Our last drink was on April 25^th 2016 – since then we (my husband and I) have not had any alcohol – no glasses of bubbles, no vinos or coldies!  No red wine with a steak or cheese platter, no chardonnay with prawns or no beer on a hot day!  It has not been an easy journey but a year down the track my body and my liver is thanking me for it.

After going on the Golden Dragon, a little over a year ago, I could see in detail how my body was functioning and the stress that my liver was under – and I was not helping it with alcohol or coffee. So, it was then that we made a pact to give up alcohol for 3 months.

I had given up coffee about 6 months before I gave up alcohol because I was getting too jittery and anxious after it – these days I enjoy a Green Tea, Chai, Turmeric Latte, or a Sticky Chai Tea on Almond Milk. I still honour the ritual of a cuppa which really means taking the time to enjoy the moment.  To gather thoughts and momentarily escape reality.

Giving up coffee had far more side effects than giving up alcohol – the headaches, the crabbiness, and the cravings. These lasted for about a week.  Then it was the dilemma whenever I went to a café – what do I order??  It wasn’t the same as my long black!  Week by week it got easier and I found that I really enjoyed herbal teas and realised that it wasn’t as much about what I was drinking as it was about the ritual of escaping reality!

Alcohol on the other hand is such a part of our culture it was quite challenging. The firsts of any social events like birthday parties, New Year’s Eve, Weddings, Races, Holidays, and other events were the hardest. It is challenging going to a party and asking for a glass of mineral water or water!  What we found though that after every event we got through the next one was a little easier.  Now it is not even a concern – sometimes I get a bit fancy and ask for my mineral water in a wine glass or champagne glass!

We found that there seems to be more judgement about not drinking than there is about drinking. The questions we are asked STILL after a year – Are you drinking again yet?  Do you think you will ever drink? Why aren’t you drinking? When are you going to drink again?  To which we answer not sure if  we will even drink again – for now it is going really well.  It is bizarre that there is so much judgement about being sober!

A year down the track when I rescan my liver on the Golden Dragon – it is much happier which makes me happier too.

Now that we have not had alcohol for so long it is more than likely going to continue to be a part of our lifestyle. It is not as much fun sometimes, but the next day when we jump out of bed at 6am without a headache or “the cringes” over the night before is when I really appreciate the life of being sober.  Being sober means that I can drive anywhere and anytime that we need to, I can drive others that might want to drink, can always pick the kids up and most importantly are being good role models to our children.  It is hypocritical to want our children to be careful with alcohol when we are not.  So hopefully this journey will benefit them down the track when they become teenagers – who knows? BUT for now, it is still no booze for us! Let’s see how long this lasts…..  Sparkles and blessings x x