Monday, March 26, 2012

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



7 comments:

  1. Yay... we have a title.. "Normies"?? lol funny.

    I know I always say "I'm proud of you" like I'm your mum or something...but I am sooo proud of you!! I think it's fab how far you've come in this short time! Awesome job!
    I'm so glad you're having a good time as a "nearly-normie" ;) *YAY*

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  2. Sounds wonderful! and yaye for you, you're doing so well!! sticking with the blog AND not drinking. I am so glad for you. I am about to embark on a diet. I have issues with toast and butter, mini mallowpuffs and other naughties late at night. wish me well. it was your blog post on addiction that got me thinking.

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  3. We use the term 'normal' a lot here in the UK, and one AA member uses the term 'Earthlings'!

    Your weekend sounds fantastic.

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  4. That is so cool, having proven for oneself that alcohol soooo is NOT needed!

    I like going to the cinema, to watch movies and it is so nice to meet up with a friend before that. Enjoy a sober dinner, I mean... reeeeally enjoy the dinner, taste it, eating in a normal pace. Not talking about stuff that I'd regret the day after (I always talked too much when drunk). When I used to drink dinner was just something mandatory. I was totally focused on ordering in enough beer at the time. And sometimes we'd never even get to the cinema! (even if the tickets had been paid for). We'd be into the drinking and instead move on to a bar where we could drink some more - to party the night away.

    Today I get to see the movie and I even remember every bit of it afterwards ;-)

    And finally, to come home happy and SOBER. Able to relax and to sleep properly, no regrets and to wake up without hangover. Oh bliss hahaa

    Thanks for sharing mrs D!

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  5. Such a smart, funny post, Mrs. D! So glad you enjoyed your nice weekend away with your girlfriend. It is so crazy how little attention they pay to booze. I have some friends like that. They even sometimes don't finish their glass of wine! Ponderous!

    Thanks for sharing!

    XO

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  6. Love the honesty Mrs D. Like you - I am still trying to convince some folks just how much of an alcoholic I am (like there are degrees right...kind of like being a little bit pregnant...you either are or you aren't...there's no middle ground) but I'm pretty sure that reading my blog has convinced those I allow to read it. For the rest I just smile and say thank you for not noticing what a mess I was.

    So glad you had such a wonderful girls weekend. So? What did you buy?

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  7. What a wonderful getaway!!! It sounds refreshing. I'm only early into this but I relish the full nights sleep. I have years and years of broken sleep to make up for! And how awesome it must have been for your friend too...because you could really focus and concentrate on conversation and what you were doing. So awesome!!! Happy for you!

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