Sober is the New Black
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley September 28, 2014
Author Rachel Black
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ISBN: 9781495304392
Publisher: Rachel Black
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This is a very brave look at exactly what it takes and the commitment required to be able to ‘kick the habit’, in a world where enjoying a drink, or three, is normal. There is no medical advice, expert theories, homilies or other such support information in the pages, just one woman’s struggle with and efforts to live her life free from alcohol, which makes this a very powerful, reflective look at how she and we, by association in the greater more of things, choose to live our life.
In today’s world enjoying the glass of wine after work has become the norm. Enjoying a glass of wine on the weekends, or more than one glass of wine has also become the norm. Pushed by marketing experts and drilled into us that if you need to relax after a tough day at the office, managing the constant pressure of home, work and family, have a glass of wine and wind down.
It’s become an acceptable part of our culture that whatever we do, or wherever we go to socialise, we drink, more than often to excess, is considered a standard addition to the event.
But when does having a glass of wine move along to the more sinister not being able to get through the day without thinking of, dreaming of or simply desiring the next drink.
In Rachel Blacks case the slow decline into drinking too much took place over a number of years: from social weekend drinks while at University to an occasional glass during the week to several glasses per night to half or more than likely an bottle per night and an excess of alcohol before any social event, night out, work conference, holiday or just anything at all.
A number of attempts to give up had failed and in desperation, after her last cataclysmic round of hangovers, she realised she needed help. In a previous attempt to control and give up her drinking habits she was given some very sound advice, ‘just stop’. To para-phrase, “try it for a while as those habits you are trying to move away from will still be there waiting if you don’t like the sober version of life’.
This time though Rachel was determined to succeed as she realised she was in trouble; Drink was controlling her life, not the other way around. Logging into soberistas.com provided a huge, anonymous support base and so she took the plunge, making the decision to give up alcohol, facing her first challenge as a sober mother and wife as the family took their annual holiday, all found, at a lovey resort in the sun.
This is a very brave look at exactly what it takes and the commitment required to be able to ‘kick the habit’, in a world where enjoying a drink, or three, is normal.
Rachel has laid bare her internal distress at where she was, the effect it had on her, her family, friends and work. She details the daily personal challenges that moving on from such a habit entails; as she puts it, it is a drug: it is bad for you and will or can eventually kill you.
The withdrawal is just as bad as it is for some other forms of ‘drug’ and getting through each day can be hard work. Each successful day is a milestone and then, as the months go by, often the desire to relapse becomes very real. Sometime finding the willpower not to succumb can be very difficult.
There is no medical advice, expert theories, homilies or other such support information in the pages, just one woman’s struggle with and efforts to live her life free from alcohol, which make this a very powerful, reflective look at how she and we, by association in the greater more of things, choose to live our lives.
If your Boss is the demon alcohol and you want to get your life back, take a read of Rachel’s journey as she moves back into control of her life and begins to like the person she has always been, but had hidden under the modern day version of what we all think we need to be, all encouraged by the lifestyle we choose to lead.