Today I talk to Jayne about some of her best tools, how the reality of telling friends and family that she was no longer drinking was way easier than she anticipated, and how without alcohol her future is full of promise because she has more time and energy to invest in herself!

hi, everybody.

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I'm Victoria and I don't drink.

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Tonight, I'm going to be

talking to Jane about how she

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immersed herself in Quitline.

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Whitley and podcasts and found

herself a new saber family who.

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Who gave her just what she needed

to help ditch the booze and go

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on to change her life image.

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vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Hi Jane.

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It's lovely to see you tonight.

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How are you?

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squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

Oh, good.

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Thank you.

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Nice to see you

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vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604:

Nice to see you too.

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Yes.

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We hear from each other quite

a lot on WhatsApp, don't we?

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But it's nice to actually see you as well.

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So for people listening, we're on a

little webcam here so we can see each

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other even though you can't see us.

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But it is lovely because we live in

very different parts of the country,

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so it's good to be able to get

together even virtually like this.

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Jane, thank you for coming on to

support me with this venture to try

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and help other people out there who,

maybe feeling a bit like you did when

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you made the decision to stop drinking

or in the months leading up to that.

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So what I want to do this evening

is just ask you to tell your story.

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And then we'll see where we go with

that and some of your challenges and

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bits and bobs, but if I can just hand

over to you, so if you tell us a bit

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about you and then where this alcohol

free story began, that would be great.

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squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

If you were to go onto my Soapbarista's

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members page, it would say that

I've been a member for 10 years.

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But actually, I've been

off the booze for four.

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So I've been questioning my

alcohol intake quite a long time

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googling, am I drinking too much,

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but I think my story goes back a lot

longer because I think I, started drinking

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about when I was in my teens, about 14.

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And I was always up for a laugh.

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I was drinking more than anybody else.

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Everybody called me a funny drunk,

really matter so much that I was

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drinking so much to everybody else.

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It was never a problem for anybody

else, probably a problem for me.

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Apart from later on in life when my

husband was having to put me to bed

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or deal with all that aftermath.

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But early doors, no, it wasn't, it was

just, I was a, I was up for a laugh.

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And so anyway, if we fast forward

a little bit when I started

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Googling am I drinking too much?

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I think probably my story starts

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And I'd always done these

months and everybody said,

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Oh, you've done really well.

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You're off the booze for a month.

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And I'm thinking, I don't have a problem.

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I can do a month.

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What's the big issue?

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But what happened with this last one

I've noticed was that I did Did Sober

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October, and then in November, I drank

twice as much, so I drank my October's

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quota in November as, alongside November.

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vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604:

You made up for it.

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squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

Yeah, so making up for it.

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So then Christmas came and then

I decided to do oh, that was it,

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Christmas, we went out for a Christmas

night out, and there was somebody

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there that I'd stopped drinking.

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I was absolutely, I was fascinated by it.

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I was asking her questions while

drinking me red wine, all about

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her story and why she'd given up.

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And it wasn't that

she'd had a rock bottom.

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It was that I think it was a

brother that had alcohol problems

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and she she just had enough of it.

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She said, I was coming in every night.

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I was making tea and I was

drinking starting then.

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I was.

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buying red wine to put in the spag bowl,

and then I'd finish the bottle myself.

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And

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She was, and it was just like

like I say, not a rock bottom,

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just she, it was creeping up.

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Anyway, I found, anyway, she, she

recommended a book to me, and I

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think it was Alcohol Lied to Me.

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But I'd already ordered Sober Diaries,

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vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Okay.

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squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

that as well.

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Christmas came usual

booze filled Christmas.

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So then I decided to do dry

January, did dry January.

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And my husband was asking me

we would, we booked to go to

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Liverpool on the 1st of February.

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And he was talking about drinking when

we got there and I said, Oh I might not.

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I might do this a bit differently.

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longer.

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And we said, Oh if that's

the case, that's fine.

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So we went to Liverpool, but then

we go to the cavern club and I

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can't go in the cavern club and not

have a beer I'm in the cavern club.

