying to step away from a substance but embodying a target audience and it helps to be a bit wary of that in the media consumption department! found that so helpful. i've also realized that a tendency to binge on substances often translates to different realms of existence such as taking in way too much influence in terms of media. a lot of outside-in demands for so much inside-out exploration and rebuilding that balance is such a TASK haha.
I loved when you said it was a hole that was closed and you no longer need things to replace it. Almost like it was an emotional wound that was kept open by alcohol but through quitting and doing internal work it healed itself.
I don't think I had an addiction but I also blacked out and got myself into risky situations (broken tooth, black eye with no memory of how I got it) I feel 100 times better without it, proud of you and loved this video
Well done ❤ I'm 51 nearly 52 been binge drinking for 30 plus years plus other recreational drugs I'm a social drinker who only drinks on a night out at the weekend or holidays etc..Done dry jan kast year broke it gor a surprise birthday party,knew years ago I needed to quit but have a lot of friends and found it hard socially now I'm older I'm sick of hangovers. anxiety, wasted money, bad discisions etc..Plus i enjoy the gym and exercising etc and as u get older it gets worse and worse...had periods of sobriety where i felt great , im back to 3 weeks sober and feeling fantastic .....,Its good you've done it and stuck to it at your age..All the red flags are and you know if u got a problem with it..Even the term 'alchaholic'is outdated now..Personally every day I feel better snd better. Plus your emotions retirn etc, the hard part for me is the social aspect snd saying no as I'm a people pleaser..But we'll done anyway!
thank you for sharing your journey lucy! it's so important to have these conversations, especially when i feel like so much of young people's culture in the UK revolves around drinking (and tbh more broadly too!) lots of love and solidarity. thinking of you and your family as i know it's been a difficult few weeks 💛
I think when you were saying you were walking down the street at 4 months sober and you felt serotonin for the first time again that you are describing the pink cloud effect. For me I felt not like a cloud that lifted but moments of pure happiness in the mundane. Making myself a meal, washing my face, making my bed etc. All the things that should have been simple before but were made difficult when I was drunk or hungover. That for me was the pink cloud effect. I was elated to not feel like shit while I was doing life. The effect eventually passed and I stopped getting giddy over simple life moments but I’m 100% happier as a sober person.
thanks for this. so relatable. i do agree that i can't align with sobriety as an identity rather than a tool. so much more inspiring on the life shift.
Congratulations on 2 years sober!! 🎉 Thank you so much for your vulnerability. It sounds like you’ve found clarity and peace through this process. I went sober 2 years ago and it’s been the best thing for my mental health. Wishing you all the best.
Ahhhh I can relate to this soooo much. People don't understand that I I'm an addict, because they saw me drink responsibly so many times...and I was a great time! It's the stuff in my head, the stuff that wasn't seen.... So grateful for almost six months of sobriety!
I really like what you said about choice - I felt that too, and stopped at 22. My partner, dad, reddit, and podcasts were my biggest support systems. But really there was one way out and that was sobriety - I haven't looked back.
I’m almost 2 years sober (will be on the 25th of February 2024) and I’m so excited! My plan is to celebrate with a non-alcoholic cocktail evening with my friends. Took a while for them to understand why I was going sober at 22, but now being almost 24 all my friends understand, and love me being sober. I love my sober-self and can’t wait to keep living the sober life 🫶 Working in the music business makes it hard to not drink, but I love the way my life has been since I stopped drinking.❤❤❤
A lot of what you describe actually sounds familiar to me when I was drinking a lot. I’m mostly sober now but that actually wasn’t through a conscious decision, but rather as a result of getting a chronic illness
I have watched this a few times and really thankful for such a good video. I did six months non drinking and then had a break on holiday but I have learnt I just cant drink a little. I have Allen Carr's book arriving today and looking forward to reading it. I do believe it would be so much easier if it wasn't literally everywhere, especially in the summer months. I am looking forward to the next sober chapter and feeling like I did in month 3 or 5. These videos really help so thank you.
Im addicted to watching sobriety videos. I’m 3 months sober and I can’t say my life has improved very much. I’m often quite bored, I don’t feel much healthier and haven’t lost weight (that’s my own fault though as I’ve developed a sweet tooth). Sleep is about the same as is my mood. I just find going out kind of pointless. But yeah, hopeful that after a year things will be better :) Till then, I’ll keep watching these videos that say it’s a night and day transformation.
I resonate so strongly with this video. I’m two years sober yesterday. I feel so much better in myself. It’s so lovely to wake up every morning and know that the choices I made the night before were mine. It’s so hard to talk about sobriety when you weren’t an alcoholic. The black and white thinking is really silly. Thanks for being so open!
I loved this video, thanks for being so open and honest. I can totally relate to everything regarding your relationship with alcohol. I'm 3 years sober.
So helpful and interesting to hear about your journey! Really feel like my relationship with alcohol has changed for the better since turning 30. Hungover weekends are the worst. xx
I decided to quit drinking in October last year as I was starting medication for my ADHD. Whilst I was never a heavy drinker, I did find it difficult in the first two months to not order a drink whilst I was out at a bar with my friends. Ordering a drink was just something that I did without even thinking about it. But now in my fourth month, it has become much easier. 😊 Thank you for sharing your story with us. I’m sure it’s going to help a lot of people.
Thank you for sharing this and your experience with sobriety. I'm going into this year with the intention to be and stay sober and seeing your video 2 years on is the reminder that it will all be worth while and reminds me why I'm doing it in the first place. Also congrats, what an amazing achievement!!
