A Year Without Alcohol

So some may know that I've stopped drinking. Some may not. And while it's probably a bit strange to discuss a personal issue like this online, it's important to me.

Many people who know me were surprised to hear I made this decision, and almost everyone I discussed this with told me that they "really don't think you have a problem, Joe". Even Megs has said the same thing, the person I'm closest to in the world.

However, the stories just kept adding up, the embarrassment and shame that accompanied so many "the day afters" were too much for my own comfort level. It was just surrounding me and boxing me into a corner that I didn't want to be in.

In my opinion, a lot of it had to do with my surroundings. High School peer pressure, Fraternity peer pressure, Just-Turning-21 peer pressure, Sporting Event peer pressure, work stress, young adult stress, it goes on and on...

I came to the point where alcohol impacted my identity so much, that I didn't like, care about, or respect myself as a person. I cared only about the next rush. Yet I don't think my issues with alcohol were a physical addiction as much as they were a mental one. It was always more of a stress relief valve. I didn't develop healthy coping mechanisms for the pressure I was putting on myself.

I'm not mentioning this because I'm suggesting it's the right thing for everyone to do. It was just the right thing for me to do. Everyone I know who reads this blog still drinks, so I certainly don't want to be a downer here. I just don't want everyone to think I'm not comfortable with my decision. I am.

My life has improved more than I ever expected since I have made this choice, and it's amazing to see the impacts such a behavioral change can make. If any of you need any support from me, for any type of personal matter, please know I'm there - - willing to help and provide a perspective that's sensitive to the challenges of others.

The best part - - giving it up really wasn't hard to do.