Sober and Strong: Ashleigh’s Story

My guest this week is Ashleigh who came to a workshop way back in 2018 and has been thriving in her sobriety ever since!

In this Episode

• Ashleigh’s first scrape with alcohol came when she was expelled from school at the age of 15!
• In her 30’s she recognized that there could be a problem when she found herself making lots of rules around her drinking – rules that she promptly broke!
• Her point that she wasn’t a tramp living under a bridge highlighted the fact that society says we are fine until we get to that stage – her family weren’t quite sure why she going alcohol-free
• Ashleigh decided to step off the slippery slope before things got any worse
• She realises that the majority of the people she knows are drinking too much but they don’t even realise
• At the workshop, Ashleigh learned about the toxicity of alcohol and began to join the dots between her constant tiredness and her daily glasses of wine
• At the end of the workshop, she knew it would be pointless committing to “moderation” – she had to go “all in” – she knew she had crossed the line with her drinking and there was no looking back
• She felt confident leaving the workshop – she had her toolkit, some new information and people to connect with – she felt she could do this
• In the beginning she treated herself to hot chocolate, coffee and cake etc – but as time went on she weaned herself off the sweet things – and has now lost 10kgs!
• She talked about the importance of Sober Firsts – the first wedding, the first flight, the baby shower and of course the first time we try sober dancing!
• Ashleigh has experienced many benefits of sobriety – she is certainly less anxious and more confident these days
• So the workshop was a real turning point for Ashleigh – at the age of 43, she has celebrated five years of sobriety and has a completely different future ahead!
• Now that she is more knowledgeable she realises that the majority of the people she knows are drinking too much although they don’t even realise it
• She talks about all the euphemisms we use for hangovers and how no one wants to “let the cat out of the bag” as she puts it
• No one wants to acknowledge that as a society we have an alcohol problem
• Ashleigh fully recognizes that if she hadn’t taken this step she could have been in a very different place in 5 years’ time – alcohol is a very “slippery fish” as she said!

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