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And then we had a meal after we had half

a bottle of wine, of wine between us.

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And then I stopped and I

thought, I can do this.

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I can moderate.

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And then it creeped up and it

creeped up and then lockdown happened

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because this was 2020 by now.

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And that was just, every

night was Friday night.

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It was just more and more.

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It was getting more than

I'd ever drank before.

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So it was getting up to, it was

getting up to two bottles of wine.

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And in one night.

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And I started listening to podcasts then,

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Everybody went out for

the walk, didn't they?

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In lockdown.

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To alcohol free podcasts.

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And then I read Annie Grace and The Naked

Mind, and that was just a game changer.

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It got

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vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Yep.

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squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

head.

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It just made me think completely different

to anything I'd ever read before.

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And I can remember sat in Asda car park,

reading it on my Kindle, because we'd

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gone to collect my daughter from uni.

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Reading it on my Kindle and

deciding at that moment I'm going

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to have a drink tonight and then

tomorrow I'm going to start.

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And that was, so my first

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So That's really much

my backstory drinking.

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Sorry if it was a bit long winded Vic.

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vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604:

No, God, no, not at all.

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That's very short winded, actually.

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Wow.

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Okay.

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So a few things that you

spoke about in there.

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One was lockdown.

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A few people have mentioned that.

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On this podcast and we haven't really

gone into it in much detail, but I

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think there's probably a lot of people

where lockdown really exacerbated the

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amount that they were drinking because

you're so right all of a sudden.

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There's no rules, is there really?

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You don't even need to get dressed.

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You can just wear your pajamas on teams.

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squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

the panic I felt when I thought, what

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if they stop people buying alcohol?

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What if

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vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604:

so funny you say that.

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I remember messaging one of my friends

and saying, what if it becomes an

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issue and you can't get hold of some.

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And between us, we kept

messaging back and forward.

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We were trying to find a supplier of wine.

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I've just remembered that

because you've said it.

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And I think we found somewhere

where you could order like a whole

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case or, and we ordered like cases.

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Just, oh gosh, that's, I'd

completely forgotten about that.

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But yeah, I had exactly the same panic.

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Everyone else was wondering about

toilet roll and fruit and veg.

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I was a bit worried about the pinot.

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Terrible, isn't it?

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We've all done that,

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squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

But like I say, I never

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actually had a rock bottom.

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It was more what it was doing to

me and how it was making me feel.

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My family, it saddened my

family a bit, my drinking.

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Not in a way that I embarrass

them, because a lot of my

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drinking was in, in the house.

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More that they could see that

it was making me very unhappy.

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And I don't think, I don't think my kids,

I mean I say kids, they're grown up now.

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I don't think they like hearing me drunk,

slurring my words, repeating myself.

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Laughing at things that weren't funny.

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vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604:

Definitely.

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So what was it making you feel like then?

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The drinking.

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squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

Just making me forget.

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plotting things out, things

that I've never dealt with for

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a lot, for most of my life.

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It's funny because I've just

recently therapy this last few months

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vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Yeah.

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squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

we talked about my drinking

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and My therapist asked me, why

did you start drinking at 14?

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And I sat there and I thought

about it and I said, I said,

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nobody's ever asked me that before.

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And I said, and to be honest,

I just thought it was because

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what everybody else was doing.

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When I look back at that time,

there was a lot going on.

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There was, my dad was poorly.

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Had to work seven days a week.

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She used to work at a local public

school, so it was open a lot

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longer than our average schools.

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She was working seven days a week.

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And

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it was quite when I think back,

it was quite a tough time.

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vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Yeah.

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squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

So I think it was escapism.

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it started very young for me

that was the habit that I used to

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escape and just block things out

and just try and forget about it.

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vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: It's

very common, isn't it, for it to be

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used in that way as something to just

Yeah, I have so far not had any therapy.

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Although everybody does advocate

it's a great thing to do when you've

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stopped drinking because underneath

there's probably a reason somewhere

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where you did drink too much.

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squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

Yeah.

