My Story: How Letting Go of Alcohol Gave Me Back My Life

Let me tell you a story - a story about a woman in her thirties who had it all.
And was doing it all.

A beautiful family. A good marriage. A house with the literal white picket fence.
She ran a successful health and wellness business from home, all while homeschooling her three young daughters - one of whom has special needs. She ate clean. She ran four to five days a week. She took her supplements, checked every box of a “healthy” lifestyle.

So who cared if she had a couple of glasses of wine to unwind at the end of the day?

That glass of wine was her reward. Her break. Her signal that another long day was done.

When “just a couple” becomes something more

But soon, a couple of glasses turned into a few.
And then into a bottle.

She started staying up late after her husband and daughters were asleep - calling it “me time.”
It felt innocent enough: a glass, a show, a soft blanket, and quiet.

Except those nights started happening more often.
And eventually, she realized she loved drinking alone more than almost anything else.

The slow unraveling

As the years went on, life didn’t slow down. Her business grew. The kids got older. The needs got bigger. The running stopped. The first glass came earlier in the day. The extra weight crept on.

She told herself, It’s just a season. Things will calm down. I’ll get back on track.

But they didn’t.
And deep down, she knew it.

Because every morning she’d wake up with that sinking feeling - the one that whispered, something’s not right.

Still, she pushed that voice away. After all, she was a good mom, a loving wife, a hard worker.

Good women don’t lose control… right?

The mirror moment

Until one day, she looked at her reflection and barely recognized herself.

The woman staring back looked tired.
Sad.
Puffy.
Vacant.
Lost.

Her spark was gone. Her confidence was gone. Her peace was gone.

And still, she couldn’t stop.

She asked herself, What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I just drink less? Why can’t I go a few days without it?

But the truth was, nothing was wrong with her.

Alcohol had simply done what alcohol does.
It had crept in quietly, built roots, and taken hold - because that’s what this drug is designed to do.

The turning point

One day, she stopped fighting the truth. She admitted to herself that she didn’t want to live like this anymore - that the price of drinking had become too high.

She didn’t want to wake up full of regret anymore.
She didn’t want to keep wondering how much worse it might get.
She wanted peace.
She wanted to feel proud again.

So she asked for help.

And slowly - one day, one decision, one uncomfortable step at a time - things began to change.

The return to self

She learned how to unwind without alcohol.
How to connect with her husband and friends and kids in real, present ways.
How to sit with her emotions instead of running from them.

She started feeling proud again.
Then peaceful.
Then free.

And one day, she realized she wasn’t surviving anymore - she was living.
Truly, deeply living.

Everything that was good before became better.
Everything that was hard became easier to handle.
And for the first time in years, she liked the woman she saw in the mirror.

Because she did the one thing she never thought she could do.
She quit drinking.

And that changed everything.

This is a story of hope.
Of redemption.
Of freedom.

This is my story.
And maybe, it’s yours too 🖤

xx-

Shannon