I love this video and relate to everything you said so much! I am 6 months tomorrow and my life is only better than it was before! That doesn't mean it's easier but it's certainly better and I am only becoming more and more authentic to who I am. Thanks for sharing 💕
Thank you for sharing your journey with us ❤ could really relate to worrying about not being considered fun enough if you don't drink. I hope your issues with hormones gets resolved and will be looking forward to your insights and tips since I'm slso struggling with something similar atm xx
As someone who has never been drunk and who viscerally dislikes the experience of alcohol generally it is really validating to hear you talk about how things affected you even with just a few drinks. I feel like the after effects aren’t talked about enough, especially in AFAB (and neurodivergent) people. I don’t think disliking the effects or having increased effects are enough to keep people from developing a problem with alcohol, but for me at least my own experience in my body made me think that it could become dangerous for me since it seemed to have an outsized effect. I don’t think I’m missing anything by having made this decision young either - despite being told otherwise. Some things in this world are not for everyone and that’s okay
Lucy I truly want to give you a pat on the back for your comments. Just having the insight to realize, at relatively being young at age, to know that talking about adversity won't necessarily solve it but it definitely makes it easier to cope with. Having the intestinal fortitude to not giving yourself any no fault excuses to relapse. Nor to delude yourself that if you went back you'd magically become a social drinker. I stopped drinking eight years ago after drinking for fifty years with the last thirty-five years drinking excessively every day. I only wish I had the maturity and courage to stop when I was your age. You should be very proud of yourself for accomplishing something that few can do. Wishing you only the best. Take care and never quit on yourself!
I don’t struggle with alcohol but I appreciated and learned from this regardless because it’s about thoughtful and brave self-reflection. We could all use more of that.
I am almost 2 years sober myself. No caffeine, no (hard)drugs, no alcohol, no porn, no cigarettes. I am clean! I feel healthy, eat (almost) no fast food anymore. I feel liberated in a sort of way. And you know what? I don’t feel left out and estranged from the world that does drink and snort a certain white powder. :)
I've been sober about the same length of time as you (stopped in September 2021). My reasons were a bit different - 25 years of very heavy drinking caught up with me and I ended up in hospital with a 60/40 chance of lasting the day. But this video is the best I've seen about the reality of sobriety. I especially recognised the line about not feeling like you had a choice over whether to quit, and so not really understanding why people congratulate you. I always feel like a bit of a fraud when that happened. I quit because otherwise I would die and I wanted to live to see my kids grow up. There's nothing brave or admirable about that "decision" Still. Congratulations. And thank you for the video.
When you mentioned not having an off switch, that perfectly describes my issue. I could never drink alone i'm a social drinker but I would not want to ever stop. very scary trait to have 😵💫
Hi Lucy - I remember watching a video of Lucy Hale talking about her alcoholism and the way she described it sounds a lot like your experience. Both of my grandfathers were alcoholics so my parents are very moderate with alcohol (my dad does not drink at all). I drink more than they do but I am constantly checking myself for signs of alcoholism. I have easily done Dry January, Sober October or even Lent alcohol-free. Still, I often pay attention to my drinking habits and I think everyone should be mindful of how they drink. And I completely agree that people have this very outdated view of alcoholism. I used to work with an alcoholic but my thoughts on it were often dismissed because the person wasn't day drinking every day. But that person could not have just one drink, could not stop drinking once they started and turned into a horrible person once drunk. Definitely had a problem but everyone refused to see it. Well done for 2 years sober! I understand when you say it wasn't a choice for you, but it is still an accomplishment and lots of efforts on your part and that is definitely something to celebrate :)
I think that the people who go sober or a sober should be supported and encouraged but drinking is so normalized in many cultures that doing so is going against the status quo. A lot of people forget alcohol is a drug, a depressant, a carcinogen and can cause death(s) in more ways than one or your own. Quitting drinking/being sober means acknowledging that alcohol has real downsides and consequences to your life. I noticed from a young age that alcohol is often a coping mechanism and a bandaid for distracting people from feeling uncomfortable feelings. People drink as a quick fix to feel better than they currently do, instead of addressing the reason why they feel that way or sitting with that feeling and letting it go. I get why people do it. Life is freaking hard and sometimes you just want to pause and let go. I have chosen to be sober because I’ve seen the way it turns loved ones and strangers into their own worst enemy and how that negatively impacts people around them. Drinking is easy. Being sober is not easy, especially when you’re in your 20s or all your friends drink. Not drinking has allowed me to process my emotions, allowed me to save more money, saved my health, and kept me on the right path for me to build and have the life I always wanted. Please continue to share these updates as you feel the desire to do so. You’re making space for so many people to speak up and share about something that they may not be able to in their community❤
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Don't do this: "A lot of people forget alcohol is a drug, a depressant, a carcinogen and can cause death(s) in more ways than one or your own." Fearmongering does *NOT* work. Just the opposite. Kids/YA see someone drink alcohol and don't see the shit you're claiming (because it is, while not completely false, hyperbole), and then think "wait, so @MalinaCC lied!") See anti-drug policies that makes *ALL* drugs, from marihuana to heroine or crack cocaine, the literal devil, and the kids/YA see someone smoke weed and the ground not opening up and Satan grabbing that smoker… and they think "So all these drugs aren't as dangerous as the adults claimed". That's wrong, of course, but it's a logical conclusion based on the "evidence" they know. I had chosen to be sober in my youth. And then started drinking. I drink about a beer every… couple months. Probably less than one a month, on average. I had intended on getting a bottle of Port (love that stuff) for my birthday in November, but just didn't get to it. But for New Year's, I need it. Yes, "need"… just because I've been Port-free for too long. As Craig Ferguson said in one Late Late Show monologue, about his alcoholism, he can't handle alcohol. But that's not true for everyone. The tricky bit is recognizing this before it's too late. If someone comes a family of drunks or alcoholics, they should be *very* careful. I… well, I do, but then I found out some decades ago that my dad wasn't actually my biological father. Makes a *huge* difference. On a related personal note: I sometimes (sarcastically joking) wish I could drink to excess. To, as you correctly said, numb this shit. But I can't. One factor also is that I don't really like the hard stuff, whiskey, vodka etc. I find the burning of that just overshadow the actual taste too much (I once tried three whiskeys someone brought to some meeting, and I did recognize the difference in taste, but the burning is just too strong)
Watching this video because I believe I've not wasted but I feel like I have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol and also an unhealthy relationship with saying no to stuff and that when drunk I have a little self destruct button
I couldnt go a week without drinking, but i also didnt see the problem with drinking until i was sober by happen stance. i decided to move back home to save money and i refuse to drink at my childhood home. So, not drinking for weeks, and then months made my body feel excellent. i havent felt this light and fresh since teen years or my early 20s. Even weekly drinking doesnt work because it takes 4 DAYS for the body to remove the alcohol. So, in december i drove down to florida to poke around and check out st augustine for the first time. Of course i binged on my first night out, then i went a day (or two, cant remember), then i drank again on the 3rd night, then tried to sober up the next few days, and I honestly didn't even feel great until i quit drinking again when i returned home. I literally spent the entire trip recovering from a binge of the first night out.