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vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: think

back to when I first started and I was

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14, I think I do have some thoughts

of loneliness and trying to fit in

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and wanting people to like me and it

did give me a different confidence

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to what I had every day at school.

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And I wonder if that was

something to do with the, teaching

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myself, this is a good thing.

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And then, obviously the same story as

most people, it carries on into adulthood

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and then it got a bit out of hand.

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Yeah, it's worth exploring that.

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I think I might go for the old

therapy route at some point as

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well when I'm ready to face it all.

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squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

Yeah.

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And also, don't be put off if you

don't get the right therapist, because

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I've had a few goes at therapy and

they've not always were, but this last

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one, this, and it's a man, which, it's

the first time I've had a guy and.

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vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Okay,

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squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

He's been brilliant.

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He's been, he's absolutely brilliant.

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In fact, he's just got

a promotion as well.

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He'll

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vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: right.

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squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603: on

in January, but it's just think that I

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don't know whether that's a factor for me.

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I don't know.

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vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604:

Yeah you're sure you'll explore

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it all with your therapist.

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I'm not going to ask you to talk

about all of that for everybody but

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needless to say, it was, you were

probably trying to get away from

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something that wasn't quite right.

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And I think that's quite a

familiar story for lots of people.

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So you read the couple of books,

you decided you were going to stop.

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You had your final night,

you got up in the morning.

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What was that like?

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And what did you do?

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squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

I just,

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because I think about the April,

I think I tried the hundred day

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And I fell about day 10, day

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I might have got to 14, I don't know.

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And so I didn't sign up for

the hundred day straight away.

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I

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See how we're going.

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I think it got to about day

14, and then I signed up.

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vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: right.

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squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

And just trying to think.

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what was the question, Vic?

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vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604:

So what did you do?

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squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603: I

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vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604:

what did you do?

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So what, how did you approach it?

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Did you get up and think I'm going to

go out for a walk or I'm gonna, what did

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you do and how did you feel that morning?

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Because you knew it was going to change.

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squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

just thought this is it.

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This is my day one, and

I'm going to go for it.

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And I just kept, because I hadn't

finished reading Any Grace.

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I carried on reading that.

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Listened to every podcast

that I could possibly find,

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vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Yeah.

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squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

everything, and I just completely

246

consumed my whole life.

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It was easy for me to do at that

point because it was lockdown.

248

You had to a lot of time.

249

So I just read and I just consumed

my whole life being alcohol free.

250

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Yeah.

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squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

I started journaling.

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Yeah, I think that was it at that point.

253

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: And

you were a member of Sober Easter's

254

then, obviously then, because you were

talking about the hundred day thread.

255

So you remember, did you have any

connections that you, because now

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we have a WhatsApp group that I

joined right at the beginning of my

257

journey and that really helped me.

258

Did you have anything like that back then?

259

Yeah,

260

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

but it got to about the, it got to

261

about August and I got a message off off

Nick saying, we're going to try Zoom.

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Are you interested?

263

And I thought, yeah, I am.

264

I, because we weren't seeing anybody.

265

So it was like, God, that'd be great.

266

Cause I hadn't noticed on there that they

used to organize meetups, but obviously

267

they stopped doing that because of COVID.

268

Situation we were in.

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So yeah, we did that first Zoom it was

just I was so nervous and I thought,

270

oh God, what they're gonna think of me.

271

And musketeers.

272

Were formed that very day.

273

And it was me lovely

Elizabeth, Alan and Nick.

274

And it was just magical.

275

People have come and gone over that

time, but us four have There was

276

just connection that you can have

with people that you will never ever

277

meet in real life because you've

just your lifestyles are poles apart.

278

But and some countries apart as well, can

we say and you just, you automatically

279

click and it's quite bizarre actually

because all your differences and all your

280

Your background, it just doesn't matter at

281

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: no,

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squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

it's yeah.

283

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604:

it's very special, isn't it?

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squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

It's special.

285

Yeah.

286

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: I've been

really lucky to have ended up, landed in

287

this WhatsApp group, which now probably

has about, 30 people may be in it now.

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I don't even know.

