GracieLou

I thought I didn't like people. Not specific people but people in general. What I found was that I was so deep in isolation that the reality was that I didn't want to be bothered. I was so selfish and self seeking that the thought of sharing my precious drinking time was not an option.

Today I love people. I thrive around others and look forward to meetings. I love being around others and hugging and talking. I am no longer in a rush to get home behind closed doors and curtains.

I don't think it is a new thing as much as my personality coming alive again. It feels good

TroubledJoe

A huge one for me is the realisation that I actually have the capability to cope fairly well in situations that make me extremely anxious.

I have really bad anxiety issues, always have, and it's a big part of the reason I loved to drink so much. Unsurprisingly, alcohol only made things far worse.

Now I know I cannot fall back on alcohol, I have forced myself to deal with situations I would rather just avoid at any cost. I've been to a couple of job interviews recently, and I still get nervous as hell before things like this, but by giving myself a sort of pep talk beforehand I can get into a confident mindset and at least ACT like a confident guy with good communication skills.

It's one of the best tools sobriety has given me because I know if I were still drinking I would have got wasted before and after the interview. I've even shown up to a job interview after downing a couple of shots just to deal with the nerves which was, at best, unprofessional of me.