Trigger warning: This article discusses depression and heavy alcohol consumption.
My last drinkor rather drinkswas in early August.
It was a casual Friday, and I grabbed drinks spontaneously with friends after work.
What started as a margarita in a coupe ended in me blacking out.
The only thing I remember is how sick I was for three full days after.
Unfortunately, this was nothing new for me.
Stocksy
What was new was how I handled it.
Over the past year, my depression got worse after every night of drinking.
I would flash back to college when I spent so many Sundays in this same condition.
By 12 p.m., I had effectively canceled all my plans for the rest of my weekend.
I didnt want anyone to know what happened to me, so I went full DND for three days.
This created more space for me to beat myself up without intervention.
This month led to another and another.
Before I knew it, I was flirting with actually going sober.
It had finally hit me how badly alcohol made me feel.
I also noticed that my skin was clearer.
I spoke to Dr. Nicole Swiner, MD, about the benefits of cutting out alcohol.
Not to mention fewer kidney and liver problems.
After years of trying, it finally felt worth it to prioritize taking care of my body.
So many of my wonderful friends were and still are so supportive of me.
Making sure to point out the mocktails on every menu and never pressuring me to order anything different.
But if Im being real, a lot of people in my life had severe negative reactions.
Saying things like, Its not forever, right?
and, Eventually, youll have a glass of champagne at a wedding though, right?
when I honestly had not even thought about the future.Even my parents said, Youre still so young.
You should be drinking and having fun.
And I think many people would agree that having fun is synonymous with having a drink in hand.
But my TikTok FYP tells a different story.
Regardless, I reached out to Dr. Amen for his full take.
“Over three decades of brain-imaging work at Amen Clinics shows that alcohol harms the brain.
I love my brain and I only consume foods and beverages that love me back, he says.
But this just shows that the information really makes you think.
I stopped drinking about six years ago.
My all-or-nothing personality shined through when I was puking at weddings (and) blacking out pretty regularly.
In hindsight, (becoming sober) was the biggest, most important decision I have made.
No more hangovers; no stupid/regrettable things said, says Jennifer Conlon-Pavelchak, the Managing Director at MP IMC.
And I deeply relate.
And I dont think Im alone in this.
Theres no stopping this movement.
Even the idea of drinking mindfully is something Ive certainly never practiced or even heard of before.
For more information and support visithttps://findtreatment.gov/
