Sober as a judge

It’s been almost 3 years since I hung up my booze goggles and opted for the sparkling water over the sparkling white wine. Now it seems normal not-to-drink in the same way it used to feel normal to-drink. Giving up the booze was long overdue for me and has improved my life in many ways but it hasn’t been a magic bullet and I still have a ways-to-go before I’m yoga-ing at sunrise on the beach while doing a juice cleanse and other assorted having-your-life-together inspirations. Here are some things I’ve discovered…

Dry drunk

Not quite as much fun as dry-humping, being a dry drunk means that while someone may have quit drinking, the individual has yet to deal with the emotional baggage that led them to alcohol in the first place. * Drinking is a symptom not a cause of addiction and I’ve found I often try to escape my mood or situation by over-eating food products, over-drinking coffee, over-watching TV and over-scrolling social media. I try to catch myself in this compulsive behaviour (recognise) and channel it into more constructive avenues (respond) like walking, reading and writing. Later I can think about why I was so keen to make the great escape (reflect) and put in protective measures; prep food, enforce coffee curfew, limit screen time, dry hump furniture…

 Let me hear your body talk

When I was drinking, I thought every headache, bad mood and bout of fatigue and forgetfulness could be attributed to being drunk or hungover. Now I know there are numerous other mental, physical and environmental reasons for these; like frustration, PMS, or a full moon. I was lamenting this to my naturopath ‘it’s not fair, I’m not drinking, why do I feel s**t’ and she replied ‘at least now you can hear what your body is telling you and take steps to heal it rather than it being masked by alcohol’. True. It seems to be telling me wild and wacky things like; eat less gluten and dairy, take vitamins, exercise and put your crystals out to recharge in the moonlight. Let’s get into physical…**

Give credit where it’s due

Although life and I aren’t perfect (yet), it’s important to still pat yourself on the back for the positive changes you have made. So, snaps Vettie for sobriety and steps towards a healthier life and just keep swimming.

Here’s cheers to 3 years sober and here’s hoping there’s many more to come.

 Love and light xxx Judge Judy/ Yvette

*The term dry drunk syndrome was originally coined by the creators of the 12-Step program, Alcoholics Anonymous. Author R.J. Solberg defined the term in his 1970 book, The Dry Drunk Syndrome, as “the presence of actions and attitudes that characterized the alcoholic prior to recovery.” https://americanaddictioncenters.org/alcoholism-treatment/dry-drunk

** “Physical” song by Olivia Newton-John

Let’s get physical, physical. I wanna get physical.
Let’s get into physical. Let me hear your body talk, your body talk
Let me hear your body talk