"Sometimes you can only find heaven by slowly backing away from hell" -Carrie Fisher "I think I'm in trouble. I'm drinking every single day and I'm not sure I can stop" My doctor looked at me with her kind and insightful eyes. She's known me since I was 3 months pregnant with my first child- that's 14 years of caring for my family's medical needs. She was supportive when a few years earlier, I dissolved into tears in her office and finally admitted that my mind had been taken over by terrifying intrusive thoughts. That I was scared and jumpy all the time. That I had a neverending sense of doom, certain that my life was more than I deserved and the other shoe would drop at any moment. She was calm, reassuring and offered me help in the form of a referral and some medication. Coming to her as a messy mom again , someone who wasn't coping the way I thought I should be was no small feat. I felt humiliated. By the time I sat in her exa
"Sobriety was the best gift I ever gave myself"- Rob Lowe Well, here I am. I've swerved the booze bitch, who lives in my mind, for the past 100 days. I'm proud of myself and that's a wonderful feeling. This started as a "dry month" for me, just a chance to get curious about myself and how alcohol was or wasn't effecting my life. I'd expected that when the 30 days was up, I'd pat myself on the back and reward myself with a glass of wine. I'd never bargained for what actually happened. I felt good. I was sleeping so well, my digestion was so much better, my mood felt more calm and stable and I had the sense that I was just on the cusp of learning who I am and what I actually need from my time on this planet. So, I decided I'd do another 30 days to see what else I could learn about alcohol, the alcohol industry, women and addiction and, most importantly, my whole self. When I started my first 30 days, I downloaded an app on my phone to