I was an alcoholic and abused pills while suffering from depression and anxiety for 25 years. It nearly killed me.…

I was an alcoholic and abused pills while suffering from depression and anxiety for 25 years. It nearly killed me. I’ve been sober for exactly 4 years today. Here are 10 personal observations about getting fully sober (1/12) 🧵

It was about the 500th attempt I’d made to get sober that finally worked after ending up in ICU. If you’ve failed over and over and are in a cycle of hope and regret don’t stop trying. I was 41 years old when I finally cracked it. Dont stop trying (2/12)

Your circle of friends and who you hang out with will change. In some many cases it HAS to change. If you hang around with people you only know from drinking or are addicts themselves you’ll probably fail. The people you surround yourself with make all the difference (3/12)

This is the hard one… tell people you suffer or are an addict. You will be blown away by how supportive and considerate people are. You’ll soon see telling people is not a weakness but a strength. (4/12)

Cut out your triggers ruthlessly. You can easily figure out what they are. One of mine was watching live sports especially in bars. I would still like to do that but I now know I can’t. The temptation is too big. Find them and cut them out (5/12)

Moderation won’t work. I tried so many rules… 🍺 Only drink beer nothing stronger 📅 3 months off booze 🍷 1 glass of red a night Etc etc If you are going to quit for real then that means everything. No half measures. (6/12)

The hardest of all… admitting it to yourself. It took this hospital bed and staring death in the face for me to do it. You have to look in a mirror and say “I’m an alcoholic or addict and i’m done”. It can’t come from elsewhere. You have to fully admit it (7/12)

Find something you love doing. For me it was helping dogs. It could be swimming, painting, playing football or building a boat. Whatever it is you need a new activity. Your mind will be busy trying to trick you back to the old ways so get busy (8/12)

Ask for help. It can often feel like a problem to face alone. But a problem shared is a problem halved. It might be a partner, work colleague or old school friend. People will surprise you. Professional programmes are also everywhere. They work (9/12)

You don’t have to start today. It’s the coldest time of year for many, the expectation is huge and most people will be broke and miserable in Jan. You could just as easily start on a warm Friday afternoon in May. This is going to be for life so just start when you can (10/12)

You will become the best version of yourself. I used to drink until 3 am and sleep all day ignoring people and being selfish. Only thinking about my next drink. You can become dependable, reliable and put others first. It feels really nice (11/12)

It won’t be easy. But it will be worth it I promise. You’ll have… ⏰ All the time in the world 💵 Save lots of money 🥰 Make incredible friends 🧠 Be healthy +have mental clarity There are 100s of other benefits. It’s a life changer. I hope you can do it too 🙏🥰 (12/12)

I share my life openly and saving the street dogs on my insta… instagram.com/niall.harbison Follow there much appreciated 🥰🙏