My own experience is so incredibly similar. I’ve questioned my drinking problem off and on because my friends would also relay to me that I wasn’t so bad.
Sobriety gives you what alcohol promises.
Exactly 💯 thanks for your perfect insight 👍
Waw❤
Good one!
Love this 🙌🏼🙌🏼
I really needed to read this
I drank from 16-19, getting black-out drunk every week, putting myself in really risky situations with men, and even covertly drinking through the day to cope with anxiety. I went sober at 19 (now 31!) and told everyone I was never doing it again. I see now that was a radical act of self-love and taught me how to advocate for myself- as you mention! Although I was ostracised at uni initially and I'm a bit of an oddity at work because of British drinking culture, I now have a solid group of sober friends :)
Wish I only drank that short of time throughout life lol
Your personal observations about your drinking will provide clarity for many struggling with their drinking habits.
I've hated the term alcoholic, because it makes it seem like there's a shortcoming with the person, rather than a problem with the substance itself. Instead, I've found it better to think about how it wasn't serving me anymore, so I cut it out of my life. If I cut out fast food, no one bats an eyelash. Why is it so different with alcohol? Why do some people insist on pressuring you into doing a substance you've determined is harmful to you?
Thanks for this video! It's nice to see your positive, uplifting take on this sensitive matter.
I couldn't agree more. In fact, while I was going to AA, I oftentimes would feel odd hearing people say "hi I'm so and so and I'm an alcoholic" because I couldn't shake the idea that this meant there was something fundamentally wrong or broken about this person.
HOWEVER there is scientific proof to support the idea that certain people are indeed genetically predisposed to most likely developing alcohol use disorder if they have family members who also had AUD. This is not to say this doesn't exist. But I find that it often means that we look at the person and not the substance.
I see alot of comments about how "alcohol isn't bad" or whatever and how alot of the sober community doesn't want to "demonize drinking" because they probably are scare of being divisive or whatever. But the bottom line is this: That shit is poison. It is OBJECTIVELY bad. You can say whatever you want about how some people don't have problems with it. That's fine. They don't have problems with it. But no matter what way you cut it, it is a poison that wreaks havoc on the body and mind, plain and simple. So those AA meetings always got me raising my hand to sort of talk about these things. Individuals aren't the problem. It's the culture surrounding drinking that is the problem. That is why it's so important for us to build a sober community around living life for the sake of living life.
I really like how Lucy talks about how she gained so much inspiration from sober influencers who focused on living life instead of being sober. That is so important. It's also a mindset that got me to stop going to AA. That group is so focused on sobriety that I felt like it was missing the point of living life. I don't want to live my life by avoiding something. I want to live my life by engaging with everything else that makes it beautiful. When I do that, booze seems completely pointless and dumb, which it always has been.
THAT IS TO SAY that AA works well for some people and I am in NO WAY saying that it doesn't work.
Peace and love
@@trickylights4380I couldn’t agree more.
There are shortcomings in people who drink too much. Alcohol is a crutch for them
I am so, so, so proud of you, lady ❤
Couldn’t have done it without you 🤍
I was never an alcoholic but it was in my family. I didn’t like the way I felt when I drank and I didn’t drink in a way that was healthy. I chose to be dry when I was 23 and it’s been a decade now. I don’t miss it. The “worst” part is the constant “why don’t you drink” from coworkers and acquaintances.
Thank you for never shying away from sharing your journey with this!! I empathize so much with your story--tried abstaining so many times but finally 9 months this month and feel like this is really it this time! From one young woman to another please keep sharing! Helps tremendously to know we are not alone!
Well done!! And thank you, doing my best to share the journey as it’s what I needed when I got sober ♥️♥️
This comment gives me hope!
Nice job! The first year is the hardest. Going through all the holidays, seasons, celebrations, birthdays, weddings etc. now, this second year is so much easier. I’ll never start drinking again. Good luck to you 🙏🏼
This video couldn't have come out at a better time I just hit day 150 yesterday but am feeling myself slipping into the 'just one' mindset so it's a nice little goal reinforcement.
