I Don’t Have to Get Drunk Anymore

by NLB

38 days ago I quit drinking. Wine was my drink of choice and I was in love with the whole ritual of deciding on a menu, selecting the right wines for every course and talking about the wine as if it were a work of art. That was the interesting part. The boring part was those nights where there was no lovely dinner or nice friends. Most nights, my wife and I would eat crackers and cheese, maybe a bowl of soup and then crawl into a bottle of Chardonnay. Every night for 14 years, save the occasional attempt to get sober, we were drunk. Every morning we would get up and drag ourselves to work, come home and do it all over again. Pretty grim until one day my wife said, “I cannot keep this up. If I don’t stop drinking, I will kill myself.” That night she went to an AA meeting and I stayed home and drank. The next two nights, she went to AA and I stayed home and drank. On the third night, a Sunday night, I went to AA with her and we have both been alcohol free ever since…not a drop.

I went to 4 AA meetings and did not see the fascination. My wife continues to read the Big Book and two daily meditation books from AA, but she stopped the meetings too. I like AA and may go back to ,meetings at some point but for now, feeling healthy and clear headed every morning is enough to keep me sober at night.

I won’t say I will never drink again, but I know I won’t drink tonight and that’s enough for me. In just two hours, I will have 39 days sober.

Kayla Loibl

I am a Mental Health Counselor who is licensed in both New York (LMHC) and North Carolina (LCMHC). I have been working in the Mental Health field since 2015. I have worked in a residential setting, an outpatient program and an inpatient addictions program. I began working in Long Island, NY and then in Guelph, Ontario after moving to Canada. I have since settled in North Carolina. I have experience working with various stages of addiction, depression, anxiety, mood disorders, trauma, stages of life concerns and relationship concerns.

I tend to use a person-centered approach which simply means that I meet you where you are and work collaboratively to help you identify and work towards accomplishing goals. I will often pull from CBT when appropriate. I do encourage use of mindfulness and meditation and practice these skills in my own life. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity and compassion.

I recognize that reaching out for help is hard and commend you for taking the first step. We have professionals available who would be happy to help you move closer to reaching your goals related to your drinking concerns. You may reach these professionals by calling 877-322-2694.