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Obviously some people dip in and out

and some use it more than others.

290

And some use the Zooms more than others.

291

but there is something about this

particular group and maybe it happens

292

with also the connections, I don't know.

293

But it feels like a family.

294

And I know that sounds really cheesy.

295

I know when I say it out loud, it sounds

cheesy, but it's very true because like

296

you say, these aren't necessarily people

that you would meet, let alone, choose in

297

real life because you wouldn't, you might

not think you had anything in common.

298

But the one thing that connects

us all is actually something

299

that is critical to who we are.

300

Like the,

301

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

Yeah.

302

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: And

the acceptance of one another and the

303

understanding and the non-judgmental.

304

feeling that we have for one another.

305

There's nothing you could say that

you've done in this group or with

306

people who have also tried probably to

be sober that, that people will judge

307

you for because they'll just get it.

308

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

And I know that I can say

309

anything I want to, any of you, and

it just won't, it doesn't matter.

310

It's, no matter how bad it's

311

Because, you're given the space

to talk and just just offload.

312

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Yeah.

313

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

Somebody's always there

314

with some great advice.

315

And sometimes something you

already know, but it's, Oh, why

316

haven't I done that for ages?

317

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Yeah.

318

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

That really worked in the early days.

319

Why don't I do that?

320

Why does it take somebody

else to tell me that?

321

Because you forget, don't you?

322

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Yeah.

323

Oh, yeah.

324

It's easy to forget.

325

And also once you've been doing

it for a long time and you've been

326

doing it for a very long time,

it's it's almost second nature.

327

So if it does sneak up on you and the

Wine Witch appears or, you're having

328

a bad day or a bad week or whatever

it might be, it's sometimes hard

329

to remember what those tools were.

330

That really got you through

the beginning bit, which segues

331

me nicely into challenges.

332

So what do you think is the

biggest challenge you face

333

when you make the decision?

334

I'm not doing this anymore because

it is not making me very happy.

335

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

that's easy.

336

Friends and family.

337

It's not that I've had experiences

with my friends and family about

338

my drinking, but it's the thought

of having to tell them originally.

339

You're thinking, Oh God,

what are they going to think?

340

Obviously me, your immediate, my

husband and kids, they were fine.

341

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Yeah.

342

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

it's then, your best mates, your

343

drinking buddies, your work colleagues,

344

your, like your extended family, like

your brothers and your sisters and your

345

aunts and your uncles, it's all that

was really, that was a big deal for me.

346

on I think it was only about a

week, I think it was about eight

347

weeks, Yeah, about a weekend I had

an outdoor drinks thing because

348

obviously lockdown, so we were

349

I'm going to go about this because

they're going to expect me to drink.

350

I don't drive, so I couldn't drive,

nobody was going to the doctors,

351

so I couldn't say antibiotics.

352

So I thought, oh, I'm

going to be honest here.

353

I told them.

354

I was having a break from drinking

and they were absolutely wonderful.

355

I actually, I told my best friend when we

went for a walk because I knew that this

356

drinks thing was coming up she was fine.

357

then my other two friends, I

just said, I'm having a break.

358

I said, it's crept up in lockdown.

359

Just wanna cut it out for a bit.

360

And that was it.

361

And then it just got about, so this was,

so this would have been the July, August.

362

it was the it was in the October, I'd

helped my best friend moving into a home.

363

And, we were, she was, she had

all these bottles of champagne and

364

sparkling wine and all that stuff.

365

And she went, oh, she went, I look

like I've got a problem, don't I?

366

And I went, no, because if you'd

have had a problem, you wouldn't

367

have had anything in your wine rack.

368

She said, let me tell you, because that's

what my wine rack was always empty.

369

She

370

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604:

good point.

371

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

This is it for you, isn't it?

372

You're not going to drink anymore.

373

And I went, no, that's it.

374

And I would dread in telling her cause

I'd said, I'm just having a break.

375

I think it in the back of my

mind that they're always going

376

to expect me to start again.

377

She just said, this is

it for you, isn't it?

378

And I said, yeah, I said I'm done with it.

