SANS ALCOHOL

SANS ALCOHOL

A person dancing under a disco ball with yellow lighting and reflections on the ceiling, party atmosphere.
A girl jumping from a blue sofa onto another blue sofa in a luxurious living room with gold patterned wallpaper, mirrors, a chandelier, and a table with a lamp and picture frames.

STRAIGHT EDGE TRACK RECORD

12.3.2023

Multiple disco balls hanging from a ceiling, reflecting colorful lights across a space filled with tiny LED lights that resemble stars.

AN ALCOHOLIC’S

TIMELINE

DECIDE I’M NOT AWESOME, LIFESTYLE

  1. DECIDE BOOZE WILL MAKE ME AWESOME

  2. DRINK LIKE A FCKNG ANIMAL

    1. (IN ORDER TO HAVE AN AWESOME LIFE, BE AWESOME, ETC)

      ITS AWESOME

  3. DRINK LIKE A FCKNG ANIMAL

    1. ITS LESS AWESOME

  4. DRINK LIKE U

    1. ITS BEEN A MINUTE, YOU NOW KNOW ALCOHOL INTIMATLY

      1. OK FIRST OF ALL YOURE NOT DRINKING LIKE AN ANIMAL, THIS IS JUST HOW U DRINK LOL

      2. ITS LITERALLY CAUSING PROBLEMS

      3. OK BUT THIS IS LIFESTYLE

Two women dressed as swans with large swan headpieces arm wrestling at a table.
A photo of a theatrical stage set with red curtains and ornate decorations, placed outdoors in a field of colorful flowers under a partly cloudy sky, with two swan sculptures on the stage.

HAVE PROBLEMS, LIFESTYLE

  1. GET ANNOYING

  2. UR ANNOYING URSELF AND OTHER PEOPLE WITH YOUR PROBLEMS. GREAT JOB

  3. DECIDE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS (NOT BOOZE)

    1. TRY TO BECOME AWESOME AGAIN, THE ORIGINAL GOAL

    2. HOW DID WE LOSE SIGHT OF THE ORIGINAL GOAL? WHAT HAVE WE BEEN DOING? ASSESS

      1. WE HAVE BEEN DRINKING A LOT, HAVEN’T WE? SO IS EVERYONE ELSE!

      2. OK MAYBE NOT AS MUCH AS ME BUT I AM AWESOME AND BOOZE IS AWESOME

      3. CORRECTION: I AM ANNOYING AND MY LIFE IS ANNOYING, REASSESS:

    3. FACTUALLY, BOOZE BECAME LESS AWESOME, BUT ITS JUST BOOZE. LETS NOT FOCUS ON BOOZE. WE CAN FIX IT AND KEEP BOOZE

    4. ITS HARD TO NOT FOCUS ON BOOZE. ITS A BIG PART OF OUR LIVES

    5. AND ITS ALWAYS TIED TO PROBLEMS

  4. REALIZE DRINKING IS THE PROBLEM

    Fuuuuck lol

    CAN WE EXPERIMENT AND ARGUE HERE FOR A BIT?

A girl standing outdoors during daytime, holding a large, decorative, fake strawberry in front of her. The background shows a field with greenery and power lines in the distance.
Street sign with graffiti depicting three stylized, black stick figures, one sitting on a stool with a drink, and the other two standing and walking, against a white horizontal bar background.

GET SOBER, LIFESTYLE

*WHAT WORKED FOR ME

  1. DECIDE HOW MUCH I WANNA ATTEND ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS MEETINGS

  2. PICK AND CHOOSE ASPECTS OF AA THAT I WANT TO ADOPT INTO MY LIFE

  3. NOTICE MY LIFE GET BIGGER WITHOUT ALCOHOL

  4. REAFFIRM I SPENT A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY ON DRINKING / BEING HUNGOVER

  5. RE-LEARN WHAT I LIKE TO DO, FILL MY NEW TIME WITH THAT

  6. REALIZE MY LIFE IS WORTH LIVING

  7. FACE OBSTACLES HEAD ON WITHOUT ALCOHOL, LIFE IS STILL LIFE

  8. BE LESS MISERABLE OVERALL, MAKING SOBRIETY WORTH IT

  9. ATTEND THINGS SOBER, GET COMPLIMENTS FOR YOUR SOBRIETY, HAVE A SUPERIORITY COMPLEX, START BEING A TOTAL D-BAG ABOUT HOW YOU’RE SO MUCH BETTER THAN EVERYONE (JK)