Hearing your story made me so thankful for my friends who never once questioned my quitting and I wasnt a social drinker I was a solitary binge drinker so they never saw the worst of it.
congrats on your milestone! hopefully this video can help you reflect on the positives that not drinking has brought you and it can keep you on the upward journey. all the best!
Congratulations on 150 🎉 I'm 6 months sober and it can be challenging but so worth it. That voice in your head that tells you moderation is possible is a liar xx
I will be one year sober (different addiction) tomorrow and I am so so proud of you Lucy and I look up to you so much. Thank you for showing people like me that sobriety is *possible* 💖
Well done! Thats amazing x
That is an amazing accomplishment! I hope that you celebrated it 🥰
I think something your journey/you speaking about your journey makes so clear to me, is that we only teach such a narrow image of what issues with alcohol can look like, like it can only be a "problem" if it looks one specific way and otherwise it's fine. In the end, the you're only one who really knows if things are "fine", and if they're not and you reach out to others for help, you deserve to be taken seriously and treated with compassion. Because if it feels like a problem to you, then it doesn't matter if it meets any other criteria, it's impacting your life significantly enough to be something you think about, and everyone deserves to be taken seriously when that's the case.
This is incredible Lucy. I didn't ever really drink all that much, but I've been sober for 4.5 years now. I discovered it was the number 1 reason my endometriosis pain was so excruciating so I decided it wasn't worth it anymore. 19th June 2019 was the last time I had a drink. To me, this was never a huge deal, I knew I was serious about having children and I grew up with an alcoholic dad (who is doing incredibly well now) so that helped me. When I talk to others with endo, I'm totally shocked at the responses to my pain reduction. People will do the most to try to prove me wrong, despite science being on the side of alcohol causing inflammation. It was only then I realised how common alcohol addiction truly is, even if people are coping seemingly fine.
was addicted to what i called a trifecta Meth, Opium, Alcohol. I also suffered severe depression and cptsd. i went to a party and consumed about 2g of shrooms i was lost in my head for 6 minutes but when i came back my depression and addiction to my trifecta was gone. I didn't realize it at the time. The psychedelic experience is temporary but people have good permanent results. 6 years totally clean. Much respect to mother nature the great magic shrooms.
Thanks for sharing your story. That's rough I sympathize. Save your health save your mind. Life is better without heroin, cocaine, alcohol and cigarettes. And you have more money in your pocket. God bless everyone who has rejected the devils intentions to be addicted to alcohol and cigarettes etc which can cause so much damage to health. I will pray for you all.
Hey mates! Can you help with the source? I suffer severe anxiety, panic and depression and I usually take prescription medicine, but they don't always help. Where can I find those psilocybin mushrooms? I'm really interested in treating my mental health without Rxs. I live in Australia don't know much about these. I'm so glad they helped
you. I can't wait to get them too. Really need a reliable source 🙏
YES very sure of Dr.alishrooms. I have the
same experience with anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction and Mushrooms definitely made a huge huge difference to why am clean today.
Ive done shrooms last month in my house.
It taught me how severely traumatized I was from alcohol. I healed from many mental traumas from my past and was able to forgive, let go. Shrooms to me is a remedy not a vice. I even felt more refreshed the
morning after. So no hangovers. No
depression mood for days. No anxiety.I now
have a more calm mind
How do I reach out to him? Is he on insta
Omg this is so me! The black outs are insane, it’s sad to think that ppl don’t believe that they happen and happen frequently! And like you said sometimes after only a few drinks. I’ve been sober now for going on for four years and it is definitely the best decision I have ever made, I feel so secure in myself and my decisions. I love waking up from a night out or a party knowing what happened, knowing that I didn’t say or do anything stupid and knowing that a didn’t upset my friends. Congrats on this journey and sharing it online ❤❤
I'm almost 6 months sober and your videos really helped me to realise I had a problem in the first place. Like you, I knew my drinking was an issue for a long time but I never thought quitting was an option or possible. I remember watching your video and crying because I related so much to it. I'm happy to say that I won't ever go back to alcohol and I'm much happier and healthier as a result x
Well done!! ♥️♥️
Well done, Lucy, I'm so glad that you're on an upward journey. As a Drug and Alcohol Counselor and Clinical Psychologist I can understand how difficult it must have been for you to get here, but I know how rewarding it can be also. Take care and much love.
Two years. You are amazing. I don't follow you (sorry!) but I have bookmarked your Hi I'm Lucy video. I show it to everybody because I think it is so brave, vulnerable, raw and honest and your determination is absolutely palpable. And not that the people I show it to have alcohol problems (necessarily...) but just so they can see it from the inside because you explain it so well. I'll say it again - you're AMAZING.
I really, really wish I had found sobriety at your age. I feel I’ve wasted huge chunks of my life by drinking to excess. Really going to get behind this now. Your description of your behaviour while drinking resonates so much with me. Got two young kids now, want them to see me at my best. You’re a real role model 😊
lucy, i just wanted to pour my heart out a little to you about how much your channel has meant to me over the years since i found your channel as a young uk teen. now in my early twenties, seeing someone a few steps ahead of me in life always being so real has been such a positive and comforting influence over me, i can't help but see you as something of an older sister. thank you for all your content over the years lucy, we love you!!💕
Ohhh thank you! Always happy to be your older sister ♥️
Thank you for having these conversations! I've never really been into alcohol, and over the last few years I've decided I'm better off without it in my life. I'm just glad that more and more people are talking about not drinking and making it more normal! I swear it's the one substance you have to justify NOT taking, and I wish more people would just accept it as a personal choice.
congratulations 5 years for me and it’s the most amazing experience ever i’m finally free of my mind ❤
i’m so glad i found this video when i did. been trying to get sober for a while now and after my last lapse i felt so hopeless and deflated, like maybe sobriety just wasn’t meant to happen for me. but you reminded me of some of the many reasons why it IS worth fighting for, so thank you so much. 16 days today. determined to make it work
Good for you!
