Men’s Week – ‘Deep Breath. Here Goes …’ by Neil Shearer
I’m not really one for sharing personal stories but hey, here I am, declaring my achievements to my friends and random strangers on the internet!! I recently achieved over 800 days sober; my last alcoholic drink was consumed on 5 November 2016. I could never have...
Men’s Week – ‘The Boy Who Drank Too Much’ by Scott Pearson
My relationship with alcohol started from around the age of fifteen and was fairly normal in that I was allowed to have a shandy or two at family events. My mum's thinking was that she’d prefer me drinking in a safe environment at home, instead of buying cheap booze...
Men’s Week – ‘My Five Year Transformation Story’ by Alistair Johnstone
At fifteen years old, I was a very unique young adult. Although I had lots of potential, I was quite messed up from having a very bad childhood. Unfortunately, I had suffered many years of neglect and abuse from the one person who was supposed to look after me. One...
Men’s Week – ‘A Journey from Heavy Drinker to Sobriety’ by The Sober Yorkshireman
Hi, my name is Karl; I'm also known as 'The Sober Yorkshireman'. My drinking started when I was about fourteen/fifteen years old, as it did with lots of people brought up in the nineties. I started off drinking bottles of hooch and white lightning in my local park and...
Men’s Week – ‘Some People Are Sober. Get over it’ by The Gay Sober
Why have I stopped drinking? Bottom line. I have a drink problem. Was I hiding bottles of vodka in the dishwasher like Phil Mitchell? No. Was I about to lose my house or be sacked from my job? No. Did I hit the infamous rock bottom? No. But could the answer be yes to...
The Sober Fish Top Tips for A Dry January
First of all, CONGRATULATIONS and WELL DONE for deciding to give Dry January a whirl! It really is the best present you can give to yourself, especially after the chaos of Christmas. In my opinion, any time of the sauce ain't no bad thing but please, be realistic....
How to Survive a Sober Christmas by Sober Fish
So you’ve taken the plunge and decided that Christmas 2018 will be a hangover-free, guilt-free, joyous occasion, but you have no idea how you’re going to crack it? Here are some of my top tips to help you wake up in 2019 happy and poison free - Stop romanticising....
Guest Blog – ‘From therapy to therapist – a true story’ by Rebecca
I grew up with tee-total parents, and didn’t really discover alcohol until I left my sleepy home town in Norfolk to chase the bright lights of the Bournemouth seafront at 21. In the relationship I was in at the time, we would think nothing of going on an all-day...
Guest Blog – ‘Alcohol and Mental Hell’ by Courtney
Have you noticed that the words 'alcohol' and 'anxiety' both have seven letters in them? This means when you write them out, one under the other, they are pretty much the same length on the page. To me, this is a symbolic way of how aligned and in-tune alcohol and...
Guest Blog – ‘ Going Sober – A Clean and Clear Mind’ by Kellie
I have struggled with my mental health on and off over the past 15 years. This varied from post-natal depression, to stress and anxiety, to, at it’s very worst, self-harming. I have never shied away from attempting to deal with my mental health issues, attending the...
Guest Blog – ‘If I look back, I am lost’ by Kia, Mother of Cats
Six years ago, I reached a stage in my life where, due to a combination of weed, alcohol and mental health issues, I was unable to leave my house. I couldn’t walk to my local shop and supermarkets were completely out of my reach; I had to start doing online food...
Guest Blog – ‘Peace of Mind’ by Claire
Like a lot of people, I started drinking as a teenager and loved it, mainly because it made me more confident in social situations and I considered myself to be shy without it. I continued with this attitude throughout my life (now I am 36), believing alcohol made me...
Guest Blog – ‘From Hangovers to Happiness’ by Mel
'Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving'. Terry Pratchett - A Hat Full of Sky My name is Mel and I have been sober since 6 July 2018. It hasn't been an easy journey to give up drinking but right now I know it’s been the best decision I have...
Guest Blog ‘Single & Sober: What It’s Like Navigating the Dating World When You’re Alcohol-Free’ by Amanda
In January 2017, after several dismal attempts at moderating my drinking, I decided to do an extended period of sobriety. For at least six months, I had been hearing this whisper telling me that the party girl lifestyle was no longer serving me; that if I wanted to...
Guest Blog – ‘Sober Revelations’ by Kate
I had been sober and 'kiss free' for 13 months before I felt I was ready to plunge back into the world of internet dating. I downloaded the dating app 'Bumble' and started swiping. Almost immediately, I saw a friend from childhood who I hadn’t spoken to since I was 8...
Guest Blog ‘My Awakening’ by Jackie
When I was 17 years old, I started my first dream job as a trainee Zoo Keeper. I was shy and uncomfortable around people and had always said I would never drink or smoke because I’d seen how alcohol affected people and didn’t like it. I’d been invited out by my work...
Guest Blog ‘How I traded vodka shots for another shot at life’ by Kelly
Hello, my name is Kelly, I'm 25 years old, and every day I'm grateful that I stopped drinking when I was young. My heavy drinking was between age 19 and 23 and it took until I was at least 6 months sober to realise I'd been trapped in someone else’s mind and body....
Guest Blog ‘How I Transformed by Finding True Wellness in Sobriety’ by Karin
Don't be scared to walk alone Don't be scared to like it There's no time that you must be home So sleep where your darkness falls John Mayer The benefits of getting sober while single and childfree are numerous but the most important one is that you have the time and...