  10. BE OPEN AND HONEST ABOUT THE UPS AND DOWNS OF SOBRIETY AND DRINKING, INFORM PEOPLE OF MY JOURNEY SO THEY CAN MAKE EDUCATED DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES WHEN IT COMES TO #LIFESTYLE

Two people sitting on a window sill of a blue building with gingerbread-style trim at sunset, with neighboring red building visible.
Colorful circus tents with string lights set up in a city street at night, surrounded by tall historic buildings.

SOBER LIFESTYLE

I started making content after getting sober. Which brings us here. I have more execution when I’m not focusing 100% of my energy on planning where I’ll be drinking each weekend.

Like, I was always creative, but drinking took priority,

Without my #1 priority, and most favorite activity for socializing, spending time, etc. I naturally had to find ways to spend my time.

I noticed I had a LOT more time. It was exciting and a little scary, cos I had like, 0 hobbies.

Now I do have hobbies. There are a lot of things I really really enjoy doing.

For the first time in my life I feel comfortable and happy being alone. I prefer it even, so I can spend more time doing things I love. This replaced my love for alcohol. It is a much healthier relationship.

This looks different for everyone, of course.

SOBER LIFESTYLE, cont.

Things feel better. Things are easier.

Mental clarity feels good.

I see things more clearly. I am more excited about details. I am a better observer. I am a reliable narrator. I am more helpful. It makes it easier to like things when I feel this way. I want to be present.

Looking in the mirror and seeing clear skin & no under eye bags feels good.

It’s easier to like myself.

Being with people I love feels good. Whether it’s at a party or in a bar, or if we are just spending time doing whatever. My non-alcoholic still-drinking friends actually like to spend time doing whatever. Which is new, cos I mostly preferred to hangout with them in bars.

Some of my drinking-buddies turned out to be my real friends. I found out some of my friends were just drinking buddies all along. This is a good thing to learn.

Life is still life. I still get down and bad things still happen. I am much better at handling everything when I am not shaking and hungover.

I have a lot less dread.

Like I said, things are easier.

A small white bar stand with a red 'BAR' sign on top, situated on sandy dunes. A woman sits on a red stool, and two people are standing nearby, one behind the counter and another leaning against it.

SOBRIETY TIMELINE (SUMMARY)

  1. ASSESS THE SITUATION

  2. UNDERSTAND YOU CANNOT KEEP BOOZE AND ALSO BE AWESOME

  3. DECIDE YOU CARE MORE ABOUT BEING AWESOME THAN BOOZING

  4. STOP DRINKING

  5. DO THINGS TO MAKE YOUR SOBER LIFE MORE AWESOME THAN YOUR BOOZING LIFE

  6. ENJOY AN EASIER, BETTER LIFE.

    *AFTER YOU DO THE HARD THING, OF COURSE (GETTING SOBER)

RESOURCES

STRAIGHT UP, NO CHASER.

SOBRIETY POD ON SPOTIFY & APPLE MUSIC.

i CO-HOSTED THE FIRST FEW EPISODES OF THIS. IM SURE THERE ARE OTHERS TOO.

A colorful, ornate circus tent set up outdoors near a pond with a white swan swimming in it. The tent has red, purple, and gold fabric with decorative drapes, and there are chairs and cushions nearby.

RESOURCES

SOBER COMMUNITIES

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

IT’S KINDA LIKE A SECRET SOCIETY

GO TO A MEETING AND FIND OUT ABOUT IT

MEETING GUIDE APP

** ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION IS A PERSONAL CHOICE

LIKE PERSONALLY i LIKE AA MEETINGS ON AN AS-NEEDED BASIS. SOMETIMES I GO MORE. LIKE EVERYDAY. SOMETIMES I DON’T GO AT ALL FOR MONTHS. I ATTEND AS I FEEL I NEED IT. I LIKE BELONGING TO COMMUNITIES

A round cafe table set for breakfast with croissants, coffee, water, salt and pepper shakers, and menus, seen from above.
Red post office box on a black stand on grassy dunes by the ocean with cloudy sky.

QUESTIONS ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE WITH SOBRIETY? ASK AWAY.