Friday marked 1 year sober from alcohol for me. I’ve been thinking a lot about how life has changed over the year. Last year I was in a very rough place mentally and emotionally. I wasn’t happy at my job I was binge drinking on the weekends and then suffering from hanxiety and repeating that cycle every week. I was angry and frustrated but not able to talk to anyone about it. At first I thought I’ll get 10 days sober to sort of get my shit together and I’d somehow be able to moderate. What a joke. The more time I was sober the more I realized that I needed to be sober. It’s actually scary to think of how messed up my thinking was back then. And I know one drink will eventually take me back there and maybe I won’t be able to get myself out. Since getting sober I have gotten a new job that I love. I have been regularly meditating. I have really poured myself into yoga to the point where I’m now taking yoga teacher training. My relationships are so much better. I’m working on myself: forgiveness, self compassion, healthy boundaries, better communication, practicing gratitude, letting go of perfectionism. It’s not easy. I don’t want to drink ever again but the personal growth is sometimes messy and uncomfortable. My friends are generally supportive but sometimes I get little jabs like, when you drink again we could do this. As if you need alcohol for anything. I’ve had so many compliments about how I look. Anyone starting your journey, it can feel scary and impossible but it is 100% worth it. I’ll take a bad sober day over a good drinking day every time. I feel free, I’m not doing alcoholic math in my head (how many glasses have I had, how many are left, how many do I get), that feeling when you wake up not remembering what you said or did, worrying if anyone is mad at you, the hangovers and wasted days. I experience everything fully (good and bad) without alcohol erasing the hard edges. It’s a good place to be. I’m looking forward to what happens next, continuing to grow and understand myself better. Thank you to this community. You helped me through some really difficult times especially at the start of my sobriety journey. 
Woo hoo! Congratulations on a full trip around the sun sober!
Man that was so beautifully stated. I’m proud of you for making it to a year, that’s literally phenomenal. I look forward to reaching that time in as well! Great job not cracking under pressure!
Way to go Holly - Congrats on your 1 year of freedom and a new healthier life!
Great work!!
It is good to visualise pros of beeing sober. Every time i got rough time I try to get simple comparison of my drunk life and my sober life. Longer I was clean it was easier to see that even shitty day of beeing sober is better than good day beeing drunk becouse i am aware of what is going on around me.
I wish you next 24 hours!
Congrats on a year of sobriety and thank you for sharing your experience and hope @Hollieberry
Very happy for you!! Thank you for taking the time to share your reflections with the community. It’s an incredible journey.
Holly, what a beauty share! Thank you for inspiring me to keep going🙏
Congrats!! 1 year is amazing and it feels great doesn’t it? Thank you for sharing with us! 