Caryn G | 05th August 2024 | Health

Welcome to Join Sober: Your Guide to Thriving in an Alcohol-Infused World Welcome to Join Sober! If you have ever felt like you are swimming upstream in a culture completely obsessed with drinking, you are in the exact right place. This website is your dedicated sanctuary—a space filled with raw, unfiltered, and life-changing Quit Lit designed to help you reclaim your power, break free from the trap of alcohol, and finally start living the life you aspire to. Whether you are here because you are starting to question your relationship with alcohol, looking for actionable ways to stop, or seeking a massive upgrade in your personal growth, sobriety and happiness are closer than you think. It’s time to join the Sober Revolution. What You’ll Find on Join Sober To help you navigate your journey, our articles are grouped by exactly how you are feeling and what you need right now. Dive into our core pillars to get started: 1. Brutal Truths for the Sober Curious Before you can change your habits, you have to smash through the denial. In this section, we dive into the unvarnished realities of alcohol. We explore the profound impacts of drinking on your Physical Health—from disrupted sleep to toxic inflammation—as well as the deep Mental Health & Psychology of addiction, exposing the chemical anxiety ("hangxiety") and dopamine crashes that alcohol leaves in its wake. If you are ready to see alcohol for what it truly is, start here. 2. Strategies to Quit When you are ready to put down the glass, you don't need vague inspiration—you need practical, real-world tactics. This section is packed with actionable roadmaps and immediate coping mechanisms to help you survive the early days, set firm boundaries, and take back control of your life. 👉 Get started right now: [3 Essential Quit Drinking Strategies for Self-Medicating With Alcohol] 3. Dealing with Failure & Setbacks Let's be completely honest: recovery is rarely a straight line. If you have stumbled, relapsed, or felt the crushing weight of falling off the wagon, you are not alone, and you have nothing to be ashamed of. This corner of the site focuses heavily on emotional resilience and Self-Improvement. We unpack the psychological traps of shame and give you the tools to treat yourself with compassion, dust yourself off, and turn a setback into a setup for long-term success. 4. Life After Alcohol Sobriety isn't about deprivation; it's about absolute freedom. Here, we celebrate the incredible rewards of long-term sober living. We talk about navigating Sober Relationships, handling peer pressure at social events, finding your true identity, and building a meaningful life that you don't feel the need to escape from. 👉 See what's waiting for you: [1 Thing You Notice Once You Stop Drinking] Shift Your Mindset & Take the First Step The hardest part of giving up alcohol isn't changing what is in your glass—it’s changing how you think. If you want to successfully quit drinking for good, you have to stop viewing sobriety as a punishment and start viewing it as the ultimate promotion. 👉 Read our guide on how to flip the switch: [Use This Mindset Shift If You Want to Quit Drinking] Your sober journey begins the moment you decide you've had enough of living in a fog. Explore our Quit Lit, find the stage that matches your heart today, and let's build your alcohol-free dream life together. 🚀  Join The Sober Revolution Here                ...

