Freedom

I think a lot about the words moderation and particularly the popular phrase, “everything in moderation.” In my opinion it’s a bullshit phrase. It does not apply to so many things and yet society loves to use it to justify behavior that we feel guilty about, especially alcohol. Society tells us it is fine to drink, as long as we’re drinking moderately. But what does that even mean? Is drinking moderately one glass a night? Three drinks a week? On special occasions? On weekends only?

Many people wish they could just drink moderately. Most of us have that person in our life that can have one or two drinks and stop. Or people who appear to be able to imbibe without it negatively effecting their lives. Those people do exist, but I would argue that there are many “moderate” drinkers that are drinking enough to negatively effect their lives.

Alcohol is a neurotoxin and an addictive drug, so really drinking any amount of alcohol  is not good for your health. I used to want to be a “moderate” drinker. I was even drinking what would be considered moderate for quite some time. But even when drinking a moderate amount, I still felt guilty. I still felt trapped. What bothered me was how frequently I thought about alcohol, how much a part of my life it had become. I wanted to be free.

Now, I have no desire to be a moderate drinker. I love being a non-drinker. I love how much more time I have. I love that I am not poisoning myself. I love that I can enjoy life without chemically altering the way I feel. I love that what I say and do is authentic. I love waking up every day without guilt. I love never feeling sick at my own hands, I love that I’m setting a good example for my son. I love that I longer have to rely on a drug for anything.

When I see people drinking, I don’t feel longing, I feel relief. Relief that I am free from the lie that alcohol has something to offer me.