Rethinking Alcohol: A Personal Invitation to Change
You don’t need a crisis to decide something in your life needs to shift.
For some of us, that realization comes quietly—after months or years of wondering why we don’t feel quite like ourselves. For me, it was a moment of honesty. I looked back at the times when I felt the most alive and grounded, and I saw a pattern: I was drinking little or not at all. And when I looked at the hardest periods of my life, alcohol was often front and center.
That clarity helped me make a choice to build a life without alcohol. It wasn’t a dramatic decision—it was thoughtful, personal, and empowering. I made a simple plan rooted in my values, and I’ve followed it ever since. Life hasn’t been perfect, but it’s been real, peaceful, and far more satisfying.
Curiosity Before Labels
You might be wondering: Is my relationship with alcohol actually a problem?
A helpful starting point is looking at the diagnostic criteria for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). You don’t need to meet all the signs—and there’s no pass/fail. This is just a guide to help you get curious about your patterns.
In the past year, have you:
Drank more or longer than you intended?
Tried to cut down or stop but couldn’t?
Spent a lot of time drinking or recovering from it?
Wanted a drink so badly you couldn’t think of anything else?
Found that drinking interfered with work, home life, or school?
Continued drinking despite it hurting your relationships?
Skipped activities you used to enjoy in favor of drinking?
Taken risks while drinking (like driving or unsafe sex)?
Kept drinking despite feeling depressed or anxious?
Found yourself needing more alcohol to get the same effect?
Experienced withdrawal symptoms when alcohol wore off?
If you answered “yes” to two or more of these, it might be worth talking to someone. Again, this doesn’t mean you’re broken. It just means your relationship with alcohol deserves attention and care.
Why People Choose Change
Some people wait until they’ve hit a breaking point. Others choose change earlier—because they want more from life, not because they’ve “lost everything.” Your turning point is yours to define.
When we get honest with ourselves, we often find more reasons to change than to stay the same. We might ask:
What kind of person do I want to be?
When have I felt the most fulfilled?
What role does alcohol play in my best and worst chapters?
What Help Can Look Like
Support doesn’t have to mean formal treatment—though it can. For me, I started out with SMART Recovery, which offered structure and helped me understand the why behind my choices. Over time, I found my way into Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and built a relationship with a sponsor, which has been invaluable. Whether it’s any one of those pathways, a therapist, or just a trusted friend—what matters most is having someone walk alongside you.
And no matter the path, one theme keeps coming up: mentorship, guidance, and connection help make change possible.
A Simple Plan That Changed My Life
When I finally acknowledged where I wanted my life to go—and compared that to where alcohol was taking me—the decision to step away became obvious. I wasn’t thriving. But I believed I could. So I made a plan, rooted in honesty and values, and started walking toward it. That decision changed everything.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to wait for things to get worse. You don’t need a dramatic bottom. If you’re questioning whether alcohol is serving you, you’re already on the edge of something powerful: awareness.
Start with curiosity. Get honest with yourself. And know this—real change is possible. I’ve lived it, and I’ve seen it in others. There’s a version of your life that feels more peaceful, more present, and more you—and it might be just one decision away.
Want to go deeper?
If you’re not sure where to start, here are some simple next steps:
Reflect on the 11 criteria above and see what resonates.
Journal about a time in your life when you felt fulfilled—and whether alcohol was part of that picture.
Reach out—to a therapist, a group, or someone you trust.
You don’t have to do this alone.
