For a brief time in my life, I was an alcoholic. It was not a proud time and it certainly wasn’t a fun party. I would wake up and start drinking alcohol, sneak in either a beer or drinks during lunch, go home and pour another drink until it was time for bed. I guess you could say I had turned into a functional alcoholic as I waited until the weekends to get completely blitzed. Looking back on that time, it’s embarrassing and sad. What pulled me out of it was (a) getting away from people who encouraged my drinking and (b) the 2020 pandemic.
When the lockdowns were happening in Houston, I was alone in my apartment with my bike, record collection and my day job (via online). I had stockpiled liquor and beers and coffee for what we all believed was going to be a brief pause in day-to-day life.
As the days moved on, I began to move away
from drinking alcohol all the time and, instead, focused on reading for work and
riding my bike more. I got to a point
where I didn’t touch any alcohol for two months and I was incredibly proud of
myself because I was moving into a new chapter of being healthy and active
while focusing on important life things such as my sons and my career.
Fast forward to a year later and I can now enjoy a beer or
two without the need for getting hammered.
I’ve learned how to moderate my alcohol consumption to a point where I
know to stop and just enjoy it. I still
don’t drink mixed drinks very much at all… mainly dark beers and, it’s usually
just one.
Having said all that, I will say that I had help and I
highly, highly, highly recommend doing the same if you find that you are also
in that place in life. My therapist gave
me a lot of work to accomplish but also provided me with a safe space to
express what I needed. I sometimes look
back on my alcohol years with regret, but I continue to cognizant of stopping myself and focusing on the road ahead as I
still have so much to discover and learn!
TLDR: I like to chill with a beer every now and then.
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