Caryn G | 17th August 2022 | Self-Improvement

“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” -Paulo Coelho There are many reasons why you might decide to cut back or quit drinking. You might want freedom of choice so you can control what you put into your body because you’re working on improving your health & fitness levels. Maybe you crave financial freedom, which means you need to stop wasting your money on booze and put it into your savings or start that business you always dreamed of. If you’re creative, maybe you’ve figured out that if you cut back on mindless drinking time, you would have more time-freedom to turn your dream into reality. Whatever your motivating factor is, you’re going to need some inspiration to keep you on track to achieve your goal. So let’s dive into some great inspirational quotes from people who know what it’s like to face challenges and succeed. “You are never too old to set new goals or to dream a new dream.” - C.S.Lewis It’s never too late to make a change in your life. I was 59 when I finally quit drinking and my friend was 73. We both had decades of alcohol history under our belt. We were masters in the f**cked up art of drinking. If you’re ready to quit drinking, you’re ready to quit! Young or old, age makes no difference. Prioritise your freedom and take your first step by making a decision to improve your health, wealth, & freedom of choice today. “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” -Steve Jobs Find something that inspires you and use it as motivation to quit drinking. Look for something to fall in love with. This can be anything from jigsaw puzzles to skydiving. When you are engrossed in something you love, your desire for the booze fades. This is also a good time to fall in love with yourself. Recently, I attended a Wildfit coaching call. We were discussing the need to take care of our mind and body. One attendee explained it beautifully when she said, “Selfish is the new unselfish!” So get selfish and fall in love with yourself and life. If you’re passionate about something, then it will be easier to stay committed to quitting alcohol. So find your passion and use it to fuel your motivation! Get passionate about your new life, fall in love with yourself & picture the new you one year from now. Healthy, happy, sober! “The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.” -Ernest Hemingway This is a big one. At some level, you probably don’t trust yourself. Maybe you don’t trust yourself to stay sober. Maybe you don’t trust yourself to make the right decisions in life. This is common amongst drinkers. We often start drinking out of a sense of lack, so it’s not surprising we don’t trust ourselves completely. Trust is built and not manufactured. Start building trust in yourself by taking baby steps. One small wise decision at a time, like a fresh homemade green vegetable juice before you go out to drink and a glass of water between drinks. Remember, the only failure is the failure to try. Everything else is market research. So trust yourself and believe in your ability to change your circumstances, your habits and your life.The more practice you get making wise choices, the better you become. In the future, you will look back and you won’t even recognise the person you are now. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” -Winston Churchill For most people, cutting back on the booze or quitting alcohol is a journey. Some people are lucky, they can make the decision to stop and give up the next day. There is no journey. They just teleport themselves into the future and adopt their future personality. People who do this often have the ability to make clear decisions in other areas of their life too. So when it comes to booze, they can make a clear distinction between the old self and the new, improved non-drinki...

Caryn G | 08th August 2022 | psychology

Have you ever wondered why some people can quit drinking easily whilst for others it seems impossible?   There is a lot of debate surrounding the topic of alcohol addiction and whether it should be classified as a disease. Some people believe that alcoholism is a result of genetics or other outside factors, while others insist that it is a choice that individuals make. What if it’s neither? What if you’ve been conditioned and brainwashed into drinking and the only way you can stop or cut down is if you change your programming? I know many of you are thinking I am some sort of nutter right now. But hear me out. In this article, we will explore both sides of the argument and come to our own conclusion on the matter. Alcoholism is a very real and serious problem. It can lead to financial ruin, job loss, relationship problems, and even death. However, just because something is a serious problem does it mean that it should be classified as a disease? There are studies supporting both viewpoints. The general definition of alcoholism also known as alcohol addiction, is a chronic disease of the brain that’s characterised by compulsive decision-making, impulsive behaviour and relapse. It’s triggered by genetic and environmental factors, and it causes biological changes in the brain that make abstaining from alcohol nearly impossible without medical treatment. Medical Intervention If you think of Alcohol Addiction as a disease and accept the definition, then most people will tell you that the only way to get rid of or cure this condition is by going through doctors and drug companies. This is a big win for drug companies who stand to make a lot of money from treating alcoholism and alcohol-related problems. I wrote a short article on 3 unconventional approaches which you can read here. According to the WHO, there are 3.3 million alcohol-related deaths worldwide as well as a significant impact on the disabilities and poor health of millions of people. Overall, harmful use of alcohol is responsible for 5.1% of the global burden of disease. Many professionals seem convinced we are never really free from alcohol addiction, instead we remain in remission (or “in hiding”) until the day comes when treatments fail or something else happens, which causes us to reach for the booze again. We are never cured. We are all just waiting for our next relapse! My friend believes in all these things too. He also says if either one of us falls back into addiction again, he’ll feel worse than before because now his soul has been taken away from him yet again. Conditioning & Brainwashing So, if alcoholism is not a disease, what is it? Many experts believe that it is a choice and that individuals have free will. But is that really true? Like it or not, we are all conditioned, so whether we have freedom around alcohol has to be questionable. We are conditioned by our parents, by our teachers and schools, by society as a whole and by advertisers. You may think that you haven’t been conditioned when it comes to alcohol, but that is highly unlikely. It’s harsh to say, but like a pedophile grooms kids, you’ve been groomed to accept alcohol. To give you some perspective take a look at the list below to see just how often you are encouraged to drink alcohol. Birth of a baby Announcement of a pregnancy Getting a job Leaving a job At a wake Celebrating the new year Celebrating your birthday Celebrating the birthday of a friend Moving house Buying a house Valentines day Graduating from university Going to university Getting engaged Getting married Getting a pay rise Being made redundant Christmas day Thanksgiving Having some good luck Relaxing on the beach on holiday As you can see from this very tiny list, we have been conditioned to drink at every conceivable, possible life event. But this list is only the tip of the iceberg, because when you are a drinker, every day is a drinking day and e...