379

I said, I can't unlearn everything

that I found out about alcohol.

380

And That was pretty much it.

381

My family were brilliant.

382

Yeah.

383

So I didn't, all the fear was

for nothing because everybody,

384

two comments in the four years

385

A boring comment or,

386

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Oh, yeah.

387

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

invite you, but you're

388

not drinking, are you?

389

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Oh, wow.

390

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

Yeah.

391

But that's about it.

392

That's all I've had in all that time.

393

And I think that's pretty good, really,

394

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Yeah.

395

That is good.

396

My best friend she was the first person

that I told, actually, I rung her.

397

The day that I decided I was going to

stop and I told her and she knows me well.

398

I think she knew that was it.

399

And she has admitted to me that

in that moment when I rung her,

400

she felt this real disappointment

because I was, quite a party girl.

401

I, I loved a night out.

402

I would always be on the dance

floor, all of that stuff with her.

403

And I'd known her since I was 16.

404

So She was very used to me turning up

with the champagne when she was trying

405

to have a coffee, that kind of thing.

406

And she said she remembers feeling this

just moment of disappointment and then

407

thinking to herself, Oh, but whenever

we're together, we have a right laugh.

408

It doesn't matter whether

Vic's drinking or not.

409

And she said she felt terribly guilty

afterwards about feeling like that.

410

But I did say to her, I, myself,

Was worried about missing who I was.

411

And I have on occasions missed

the kind of party side of myself.

412

Like I, there have been occasions

where I've thought, Oh, she was fun,

413

but it's the, it's all the other times

it's when it went too far or, if I

414

lost stuff or started an argument or

and the next day that I, I had some

415

horrible self hatred for, Drinking.

416

It just made me feel

horrendous about myself.

417

It made me feel like a

proper failure actually.

418

So yeah, so I had to kill off the

party girl to let this one survive.

419

And I think I feel so much

better since I've done it.

420

I would never go back.

421

Never.

422

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603: no,

423

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: No.

424

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

It, people though also haven't got that

425

person that they, it's somebody jeering

them on oh go on, come on, have a drink.

426

They then know that if they drink,

or drink a lot, it's the light

427

shine, you, they can't say oh Vic,

was out with Vic and you know what

428

she's like she pushes you into it.

429

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Yes.

430

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

that excuse then, have

431

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Yeah.

432

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

to take ownership of their

433

own drinking, I think as

434

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Yeah.

435

The little mirror thing is definitely a

thing, if people protest too much, I think

436

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

Yeah.

437

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604:

lucky too, though, Jane.

438

Honestly, I haven't lost friends

really through this at all.

439

Which I think I have been lucky

cause I have heard people say

440

that they have lost friends and,

stop getting invited to things.

441

And I think that can be a

reality for some people.

442

It can I've been very lucky.

443

It hasn't happened to me, but it sounds

like your biggest challenge ended up

444

actually not being one in the end.

445

You your family and friends were

very accepting and supported you.

446

It's great.

447

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

Yeah.

448

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: It

should be what we expect really, isn't it?

449

That's what we should expect.

450

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

Yeah.

451

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604:

Great role modeling.

452

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

Yeah.

453

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Yeah.

454

And so what about all the good stuff?

455

All my good stuff.

456

I think I bleat on the Soberistas,

on the app, on the blogs.

457

I'm always rambling on about all

the brilliant way that I feel

458

and things that I'm now doing.

459

And what about you?

460

So what's been the most positive

outcomes from becoming sober

461

and choosing this lifestyle?

462

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

Just realizing that there was more

463

to me drinking because everything

had to revolve around drinking.

464

If we went on days out or night, not

nights out, weekends away, should I say,

465

About the drink.

466

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Yeah.

467

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

enough drink with us?

468

When would we be drinking?

469

Yeah, we're going around castle

today, but that's all very well,

470

but where's the bar sort of thing,

471

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Yeah.

472

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603: And

then I remember going on my first holiday,

473

sober holiday, and it was magical.

474

It was only in the northeast of

England, but everything about it

475

was just magical because I was

experiencing life properly and

476

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Yeah.

