My Therapist Helped Me Own My Decision to Get Sober

Our conversation helped me stop over-explaining my choice.

Photo by virginia lackinger on Unsplash

I’ve been sober for six years now, and I no longer get defensive about my sobriety. But for the first few years, I felt pressure to prove my drinking was really bad. Like I needed permission to quit from the drinker’s club. And I needed approval from my new pals in AA. 

I dreaded people telling me that my drinking wasn’t that bad, because it was that bad for me. More than anything, I wanted my choice to be validated. And so I focused on how awful it was, in order that people would understand.

If they were drinkers, I had to work really hard since there was no way they were quitting. It could be exhausting. And looking back, it shows exactly how messed up my relationship with drinking was. So how did I let go of all this neurosis around my choice to get sober?

A conversation with my therapist when I was around four years sober was pivotal, and I’m sharing it here in case it helps you feel more comfortable about your choices.