Hi TJ, I replied to John elsewhere in the thread just explaining how I am able to drink in moderation. I gave up drinking because I was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. I found it really easy, it was the least of my worries. As my radical treatment finished at the end of February, there was no need to avoid alcohol in moderation according to all the health professionals. So I did have the odd drink but I knew that moderation was extremely important. I have actually now stopped drinking completely for the foreseeable future as it is interacting with medication I am on. But I was and am able to have a couple of drinks if I decide to do so and stop there because I know drinking to excess would be so damaging. I know that if I was addicted to alcohol, I would not be able to do this, my drinking was habitual and ingrained in my life but I was so lucky to not have actually had an addiction to it. That didn’t stop it taking over a lot of my life. It’s one powerful substance.

If the author is able to have just one or two on special occasions, she is one of the rare people using alcohol as it is portrayed in the adverts.

Thabi, I’m so sure you are not a failure in any way whatsoever. You have proved that by getting sober – an amazing achievement and the start of a new adventure for you . Already you are doing wonderful things and seeing how much a sober life has to offer and that is inspiring for anyone thinking of doing the same. Thank you for sharing – we can’t change our pasts but we can love our past selves, forgive ourselves, learn from our mistakes and move forward with total self respect. All power to you ❤️

Hi Bell! I think I’d be the same as you if I didn’t have such big health problems to stop me but at the moment I am not drinking at all anyway and I am loving every morning I wake up, hangover free! It is like being a brand new person. Thanks for your lovely words and go you! ❤️

Hi Alison! Well done you! I’m so happy for you. Here’s to living our lives to the absolute fullest xxxx