Welcome to Sober Courage

 

Recovery is a huge part of my life, and the sole reason behind this blog. Getting sober is hard! It takes a great amount of courage to move forward into the unknown, against the grain, against all the odds, against all the social stigma!

Alcohol is everywhere, and you cannot escape it. Yet, if you are like me, and one of the people who cannot drink without getting completely obliterated, then living in a world infused with alcohol can be quite a challenge! But quitting is not the beginning of the problem – it is the end of the problem!

I did not know it then, but my decision to get sober was the beginning of an extraordinary journey that has been both very challenging and intensely rewarding. You see, I think getting sober is just like anything else that you want to accomplish in life; it takes time, determination, and perseverance. Most of all it takes a tremendous amount support from others. Unfortunately, we tend to carry do much so much guilt and shame about our alcohol infused behavior, that most people never find the courage to ask for help. There is also a cruel social stigma and many painful judgments that are placed on people suffering from Alcohol Use Disorder.

So all around, it is a hard place to be – and I get it, if I say that I need help, that means that I am admitting that I cannot handle alcohol! Well guess what! I CANNOT! Yep, I cannot drink safely no matter what. So seriously, it is quite beneficial for everyone around me that I stay sober!

There are many of us – the statistics are staggering! 

Adults (ages 18+): According to the 2019 NSDUH, 14.4 million adults ages 18 and older (5.8 percent of this age group) had AUD. This includes 9.2 million men (7.6 percent of men in this age group) and 5.3 million women (4.1 percent of women in this age group).

Yet:
About 7.9 percent of adults who had AUD in the past year received treatment. This includes 8.0 percent of males and 7.7 percent of females with AUD in this age group.

And:
An estimated 88,000 people (approximately 62,000 men and 26,000 women) die from alcohol-related causes annually, making it the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States.

Also:
In 2019, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities accounted for 10,142 deaths (28.0 percent of overall driving fatalities).

(Source:  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).  2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) )

Life in addiction is a very lonely and difficult place to be, and most of all deadly. However, there IS a solution, there is a way out, and it is Recovery. Of course, I am not a doctor (and I do not play one on TV either LOL), or a therapist, or any licensed individual practicing any medicine. I am however recovering from Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), and I would like to share what I have learned and continue to learn through my sober journey, with you, in hopes that it may help you find your way to recovery!

There are 23 million of people in recovery in the USA alone! (Faces and Voices of Recovery)

So if this is your first 24 hours, or 24 days, or 24 years, WELCOME!

I am glad that you have found me. I would love to join you on this journey to sobriety. I hope that you find this blog helpful! The posts focus on getting sober, challenges of early sobriety, personal growth in sobriety, and dealing with the social stigma associated with Alcohol Use Disorder, and recovery.

Getting sober is not shameful!

I hope you keep coming back, because alone I cannot, but together WE CAN!

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*Problem drinking that becomes severe is given the medical diagnosis of “alcohol use disorder” or AUD. AUD is a chronic relapsing brain disease characterized by compulsive alcohol use, loss of control over alcohol intake, and a negative emotional state when not using (Ref: NIAAA).

Definitions and statistics last updated 8/2022.