Normies...

Is that what you call them? Normies - the people who don't have drinking issues and can have alcohol in their lives without any angst or battles.  Functional drinkers as opposed to dysfunctional drinkers.  Normies?  I've heard that term used before. Hang on I'll do a quick Google search....

Ok first result was from the Urban Dictionary and says "A person who is not an addict or alcoholic. A person who can drink normally without developing a drinking problem."

I suppose you could debate the definition of a Normie until the cows come home.  Someone could appear to be (pretend to be) a Normie but not be. Or someone could be drinking like a Normie until one day WHAMMO the booze gets it's claws in and it's bye-bye Normie, hello Alcoholic.  

Mr D is a Normie and took a lot of convincing from me that I had a problem.

A lot of people around me still seem a little bemused about why I've given up alcohol for good and I have to do a lot of explaining until they accept (!) that I did need to take this drastic action.  I appeared to be totally normal from the outside.  I didn't fall over a lot, lose jobs or kids or crash cars.  My personal relationships were all good and I looked healthy enough (although I look way better now).  I held down a successful life but had a secretive, very heavy, steady wine-drinking habit.  I drank lots and lots of wine, mostly privately in my own home.  I was fast heading to where more tragic things would have happened because of my drinking but managed to pull the pin before they did.

Just had a wonderful sober weekend away with a girlfriend in Sydney. Only Lemon, Lime & Bitters for me all weekend...

If we'd taken this trip last year I probably would have had two drinks on Friday at the bar and then more wine with dinner and possibly beyond that.  Saturday I would have probably suggested we get a bottle of wine to share in the hotel while we got ready to go out, would have had a wine at dinner and more before the show and possibly at half time too.  Which would probably have meant I wouldn't have really been properly present for the show, much like when I went to a musical here at home last year and drank beforehand and during and can hardly remember it.  I wasn't even that pissed (for me).  Just not really present.

This girls weekend just gone I would have done everything the same but fitted in a crap-load of booze on top of it all.  I feel exhausted just thinking of all the extra effort that would have taken, doing all the day activities hungover, gone to bed later, had more broken sleep, and spent probably a lot more emotional energy (excitement, guilt etc) - on drinking.

Now I've taken the alcohol away everything is just so much cleaner and easier.  And no less fun! There is nothing that alcohol would have added to this past weekend.  Nothing at all!  Once again I have proved to myself that I do not need alcohol to live a fun, full and rewarding life.  Jeepers, is this another Pink Cloud?  No, I don't want to get too smug and self-satisfied and drop my guard.  I think it must still be the endorphins from all that shopping, or maybe I'm deliriously over-tired.  Whatever the case, happy (with a fabulous new wardrobe).

Love, Mrs D xxx