I'm ten years sober and everything has become much better since.
Beginning my alcohol-free journey now. I resonate so much with your story.. felt like I lost so much trust in myself. No drink is worth the anxiety, bad decisions, shame, self-doubt that I feel afterwards! I'm really nervous but I know that this is a major act of radical self-love!!
Thank you for sharing! I’m 1 year 7 months sober and cannot wait to hit 2 years. Tears in my eyes over here! Hugs ❤❤
You’ve got this! 🌟🤍
@@lucymoon thank you ❤️❤️❤️
My alcohol problems started at 20 and I hadn’t realized it was a problem until this year at age 23. Here’s to leaving it all behind in 2024 🎉
can i just say congrats to all the wonderful people in this comment section who are sober and working on themselves? you guys are so amazing. it's such an amazing achievement to be able to wade through all of the weird societal pressure to look introspectively find what it causing the problem and then go out and try and solve it! sobriety is a journey- you've got this!
sincerely, a teetotal girlie, who never really got into drinking x
Thank you for sharing. I’m a few days from being 1 year sober and although it’s still hard I am so much happier and balanced. Going into year 2 of sobriety I hope to build some healthy habits and continue to exercise regularly
Well done on nearly 1 year!! Smashing it xx
1 month ago I watched this video and only got 11 seconds in before my entire life changed. "how much more are you willing to lose?" and i knew the answer was no more. the work has been excruciating, but I know I can never go back.
I love when you share things like this. The first video you shared about alcohol years ago stuck with me because it helped me see that how I viewed alcohol was something I could change, that it wasn’t just me, and I ultimately did change it. So when I hear stuff like this I feel I’m on this same journey with you and I’m hearing the things I’m thinking too without having to talk about it with the people in my life (they can be difficult!) so thanks for this :)
The hanxiety and blackouts as well as my troubling solitary drinking has made me work towards sobriety at 21. I love seeing other young women speaking about their experiences because I feel like I never fully understood how dangerous alcohol was until I made the decision to stop. Congratulations on two years.
So great to have more voices out there questioning alcohol's value in our society. I think a lot of people live with the consequesnces you are describing but don't realise that alcohol is linked to the experiences they are having because of the way that our society glamourises and normalises drinking. Thanks for sharing!
I will be 2 years sober in April- i've appreciated your videos so much because I feel like our journeys with quitting have been so, so similar. It's been invaluable to feel like i'm not alone, I especially relate to still loving to party and be out! Watching these videos have been such a comfort to me in that we can still have those luxurious and chic nights out, and still remember them & feel great :) Thank you so much!
Yay! I am two years sober in May! ❤
Massive well done for 20 months so far! So glad sharing my journey has helped even a little bit ♥️
I really like that part where you say that achieving this doesn't "fix life", and that bad things do still happen etc. I think it's easy to get carried away with the misconception that if we do give up things that harm us, suddenly it'll all be sunshine and rainbows forever. In reality, those things still happen to us, but we're better equipped to deal with them than we were before. Well done mate and congrats on 2 years.
ive just got through my first week and have an appointment with a new therapist tomorrow. thank you for sharing this!
Your honesty is intoxicating. Thankyou Lucy, you're making more of an impact than perhaps you know.
love the point you made about building your trust in yourself back up - and the effects of not being able to stick to your word (to yourself) on your self esteem. this is so real. thanks for sharing lucy
What valable insights!
So interesting that many people were dismissive of your wanting to quit alcohol ("but you're not an alcoholic...?").
If someone tells you they want to quit drinking, please be supportive, kind and curious. They probably have a very good reason.
I haven't had a drink yet this year. I'm really not bothered about alcohol at all anymore but I worry how my friends will react when I tell them I'm not drinking.
Some people take your life choices as an attack against themselves which I don't know how to deal with. Me not drinking is no reflection on them but they can't see that 😑
I can see when you talk about this that there's a part of you feeling like you have to explain yourself. I totally understand why, but I also wanted to say you don't have to. you know yourself. trust yourself. thank you for sharing your experience with us, it's so generous of you.
I'm just a smidge over 1 year sober now, and I just wanted to pop by and say thank you for your sobriety videos. Early on, I created a sobriety playlist on youtube and your videos are still on it. They really helped me as I was struggling to stay off the sauce. Now I'm far on the other side of it and very grateful for your content. All the best to you and congrats on 2 years!
I deeply relate to a lot of this, i have quit drinking in the past after blacking out and damaging friendships. I've never identified myself as an alcoholic but it's definitely been unhealthy. My nearest and dearest have said they notice i'm much more peaceful and myself these days (though i still really struggle with anxiety and depression). I only had one drink over this festive period and am so glad for it, i'm considering packing it in for good for the sake of my mental health. Thank you for sharing your story 💗
Congrats on your 2 years x
Shamelessly requesting more Wardrobe and styling content for 2024 pleeasseee ❤
First of all, congrats!! I just did a year alcohol free and this inspired me to do another. I also feel that life is still challenging, but now I have the headspace to address the things I never would’ve gotten around to if I’d kept drinking every night.
hi lucy!! you couldn’t have posted this at a better time for me. i’m deciding to be sober from drugs this 2024 and this motivated me SO MUCH. i’ve had a problem with drugs for quite a while but i always had an issue calling myself an addict, and hearing you say that terminology doesn’t matter changed my entire perspective. thank you, so much, for sharing such a private part of you with us, you’re a great help. happy new years!
