The Truth About Why I Quit Alcohol | 4 YEARS SOBER

Well ... this is terrifying. I've not been scared to press 'upload' in what feels like ... years!? BLERGHHHH BEING VULNERABLE IS BLERGHHHH. But every time I open up I receive the most incredible messages and comments from people who LITERALLY change their actions for the better and it makes the terror worth it. So worth it. If you're going through this, I SEE YOU <3

Alcohol and cigarettes addiction actually destroyed my life. I could remember several years ago after divorce with my wife which brought me into my disastrous journey on Alcohol and cigarettes. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Got diagnosed with cptsd. Not until a friend recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 8 years totally clean. Much respect to mother nature the great magic shrooms.

Whenever someone breaks free from the trap of alcohol, the world gets a little bit brighter. 🌞 In the USA, alcohol culture (and drug culture in general) is holding us back. If we were to stop drinking ourselves into oblivion, just think of what we could accomplish.

I've never been one to drink because of my mother. Your story sounds similar to hers but she never really quit. Thank you for doing what my mother couldn't. Your kids will never know the pain that I experienced and I hope they never have to understand the gratitude your family, friends, and followers like me have towards you. They will see a mom that cares more about herself and her family, no matter how difficult it may be, and that is a gift not all of us were able to receive. Congradulations on 4 years sober! Thats a HUGE accomplishment and I hope you are very proud of yourself! <3

2 years of no alcohol today. Without a doubt the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. 🙂👍🏻

Alcohol addiction actually destroyed my life for over 26 years. Also suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Not until my wife recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 6 years totally clean. Never thought I would be saying this about mushrooms.

One day I woke up wanting to die, full of shame and regret after a night of drinking once again. That same day I found your 'six months sober' video and it made me feel like I wasn't the only one struggling with this. It's been over two years without a drink and I'm happier than I've ever been. Thank you so much for having the courage to be this vulnerable! You have no idea of how many lives you've changed. Cheers from Argentina.

Congratulations Melanie 💚💚 i remember the time you quit and i can't believe it's been 4 years that's a huge accomplishment.

I've been a person I didn't recognize while drinking, and I had some similarly horrifying moments where I had to really come to grips with the idea that "If this continues much longer it's not going to be out of character for me anymore... and I don't like that character I'm playing here.," and since then I've dramatically decreased my drinking to almost nothing, maybe a drink in 6 months. I honestly feel so much better all around.

I congratulate you for getting sober while you're young. I wish I could go back in time and unhurt all the people I hurt. 12 years sober now. I hate the memory of who I was then.

When I decided to quit drinking I went in search of people on YouTube that quit for the reasons I did. I found one. You. I watched your videos about drinking often as I needed initial support. 18 months later I don't even think about it and it's the best decision I ever made. Thank you for being there. I'll share my own story when I am ready. It takes time to process and we don't often know ourselves as well as we think and I am still learning.

I live in Newfoundland, Canada and it has a very Irish history and the drinking "culture" that comes with it is no joke. Just rampant alcoholism. I've struggled with this for years and like you, I've chosen my future self and my little family over "fun". The fun wasn't always fun, but it was almost always a persona I put on to feel interesting and cool. I also would let my jealousy or horrid feelings bubble to the surface. It would turn me into a menace. I would say and do things that sober me could not imagine doing. It is scary to be in it. You could not pay me to go back to my 20's and re-live it. I'm glad you briefly mentioned shadow work because I've found it so helpful as well. You can run and run but eventually, you will catch up to yourself. This video spoke to me on such a deep level. I never comment on anything but I felt compelled to say thank you for this video. Thank you for being open and so vulnerable. I imagine it cannot be easy to pour your heart out online. Your presence on here is breath of fresh air and I appreciate your content, especially these last few years. Much love from Newfoundland, CA.