Caryn G | 15th July 2022 | Self-Improvement

You want to kick alcohol, but it's just not that easy.    The problem is alcohol has become a regular part of life.    Whether it’s a couple of drinks with friends or a few beers while watching the game, alcohol is often seen as a harmless way to relax and have a good time. Until 1 year, 26 days and 11 hours ago, I was one of those people who thought alcohol was a good way to relax. However, for some people, drinking is a serious problem. And, if you’re reading this, the chances are some part of you knows that you need to make some life changes and better choices when it comes to drinking. When we’re struggling with alcoholism, quitting drinking may seem impossible. The chances are you’ve tried limiting the number of drinks you have or quit for an hour, a day, a week, only to go straight back to our old ways. All of which can really make us feel like a loser. Once a loser, always a loser? Wrong! It is possible to break the cycle of addiction and regain control of your life. I’ve done it and so have some of my friends. We each had a different journey, but we are all healthier, happier and wealthier because of it. It’s important to remember that when it comes to quitting the booze, there is no one size fits all. What worked for me may not work for you. You may find it hard, you may find it easy. Only you can judge because it’s your journey. The important thing is to keep going. If one method doesn’t work, don’t get discouraged. Try another until you find the perfect method for you. Remember, you’re not a loser just because one method didn’t work for you. You have simply completed some valuable research. Learn from it, tweak it and try again either with a new approach or a refined method. To help you on your way, here are 3 of the more unconventional methods you can research to help you quit drinking and stay sober. Permanent Reminder Consider a Tattoo. This may sound a bit extreme, but let’s face it: having a constant in your face reminder is one way to keep you focused. Having a tattoo reminder on your arm that you can see every day could be exactly what you need. This can be a simple visual aid, like a small cross or a date, or something more spiritual, like the words "be pure " or "freedom". The point is to create a visual prompt that means something to you. When you feel the urge to drink, you can look at it, touch it and remember why you want to quit or reduce the booze. In this way, not only will you be reprogramming your subconscious with a positive programme, it will help you to stay focused on your goal of sobriety or reduced alcohol intake. Let Your Subconscious Do The Work Hypnotherapy is another effective option for quitting drinking. Hypnotherapy can help to retrain our brain to think differently about alcohol and break the mental addiction. If you’re like most people, you’ve probably heard of hypnotherapy, but you’re not quite sure how it works. Hypnotherapy is a type of therapy that uses hypnosis to help people change their behaviour. During a hypnotherapy session, the therapist will guide you into a state of relaxation. Once you’re in this state, your brain becomes more receptive to suggestions relating to changes of behaviour. For example, if you’re trying to quit drinking, the therapist may suggest that you no longer find alcohol appealing. You can either find a hypnotherapist to work with or try one of the many audios you can find on the internet. It’s not going to harm you, and it may just work for you. The important thing to remember is to be open to change and just keep trying until you find something that works. Hang On Delayed Gratification is another tool that can be helpful in quitting drinking. This means learning to resist the urge to drink in the moment and instead focus on the long-term goal of sobriety. It can be difficult to stick to this plan, but it’s important to remember that each day or moment you resist the urge to drink...