Massive well done!! No shame at all in being an addict, claiming the term or deciding to leave it, whatever makes the most sense for you ♥️
thank you for sharing 🙏 i relate to your story so much. started my sober journey in 2019. i was so resentful of not being able to drink for a long time but the day i realised i that i now genuinely did not want to drink to "deal with" painful emotions any more was a turning point in my life. i just knew in my heart it would only make things worse and i truly didn't want that. never could have imagined it possible. that indifference to booze you talked about truly is a mental and magical milestone isn't it haha
Congratulations Lucy 🎉 I’m four months sober and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done!
Detoxed twice, and went to rehab for 4 months. I had to go to the hospital today for suicidal ideation. Hopefully, now I can quit. I'm sick of being sick all the time
The fact this video came up in my recommended made me wonder if I'm drinking too much.
Not a binger but after a day grafting often bosh a few cheeky pints. Can't see myself ever not liking a few beers but definitely spending 4 days a week at least sober is a good target for most people
These videos mean so so much to me in a way I know you understand intimately. I'm so grateful you're still willing to make them when your life has largely moved on. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!! I get a step closer to making the jump each time ♥️
I'm 17 days sober and I'm stuck in the phase you described: cobbling together short bursts of sobriety, but inevitably going back to it. You mention building a sober community of friends around you, but I'm totally at a loss... where do I find these sober friends? I've attended some 12 step meetings but, in all honesty, I live in a small town and the people at these groups are a completely different demographic to me and I always feel left out. If anyone wants to reach out or even recommend some online resources, that would be so great. Tbh I feel that community is what I'm missing. I need a sponsor, sober friends and a sober support network. Doing it alone is just too hard!
I’ve heard that online meetings are really good, maybe give those a try? All the best!
@@lucymoon Thanks, Lucy. I will try to find a meeting that fits. x
think there's a bit of trickyness with viewing individual experiences with sobriety through a, like you say "defining", rulebased quasi AA lense of timestamping it etc: „do you think it matters what i am (…) do you think the terminology even matters“ oof YES!
you've made me aware of the "advertised-desirability" of alcohol, with the TV or musicians i am exposed to it's often also smoking weed, it grows the temptation so much when trying to step away from a substance but embodying a target audience and it helps to be a bit wary of that in the media consumption department! found that so helpful.
i've also realized that a tendency to binge on substances often translates to different realms of existence such as taking in way too much influence in terms of media. a lot of outside-in demands for so much inside-out exploration and rebuilding that balance is such a TASK haha.
I loved when you said it was a hole that was closed and you no longer need things to replace it. Almost like it was an emotional wound that was kept open by alcohol but through quitting and doing internal work it healed itself.
I don't think I had an addiction but I also blacked out and got myself into risky situations (broken tooth, black eye with no memory of how I got it) I feel 100 times better without it, proud of you and loved this video
Congrats on your sobriety! I remember when you first started, so happy for you
Well done ❤ I'm 51 nearly 52 been binge drinking for 30 plus years plus other recreational drugs I'm a social drinker who only drinks on a night out at the weekend or holidays etc..Done dry jan kast year broke it gor a surprise birthday party,knew years ago I needed to quit but have a lot of friends and found it hard socially now I'm older I'm sick of hangovers. anxiety, wasted money, bad discisions etc..Plus i enjoy the gym and exercising etc and as u get older it gets worse and worse...had periods of sobriety where i felt great , im back to 3 weeks sober and feeling fantastic .....,Its good you've done it and stuck to it at your age..All the red flags are and you know if u got a problem with it..Even the term 'alchaholic'is outdated now..Personally every day I feel better snd better. Plus your emotions retirn etc, the hard part for me is the social aspect snd saying no as I'm a people pleaser..But we'll done anyway!
thank you for sharing your journey lucy! it's so important to have these conversations, especially when i feel like so much of young people's culture in the UK revolves around drinking (and tbh more broadly too!) lots of love and solidarity. thinking of you and your family as i know it's been a difficult few weeks 💛
I think when you were saying you were walking down the street at 4 months sober and you felt serotonin for the first time again that you are describing the pink cloud effect. For me I felt not like a cloud that lifted but moments of pure happiness in the mundane. Making myself a meal, washing my face, making my bed etc. All the things that should have been simple before but were made difficult when I was drunk or hungover. That for me was the pink cloud effect. I was elated to not feel like shit while I was doing life. The effect eventually passed and I stopped getting giddy over simple life moments but I’m 100% happier as a sober person.
This is so great. Strength is shining from you!
I've been sober all throughout Uni and find it next to impossible to actually make friends 😢 these videos do help
thanks for this. so relatable. i do agree that i can't align with sobriety as an identity rather than a tool. so much more inspiring on the life shift.
Congratulations on 2 years sober!! 🎉
Thank you so much for your vulnerability. It sounds like you’ve found clarity and peace through this process.
I went sober 2 years ago and it’s been the best thing for my mental health. Wishing you all the best.
Ahhhh I can relate to this soooo much. People don't understand that I I'm an addict, because they saw me drink responsibly so many times...and I was a great time! It's the stuff in my head, the stuff that wasn't seen.... So grateful for almost six months of sobriety!
