I wanted to go sober for a decade before I actually did it and part of the reason was the overwhelming feeling that I would be missing out if I stopped drinking alcohol.
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I am on a mission to spread the word that sober is certainly not boring, in fact far from missing out on anything, you are free to truly enjoy life.
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I was a nearly nightly bottle of wine drinker and had been since my 20's. When I became a mother, the pressure to cope with motherhood with 'wine o'clock' increased and it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to turn to a glass of wine or two (or three) at the end of the day to cope.
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In my day job, I am a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist and Hypnotherapist and so I was finding a real incongruence with the advice I was giving other people and yet struggling myself behind closed doors.
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BENEFITS OF SOBRIETY
I didn’t think alcohol was affecting my health, in fact I’d even brag I didn’t get hangovers. I was so wrong and completely in denial.
I could go on and on about all the benefits of sobriety but here are the main things I’ve noticed…
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3 stone 6 lb weight loss
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resting heart rate 10bpm lower
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visceral fat down 4 points (internal)
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rosacea cleared up completely
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no IBS flare ups AT ALL
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no unexplained bruising
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no mysterious aching in my mid and lower back
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quality of sleep improved (tracked on Apple Watch)
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cardio fitness vastly improved
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hair is thicker and no longer falls out or snaps off
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eyes are brighter
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no bloating or water retention
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improved mental health
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reduced anxiety
MY STORY
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​In October 2022 I couldn't ignore my desire to go sober any longer and I began my sober journey. It wasn't a straightforward path though. Despite having all the tools I use in my clinic with other people and habit change I couldn't seem to get sobriety to stick.
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I ended up stuck in a resetting loop for a couple of months and my mental health really suffered in that time.
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It finally clicked for me and I worked out why I'd been sabotaging myself. I made the necessary mindset shifts and understood the blocks that I'd been placing in my way.
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That was when I pieced together my experience in early sobriety and wrote a book to document it, alongside the tools and techniques that I use with clients in therapy to help with habit change and intrusive thoughts. This is now also available on Audible.
I now support people all over the world in 1-2-1 therapy sessions to challenge those negative beliefs when wanting to go sober and have created online hypnotherapy recordings and courses for those who want to do it for themselves. I also host the Sober Rebel podcast where I interview my guests about the many benefits they've also experienced in sobriety. It is the best decision you'll ever make.
CLAIRE
"When I approached Louisa for support I was in a really bad place and nothing made sense. Despite being successful career wise and seemingly holding family and work life together, I was in mess mentally . Louisa is kind and caring. She approached the each session professionally and with care. Louisa introduced me to a number of techniques which has supported the talking therapy. I’m am not finished yet in my journey to find myself again, Louisa has helped me see new horizons and feel more secure in my path by giving me skills to take away and use myself, whilst supporting me through the wobbles. I could not recommend her highly enough. If you are in difficulty, even if you think you should be able to handle it yourself, I would definitely try support from Louisa - you will not regret it."