This was so moving. Thank you for the vulnerability. You sounded so nervous and it just even further emphasized how much that life-style hurt and embarrassed you. My own experiences with alcohol are beyond awful. It started with my dad, getting drunk and pacing atound and yelling all the things he couldn't say to people at work, for hours at night. I was 5 or 7 the first time he called me downstairs to smell his breath to see if i could smell the alcohol - which i had no idea what it was so why he thought id be able to answer the question?? Then hed ask me if he was slurring his words. Also had no fking idea what that meant. He'd be speaking very slowly and over emphasized to compensate so in hindsight yeah, it was very obvious. But back then i had no idea. I was scared by his yellow, scared by the questions, and scared by how long the whole process would last before he went to bed. Hours, usually. I tried to play therapist to him on those nights, to try and stop him from feeling so angry and sad, because he was my dad. I didnt want my dad to be obviously feeling so negative. Id be trying to keep my younger brother from coming down, or hearing what was going on. I got told i was so helpful after spending hours trying to fix this problem i didnt understand, only to have to start over again the nexr night. My first significant relationship was 13 years long. He was an alcoholic years before i met him, started at 13. In his area of Louisiana, thats normal. It never stopped. The abuse during that 13 years went from mild to extreme. And the pressure to drink with him so he wasnt drinking alone, was intense. I didnt give in until i thought, what if i drank and acted towards him how he acts towards me? Hes not listening when i tell him anymore. Maybe if he sees it from the other side, he will understand. Terrible idea. Absolutely did not work. I spent several years feeling constantly sick and even more unloved. Even the smell of walking in a liquor store now triggers my gag reflex. My current relationship, and father to my child, limits himself to 1-2 drinks in a night, a few times a year. He asks me first if I'm ok. Theres been times where i am and say yes, and times where i wasnt and said no. Hes always respected my answer and never been upset. He doesn't change how he acts after a drink. He doesn't drink while our child is awake. He never pressures me to drink. For the first time ever in my life, alcohol isnt the goal for the adult i live with. Its never used against me. It doesn't disturb my peace. Money in our tight budget isnt spent on alcohol instead of bills or food. Im never in a moving vehicle with an angry drunk driver. Ive cried so many times, from the sheer relief of it all. I dont think alcohol is the problem, any more than i think guns or cars are the problem. The problem is the people using objects as an excuse for bad behavior and believing that automatically justifies their selfish, abusive, angry sides, instead of trying to fix those parts of them. But i cant stress enough how much of life alcohol has damaged, or how much safer and happier i am without it in my life.

I came to subscribe to your channel because of your earlier quitting alcohol videos. Good to hear you're still feeling confident about your decision, and hopefully you know how much videos like this help people who find them. You don't really go searching for videos on issues like this on youtube unless things have gotten pretty bad, and then when you find others sharing their stories, it can be like a lifeline.

Melanie, thank you for being so vulnerable in this video, it must not have been easy and it will sure have a positive impact on a lot of people. I can't say that I ever had a drinking problem, because I was always afraid of not being fully conscious in places that maybe I don't know so well or with people that I have just met/don't really know, I had a few friends going through this unconsciousness after drinking and it always scared the life out of me. I am so proud of you for how far you have come! I would love to hear more about transactional analysis and shadow work, if you would like to have them as topics in future videos. And going back to the more shallow side of me, I would really love to hear your skincare routine, because you are absolutely glowing.

I have appreciated every sobriety video you’ve put out. I know you don’t know me, but I am so incredibly proud of you Melanie. You’re doing something that so many people struggle their whole lives to do, and you’re gracious enough to share it all. I unfortunately grew up with an alcoholic mother who I absolutely love but will never be sober and experience that freedom. You get to be a wonderful sober mom to your kids and they are so blessed for that ❤

I am sure your husband and kids are super proud of you, I know I am!! Look at you now, I have been watching you for years and you've grown so much, you're building your dream life. I'm so happy for you Melanie 💚

So proud of you! The “drinking with all guys so then you end up drinking more than your body can handle” and the “things coming out explosively when you’re drunk because you’re suppressing your feelings about them when you’re sober” parts really spoke to me. I haven’t quit drinking, but I have a much better relationship with it now. And more than anything, I’ve made changes in my life so that I’m not repressing things in the first place. I’ve followed you for years now and it’s always so helpful to hear people share their stories and experiences. Thank you for being vulnerable on the internet, it can’t be easy but it helps so many of us feel less alone in the world and in our own journeys!

Thank you for this video. It means a lot to have someone share their experiences. I'm 21 and I always knew drinking wasn't for me and all the negatives but going to university pressured me to drink. I don't drink half as much as many students I know but it's comforting to know that cutting down has had many benefits and I feel more like myself and not pretending to be someone I'm not with the additional confidence that drinking gave me. I still drink occasionally but I'm much more mindful than I was when I first started. Better to cut it out early in life than later but doing this now has really opened my eyes to how much we rely on drinking at social gatherings

So amazing Melanie I was tearing up watching this. I remember when you gave up drink. You should be nothing but extremely extremely proud of yourself for making this hard decision for something you have always wanted and you totally deserve a loving stable home. So so happy for you stay strong ♥️♥️♥️