I really like what you said about choice - I felt that too, and stopped at 22. My partner, dad, reddit, and podcasts were my biggest support systems. But really there was one way out and that was sobriety - I haven't looked back.
I’m almost 2 years sober (will be on the 25th of February 2024) and I’m so excited! My plan is to celebrate with a non-alcoholic cocktail evening with my friends. Took a while for them to understand why I was going sober at 22, but now being almost 24 all my friends understand, and love me being sober. I love my sober-self and can’t wait to keep living the sober life 🫶 Working in the music business makes it hard to not drink, but I love the way my life has been since I stopped drinking.❤❤❤
Well done!!
Thank you for being so open and vulnerable Lucy. It's so beautiful and admirable how introspective you are!
A lot of what you describe actually sounds familiar to me when I was drinking a lot. I’m mostly sober now but that actually wasn’t through a conscious decision, but rather as a result of getting a chronic illness
I have watched this a few times and really thankful for such a good video. I did six months non drinking and then had a break on holiday but I have learnt I just cant drink a little. I have Allen Carr's book arriving today and looking forward to reading it. I do believe it would be so much easier if it wasn't literally everywhere, especially in the summer months. I am looking forward to the next sober chapter and feeling like I did in month 3 or 5. These videos really help so thank you.
Thank you for sharing! 55 days sober myself ❤🙏🏼
Love your story, thank you for sharing!
Thank you for sharing this Lucy! I'm on month 5 today and I'm hoping to make my own video to share to others!
Im addicted to watching sobriety videos.
I’m 3 months sober and I can’t say my life has improved very much. I’m often quite bored, I don’t feel much healthier and haven’t lost weight (that’s my own fault though as I’ve developed a sweet tooth). Sleep is about the same as is my mood. I just find going out kind of pointless.
But yeah, hopeful that after a year things will be better :) Till then, I’ll keep watching these videos that say it’s a night and day transformation.
I resonate so strongly with this video. I’m two years sober yesterday. I feel so much better in myself. It’s so lovely to wake up every morning and know that the choices I made the night before were mine. It’s so hard to talk about sobriety when you weren’t an alcoholic. The black and white thinking is really silly. Thanks for being so open!
I loved this video, thanks for being so open and honest. I can totally relate to everything regarding your relationship with alcohol. I'm 3 years sober.
My god, everything you’ve said resonated with me. I’m currently 6 months sober, thank you for sharing ❤
Congratulations!
Lovely video.
More people should see this.
So helpful and interesting to hear about your journey! Really feel like my relationship with alcohol has changed for the better since turning 30. Hungover weekends are the worst. xx
oh im so proud of you!!!!
I decided to quit drinking in October last year as I was starting medication for my ADHD. Whilst I was never a heavy drinker, I did find it difficult in the first two months to not order a drink whilst I was out at a bar with my friends. Ordering a drink was just something that I did without even thinking about it. But now in my fourth month, it has become much easier. 😊 Thank you for sharing your story with us. I’m sure it’s going to help a lot of people.
Thank you for sharing this and your experience with sobriety. I'm going into this year with the intention to be and stay sober and seeing your video 2 years on is the reminder that it will all be worth while and reminds me why I'm doing it in the first place. Also congrats, what an amazing achievement!!
I love this video and relate to everything you said so much! I am 6 months tomorrow and my life is only better than it was before! That doesn't mean it's easier but it's certainly better and I am only becoming more and more authentic to who I am. Thanks for sharing 💕
Feeling indifferent to alcohol is Awesome ! You hit the nail right on the head 👏 😊
i really appreciate you sharing an update, truly
Thank you for sharing your journey with us ❤ could really relate to worrying about not being considered fun enough if you don't drink. I hope your issues with hormones gets resolved and will be looking forward to your insights and tips since I'm slso struggling with something similar atm xx
As someone who has never been drunk and who viscerally dislikes the experience of alcohol generally it is really validating to hear you talk about how things affected you even with just a few drinks. I feel like the after effects aren’t talked about enough, especially in AFAB (and neurodivergent) people.
I don’t think disliking the effects or having increased effects are enough to keep people from developing a problem with alcohol, but for me at least my own experience in my body made me think that it could become dangerous for me since it seemed to have an outsized effect.
I don’t think I’m missing anything by having made this decision young either - despite being told otherwise. Some things in this world are not for everyone and that’s okay
Lucy I truly want to give you a pat on the back for your comments. Just having the insight to realize, at relatively being young at age, to know that talking about adversity won't necessarily solve it but it definitely makes it easier to cope with. Having the intestinal fortitude to not giving yourself any no fault excuses to relapse. Nor to delude yourself that if you went back you'd magically become a social drinker. I stopped drinking eight years ago after drinking for fifty years with the last thirty-five years drinking excessively every day. I only wish I had the maturity and courage to stop when I was your age. You should be very proud of yourself for accomplishing something that few can do. Wishing you only the best. Take care and never quit on yourself!
I don’t struggle with alcohol but I appreciated and learned from this regardless because it’s about thoughtful and brave self-reflection. We could all use more of that.
Loved your video!
Quit drinking a few months after I turned 24. Glad I didn’t wait longer!
I am almost 2 years sober myself. No caffeine, no (hard)drugs, no alcohol, no porn, no cigarettes. I am clean! I feel healthy, eat (almost) no fast food anymore. I feel liberated in a sort of way. And you know what? I don’t feel left out and estranged from the world that does drink and snort a certain white powder. :)
I've been sober about the same length of time as you (stopped in September 2021). My reasons were a bit different - 25 years of very heavy drinking caught up with me and I ended up in hospital with a 60/40 chance of lasting the day.
