Sober Story: Taking Back Your Authenticity in Sobriety

In this story, Ann, shared the following tips on living an authentic life and maintaining sobriety and the power of authenticity in sobriety.

This post was created for the sober and sober curious looking for relatable, inspiring sober-positive content. The following are Ann’s experiences, words and opinions.

I think alcohol moved me away from myself. The more sober I got, the closer I got to actually being me. The fact that I like myself more made it easier to stay sober. I get to be myself, and myself is not a bad person.

One of the meanings of the word “yoga” is to unite — it takes all these separate parts of you and brings them all together. It unites the parts of you that you thought you lost. When that happens, it’s like a puzzle, and you can clearly see the parts that don’t belong.

For me, booze is not a fit. Yoga and meditation make you more self-aware, helping you see through your own and others’ “bullshit.” When I saw the full picture I could see that alcohol was such a destructive part of my life.

There have been many times where I’ve been resistant to seeing the bad or acknowledging harmful behavior, self-sabotage, or old habits. With sobriety, it becomes harder to ignore those things because you have to face them and feel them. It’s hard, but it’s also a powerful way to catalyze personal growth and change. Choosing to grow and do things differently leads to becoming a new person and reacting differently to the world. Life becomes more manageable.

I used to think I was missing something or that life was just harder for me for some internal reason. Sobriety has taught me that I’ve always had the capacity to know myself and take good care of myself.

If I were to meet a bright, smart person getting sober for the first time, my advice would be — you don’t have to do it on your own.

The opposite of addiction is connection, so seek out company and connection. Loneliness and isolation are the worst because not drinking is easy; the challenge comes from feeling lonely and isolated.

While AA works for some, it doesn’t have to be the only way. If meetings don’t work for you, find your own way. There’s a gray area, and not everyone fits the typical AA model. Don’t do it on your own; reach out for connections every day.