Giving Up

Well my lovely bloglets,

Today 6 years ago I stopped drinking and I have been thinking about everything that I have given up.

Smoking. I loved it. Getting up making that first mug of tea and having a fag. A sore throat at some point led to me to menthol filters. I was a roll up girl but couldn't roll no matter how much I tried so had a rolling tin. And after that sore throat and the discovery of being able to buy menthol filters I never looked back. And it decreased the amount of people who crashed a fag off me by well, 100% really. So that was a massive plus!

And then I stopped. My body hated it. It made me feel sick. My mind loved it. It still does at times. The thought of sitting in the sunshine with a glass of red wine or a pint of cider with a fag. Bliss. But my body was being clever. I gave up officially in the March, had my last drag that New Years Eve and then 19 days later, my cancer diagnosis.

The body tells you everything, if you can just listen.

So booze. I stopped. To start with it was just going to be a few months and then it carried on and now, today, it's been 6 years. I do miss it at times. Especially recently. But I think that's stress. And it's a good job I don't have booze as a go to.

I do miss not having to explain to people that I don't drink. Especially when the other person is slightly pissed and finds someone being in a pub or club sober a terrifying thing...

It's good I don't drink. I was a maniac and not in a good way. Drinking to cope is not a good thing. Getting so shit faced my memory was wiped instantly is not a good thing. Hating myself because booze does not make you a rational person is not a good thing.

I am much happier now that I don't drink. I like me on a night out and more importantly I like me when I get home and when I wake up the next morning.

I have given up a lot over the last 7 and a half years but giving up booze was the best thing. And also, forgive me if I'm not impressed when you don't drink for a month because it's so hard. It isn't. I've done it and continue to do it without asking for regular recognition or money for charity.

So today is an achievement and one I am proud of. Today I will shout about it because I have done what I didn't think was possible and what many can't.

With love and hope,
Me XxX