But this video is the best I've seen about the reality of sobriety. I especially recognised the line about not feeling like you had a choice over whether to quit, and so not really understanding why people congratulate you. I always feel like a bit of a fraud when that happened. I quit because otherwise I would die and I wanted to live to see my kids grow up. There's nothing brave or admirable about that "decision"
Still. Congratulations. And thank you for the video.
Congratulations, I am very happy for you. It is a hard journey to quit.🎉
When you mentioned not having an off switch, that perfectly describes my issue. I could never drink alone i'm a social drinker but I would not want to ever stop. very scary trait to have 😵💫
Kinda has to be central for many of us simply because it’s SO easy to go back to drinking!
congrats on 2 years of sobriety!
keep at it...yu still have a life in front of you
Hi Lucy - I remember watching a video of Lucy Hale talking about her alcoholism and the way she described it sounds a lot like your experience. Both of my grandfathers were alcoholics so my parents are very moderate with alcohol (my dad does not drink at all). I drink more than they do but I am constantly checking myself for signs of alcoholism. I have easily done Dry January, Sober October or even Lent alcohol-free. Still, I often pay attention to my drinking habits and I think everyone should be mindful of how they drink. And I completely agree that people have this very outdated view of alcoholism. I used to work with an alcoholic but my thoughts on it were often dismissed because the person wasn't day drinking every day. But that person could not have just one drink, could not stop drinking once they started and turned into a horrible person once drunk. Definitely had a problem but everyone refused to see it.
Well done for 2 years sober! I understand when you say it wasn't a choice for you, but it is still an accomplishment and lots of efforts on your part and that is definitely something to celebrate :)
7 months ❤ amazing job everyone :)
I think that the people who go sober or a sober should be supported and encouraged but drinking is so normalized in many cultures that doing so is going against the status quo. A lot of people forget alcohol is a drug, a depressant, a carcinogen and can cause death(s) in more ways than one or your own. Quitting drinking/being sober means acknowledging that alcohol has real downsides and consequences to your life. I noticed from a young age that alcohol is often a coping mechanism and a bandaid for distracting people from feeling uncomfortable feelings. People drink as a quick fix to feel better than they currently do, instead of addressing the reason why they feel that way or sitting with that feeling and letting it go. I get why people do it. Life is freaking hard and sometimes you just want to pause and let go. I have chosen to be sober because I’ve seen the way it turns loved ones and strangers into their own worst enemy and how that negatively impacts people around them. Drinking is easy. Being sober is not easy, especially when you’re in your 20s or all your friends drink. Not drinking has allowed me to process my emotions, allowed me to save more money, saved my health, and kept me on the right path for me to build and have the life I always wanted.
Please continue to share these updates as you feel the desire to do so. You’re making space for so many people to speak up and share about something that they may not be able to in their community❤
Don't do this: "A lot of people forget alcohol is a drug, a depressant, a carcinogen and can cause death(s) in more ways than one or your own." Fearmongering does *NOT* work. Just the opposite. Kids/YA see someone drink alcohol and don't see the shit you're claiming (because it is, while not completely false, hyperbole), and then think "wait, so @MalinaCC lied!")
See anti-drug policies that makes *ALL* drugs, from marihuana to heroine or crack cocaine, the literal devil, and the kids/YA see someone smoke weed and the ground not opening up and Satan grabbing that smoker… and they think "So all these drugs aren't as dangerous as the adults claimed". That's wrong, of course, but it's a logical conclusion based on the "evidence" they know.
I had chosen to be sober in my youth. And then started drinking. I drink about a beer every… couple months. Probably less than one a month, on average. I had intended on getting a bottle of Port (love that stuff) for my birthday in November, but just didn't get to it. But for New Year's, I need it. Yes, "need"… just because I've been Port-free for too long.
As Craig Ferguson said in one Late Late Show monologue, about his alcoholism, he can't handle alcohol. But that's not true for everyone. The tricky bit is recognizing this before it's too late. If someone comes a family of drunks or alcoholics, they should be *very* careful. I… well, I do, but then I found out some decades ago that my dad wasn't actually my biological father. Makes a *huge* difference.
On a related personal note: I sometimes (sarcastically joking) wish I could drink to excess. To, as you correctly said, numb this shit. But I can't. One factor also is that I don't really like the hard stuff, whiskey, vodka etc. I find the burning of that just overshadow the actual taste too much (I once tried three whiskeys someone brought to some meeting, and I did recognize the difference in taste, but the burning is just too strong)
Really needed this. So genuine and lovely ❤
Watching this video because I believe I've not wasted but I feel like I have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol and also an unhealthy relationship with saying no to stuff and that when drunk I have a little self destruct button
I couldnt go a week without drinking, but i also didnt see the problem with drinking until i was sober by happen stance. i decided to move back home to save money and i refuse to drink at my childhood home. So, not drinking for weeks, and then months made my body feel excellent. i havent felt this light and fresh since teen years or my early 20s. Even weekly drinking doesnt work because it takes 4 DAYS for the body to remove the alcohol. So, in december i drove down to florida to poke around and check out st augustine for the first time. Of course i binged on my first night out, then i went a day (or two, cant remember), then i drank again on the 3rd night, then tried to sober up the next few days, and I honestly didn't even feel great until i quit drinking again when i returned home. I literally spent the entire trip recovering from a binge of the first night out.
My own experience is so incredibly similar. I’ve questioned my drinking problem off and on because my friends would also relay to me that I wasn’t so bad.