The Sober Fish Top Tips for A Dry January
First of all, CONGRATULATIONS and WELL DONE for deciding to give Dry January a whirl! It really is the best present you can give to yourself, especially after the chaos of Christmas. In my opinion, any time of the sauce ain't no bad thing but please, be realistic....
How to Survive a Sober Christmas by Sober Fish
So you’ve taken the plunge and decided that Christmas 2018 will be a hangover-free, guilt-free, joyous occasion, but you have no idea how you’re going to crack it? Here are some of my top tips to help you wake up in 2019 happy and poison free - Stop romanticising....
Guest Blog – ‘From therapy to therapist – a true story’ by Rebecca
I grew up with tee-total parents, and didn’t really discover alcohol until I left my sleepy home town in Norfolk to chase the bright lights of the Bournemouth seafront at 21. In the relationship I was in at the time, we would think nothing of going on an all-day...
Guest Blog – ‘Alcohol and Mental Hell’ by Courtney
Have you noticed that the words 'alcohol' and 'anxiety' both have seven letters in them? This means when you write them out, one under the other, they are pretty much the same length on the page. To me, this is a symbolic way of how aligned and in-tune alcohol and...
Guest Blog – ‘ Going Sober – A Clean and Clear Mind’ by Kellie
I have struggled with my mental health on and off over the past 15 years. This varied from post-natal depression, to stress and anxiety, to, at it’s very worst, self-harming. I have never shied away from attempting to deal with my mental health issues, attending the...
Guest Blog – ‘If I look back, I am lost’ by Kia, Mother of Cats
Six years ago, I reached a stage in my life where, due to a combination of weed, alcohol and mental health issues, I was unable to leave my house. I couldn’t walk to my local shop and supermarkets were completely out of my reach; I had to start doing online food...
Guest Blog – ‘Peace of Mind’ by Claire
Like a lot of people, I started drinking as a teenager and loved it, mainly because it made me more confident in social situations and I considered myself to be shy without it. I continued with this attitude throughout my life (now I am 36), believing alcohol made me...
Guest Blog – ‘From Hangovers to Happiness’ by Mel
'Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving'. Terry Pratchett - A Hat Full of Sky My name is Mel and I have been sober since 6 July 2018. It hasn't been an easy journey to give up drinking but right now I know it’s been the best decision I have...
Guest Blog ‘Single & Sober: What It’s Like Navigating the Dating World When You’re Alcohol-Free’ by Amanda
In January 2017, after several dismal attempts at moderating my drinking, I decided to do an extended period of sobriety. For at least six months, I had been hearing this whisper telling me that the party girl lifestyle was no longer serving me; that if I wanted to...
Guest Blog – ‘Sober Revelations’ by Kate
I had been sober and 'kiss free' for 13 months before I felt I was ready to plunge back into the world of internet dating. I downloaded the dating app 'Bumble' and started swiping. Almost immediately, I saw a friend from childhood who I hadn’t spoken to since I was 8...
Guest Blog ‘My Awakening’ by Jackie
When I was 17 years old, I started my first dream job as a trainee Zoo Keeper. I was shy and uncomfortable around people and had always said I would never drink or smoke because I’d seen how alcohol affected people and didn’t like it. I’d been invited out by my work...
Guest Blog ‘How I traded vodka shots for another shot at life’ by Kelly
Hello, my name is Kelly, I'm 25 years old, and every day I'm grateful that I stopped drinking when I was young. My heavy drinking was between age 19 and 23 and it took until I was at least 6 months sober to realise I'd been trapped in someone else’s mind and body....
Guest Blog ‘How I Transformed by Finding True Wellness in Sobriety’ by Karin
Don't be scared to walk alone Don't be scared to like it There's no time that you must be home So sleep where your darkness falls John Mayer The benefits of getting sober while single and childfree are numerous but the most important one is that you have the time and...
If wine were a donut …
I don’t know about you but donuts are not something I buy myself. I don’t crave them. I don’t look at them in a shop and think ‘oooo, I’d love a donut’ or eat my dinner and then think ‘a donut would finish that off nicely’. In fact, the only time I ever ate donuts or...
Guest blog ‘Get Sober and Start Living’ by Stephen
It's been 18 years since I had my last drink and sometimes it's easy to forget how difficult this journey has been for my loved ones and me. Most of my drinking career involved a conscious effort at 'mindful drinking', if that’s what you want to call it. I started...
Guest blog ‘Life On The Other Side’ by Emma
Hello, my name is Emma, I'm 43 years young and I started living on the 23rd October 2016. I'd been drinking on all different levels since the age of 13. It started with just sips of beer or Thunderbirds, but I already knew that I enjoyed the feeling of being tipsy....
Guest blog ‘The Tricks of the Mind’ by Ann-Marie
My story is probably similar to a lot of people that struggle with addiction; I was tricked by my own mind. I thought that I could moderate, but deep down, I knew that alcohol was destroying me physically, mentally and spiritually. I'd always had a troubled...
Guest blog ‘Learning Alcohol No Longer Serves Me’ by Karolina
I can count back at least five years where I consciously knew I wasn’t entirely happy drinking alcohol. I didn’t know this when I was planning winery getaways or brewery hangouts. I didn’t know this come every weekend when I drank, because, well, it was the weekend...
