Sobriety. It is not a word commonly heard on a college campus. In fact, more people frown upon not drinking than binge drinking. The foundation of college culture consists of alcohol and poor decision making. This past summer, I made many poor decisions while drinking alcohol. After breaking up with my boyfriend for the time, I used alcohol as a coping mechanism. After one very bad night of drunk texting and fighting, I realized I needed to change my ways. I pledged thirty days of sobriety.Â
Going from someone who drank alcohol often to someone who refused even a sip of a Mike’s Hard was very difficult. I do not think there is anything harder in college than going through sylly week sober!Â
It is definitely very tempting to drink when all of your friends are. It is also difficult when alcohol is more accessible than good food on this campus. Thankfully, my friends were very supportive and encouraged me to stay sober for the full thirty days. Even my friends who are in fraternities did not pressure me to drink. They all understood and wanted the best for me.
If you are thinking about cleansing your liver and making positive life changes, going sober for thirty days is a good start. Throughout the four weeks, I learned a lot of new coping mechanisms, like meditation, therapy and journaling. I am definitely in a much better headspace now and the clarity of sobriety was helpful.Â
This past weekend I celebrated my thirty days sober! My friends bought me a one month chip off of Amazon and we all got together to celebrate. I have broken my sobriety but am so much happier and aware of how to drink responsibly!