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I Have Been Sober For 5 years and These Were the Biggest Surprises
Solving my drinking problem was only the beginning
This time five years ago, I was recovering from a hangover/shame festival, felt completely overwhelmed and mad, and was absolutely sick of my life. I was 33, but somehow I didn’t seem capable of learning from my mistakes, and it was infuriating.
Five years on, I have solved most of the problems that I was experiencing then, but that doesn’t mean my life is a trouble-free zone. I am healthier, more content, more creative, and more aware than I was while drinking heavily. But the process of getting sober threw a few unexpected turns in my path too.
In five years my life has changed wholeheartedly, and some of those changes I really did not see coming at all. To celebrate this health anniversary, I have made a list of the biggest surprises.
1. I had some kind of mood disorder or emotional dysregulation
As a kid, I was very cheerful. “Happy-go-lucky” school reports said. This shifted as I got older, but I didn’t pay much attention. I was more concerned with drinking and parties and drugs.
After I got sober, I was immersed in the reality of my strange and changeable moods.
