Congratulations Pete!!

So……. Pete stopped drinking with me in October 2018 and didn’t look back. Since we met we had drunk, pretty much the whole time we were together. He drank almost as much as me at home and on nights out he would drink much more than me BUT he always said he could just stop if he wanted.

 I didn’t think he could, and thought he would struggle just as much as I would to stop. He proved me wrong and immediately felt the benefits of not drinking and became super on board with the non-drinking lifestyle we had adopted.

However, in December last year he went on a works Christmas night out and fell off the wagon, spectacularly and woke up the next day feeling like absolute death. This lasted a week. Now for me, I was saying it was a blip, no need to start counting again – also, if I’d have been off the wagon in a heartbeat if it’d been me; I would have used all the excuses under the sun to get back into drinking. Pete however realised how much this night had ruined him and got back on it immediately! He is therefore a year sober today! I’m so incredibly proud of him and at the same time extremely grateful for his unwavering support to keep us both sober. (Sorry I can’t buy you a Michael Kors watch and a beach hut at St Anne’s, but the celebratory meal was pretty spectacular!)

• 

A short bit from the man himself!  

I haven’t really thought too much about the fact it’s been a year, I knew I drank a lot but absolutely thought I could knock it on the head if I wanted to. I stopped to support Sue more than I did it for myself In the beginning, I don’t need a badge or an award it’s what I wanted to do to support her, and in all fairness it’s just the norm now.

It became very apparent that after a couple of months I started to realise just how on point I was! like, literally all the time. It’s a hard feeling to describe but essentially for me, I have been at the top of my game for what feels like such a long time now all be it only 12 Months. I do wonder what I could have achieved if I had knocked the drink on the head sooner.

All the challenges / looks and responses of confusion from Friends, Family and Work Colleagues at social events, Birthdays, Football, etc. Basically every event that would turn to casually drink the day away event contained all the same hurdles as what Sue experienced; with a slight caveat. I generally think that being a Male and drinking is so institutionalised that now I’m the mad one, the idiot, the one with ‘a problem’ because I choose not to drink!?

In all fairness it was just about me being me and if you know me, you already know that I absolutely do not give a Shit about what others think of me.  “I’m the classic bull in a china shop, if I want it I will get it! so either get on board or get out of the way”  Once you get over the lads, family, friends etc. calling you a massive girl and all the other stereotypes they can chuck at you, I noticed that they started to see what I was getting out of it and people have started to respect me for it.

A New Job

In an industry that I had no knowledge of, you can imagine – Fear factor, Stress, Self-doubt? i had none at all! It’s all been effortless from day one to deal with a highly intensive Sales role, purely target driven. Its been a walk in the park because I feel so on point all the time and at the top of my game! “This level of stress was easy to manage with a beer previously, with zero benefits to me! – I lost years drinking to deal with work stress”

Health & Fitness

Obviously the running club Sue started is something I got involved with from day one and I’ve now became a run leader. I’m loving getting others motivated and they let me Beast them in the gym which is paying off and the rewards are great.  “Never in a million years would I have been this committed if I was drinking”

“I suppose the main message to take from this and one to put out here to the Men! Don’t be scared; don’t fear being the lone wolf in your pack of mates, work or family group!

That wont get you what you want, only you can do that! The repercussions of bettering yourself are evident once you take the life changing step, try your hardest, be bullish and stick to your guns! A little bit of focus and determination will get you the success you want in whatever form it comes!”

So actually, thanks to Sue for supporting me without me releasing I even needed the support.

Happy sobervarsary Pete, I’m so proud of you xx