The 13 Hardest Things That Happen When You Quit Drinking

Quitting drinking is the best thing I ever did- but it wasn’t easy.

I’ve written about my decision to quit instead of drinking in “moderation.” Quitting drinking entirely challenged me emotionally, socially, and at times had me rethinking my entire life.

I have yet to meet a single person whose life gets worse after quitting drinking. Everyone’s life improves — drastically.

It’s hard to put myself in the shoes of the girl who would drink a half a bottle of wine per night and more on the weekends. But “you don’t know what you don’t know,” as the saying goes.

It took me several tries to finally quit. Like any bad habit, it was once a solution to a problem- the best I could come up with at the time.

It’s very hard to give up something that has acted as a crutch- even when we know it is holding us back. It’s even harder when we give up something chockfull of addictive chemicals, like alcohol.

I was lucky that I didn’t need rehab, medication, or medical intervention to quit drinking. I was able to do it with the help of quit lit, therapy, and community. Still, many of my struggles are shared by…