Quitting alcohol is a heavy decision. So, you’ve reached the end of your road with alcohol. You know in your heart that total abstinence is the only path forward. But damn, that realization hits hard, doesn’t it? It feels heavy. Like a weight settling on your chest that you just can’t shake off.
That weight? It’s grief. Plain and simple.
Quitting alcohol, even when it’s vital, is a kind of death. It’s the ending of a chapter, a farewell to a familiar companion, even if that companion was ultimately causing you harm. It’s like breaking up with your best friend, who was always there through thick and thin, good times and bad. Suddenly, there’s this enormous hole in your life. A void where your trusty bottle used to be. And it feels terrifying. You might wonder, “Will I ever fill this emptiness? Will life ever be good again?”
The initial picture of an alcohol-free life can seem bleak. Empty. Flat. Grey. Devoid of joy, spontaneity, and connection when quitting alcohol.
But hold on. Take a deep breath. Because here’s the truth: feelings are not facts. They are temporary visitors, not permanent residents. They are subjective interpretations of events, coloured by our current state of mind.
And the fantastic thing about feelings? They change.
Just like the seasons, our emotional landscape shifts and evolves. As we move through the grieving process after quitting drinking, our perception changes too. We start to see the world and ourselves in a whole new light.
The weight lifts. The grief subsides. And in its place, a sense of freedom emerges. A lightness of being. A clarity you may have never known before.
Eventually, you can’t even imagine returning to that smaller, limited life you were living—the life where alcohol held the reins in your day-to-day existence.
But first, my friend, you have to honour the mourning period. Allow yourself to feel the sadness, the loss, the fear. Don’t try to bypass it or pretend it’s not there. Embrace it, knowing it’s a necessary step on the journey to something greater.
Because I promise you, it will pass. And it will be so much better on the other side. You can discover an alcohol-free life beyond anything you can imagine right now, filled with joy, connection, and a deep sense of purpose.
This is your journey when quitting alcohol. Take it one day at a time, and trust that brighter days are ahead.
Don’t forget you can listen to our podcasts on all these issues here.
or learn more about our Program here and emotional sobriety here