477

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

properly, rather than thinking about.

478

the wine at the end of the day, , I used

to just go through the motions in the

479

day and not really take much in, which

is a shame, because I've been to some

480

lovely places, but it was all about bar,

481

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Yeah.

482

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

there's that's a positive, and also

483

finding out a little bit more about

who I am, and my capabilities,

484

because I left school with pretty

much no qualifications at all, and

485

I've gone back, and I've, I'm gaining

486

and I'm in just enrolled in uni.

487

Never thought that was on my radar at all.

488

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Yeah.

489

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

would definitely not have come had it

490

not been for be for quitting the booze.

491

It's, yeah, that's my positive.

492

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: There's

definitely a confidence that comes

493

from this and just knowing yourself.

494

And also, I don't know

if it's just confidence.

495

I think there's a fearlessness

that comes from this.

496

You lean into life a

little bit more, don't you?

497

And think what's the

worst that can happen?

498

And we're so proud of you for all of

your, Studies in your achievements.

499

It's just brilliant.

500

Whenever you post anything it's so

good to see that like progression.

501

From all of us, from everyone on the

group, whenever there's something,

502

that somebody has gone on and achieved,

and there's a bit of you that always

503

knows that probably wouldn't have

happened if you weren't here and

504

if you hadn't chosen this life.

505

Yeah

506

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

nothing like stopping drinking and

507

thinking, Gosh, what an achievement.

508

And you get so proud of yourself

and you're thinking if I can

509

do that, I can do anything.

510

I can do anything I put my mind to because

every obstacle that you come across, you

511

say to yourself I've stopped drinking.

512

So this is going to be easy.

513

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604:

That's so true.

514

It's a monumental thing to do, isn't it?

515

To just, against all of society's

norms, against everything that you

516

were doing before, probably some very

strong neural pathways that were, that,

517

would have told you it's wine time on

all those occasions you talked about,

518

to get through that and actually start

to enjoy absolutely everything the way

519

that you clearly are is is amazing.

520

Well done.

521

I love it.

522

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

Thank you.

523

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604:

Jane, our half hour is up.

524

Can you believe it?

525

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603: it?

526

That's gone quick, hasn't

527

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604:

Hasn't it?

528

I know.

529

It just zooms past.

530

It really does.

531

Because it's just so lovely to talk.

532

Any top tip from you?

533

If somebody's thinking about

stopping, what would you say to them?

534

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

Just go for it,

535

Got to, like I said right at

the beginning, you've got to

536

immerse yourself in everything.

537

You've

538

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Yeah.

539

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

Going to read everything, I'm going

540

to listen to everything, I'm going to

start writing down how I'm feeling.

541

If you come across any, if you do get

a visit from what we like to call the

542

wine witch, down why she's visiting

and why are you feeling like that?

543

And ask yourself questions,

what can I do instead?

544

And have yourself a little list

of self care tips that you can,

545

plow your way through she's gone.

546

Just, you've just got to

immerse your whole life in it.

547

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Yeah.

548

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

but do it.

549

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604: Yeah,

invest all the time and effort that you

550

invested in drinking in not drinking.

551

It sounds like that's what you're saying.

552

And that's actually what

I had to do as well.

553

I changed my addiction to.

554

Being addicted to not drinking and

555

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

know.

556

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604:

and that was it.

557

It's I don't drink none at all.

558

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

Yeah.

559

vic-host354_1_10-21-2024_180604:

Oh thank you so much.

560

Thank you for telling your story.

561

There will be someone out there who's

thinking I'm going to do it now.

562

And it will be because

you shared your story.

563

So thank you.

564

I really appreciate it.

565

squadcaster-h695_1_10-21-2024_180603:

Okay.

566

You're welcome.

567

Bye.

568

squadcaster-bg06_9_09-21-2024_084137:

Thank you for listening to our

569

Sober Alcohol Free Stories.

570

If you felt that it helped you, make

sure that you like, share and follow.

571

And leave a review on podchaser.

572

com.

573

And remember, make your

catchphrase, I don't drink