18 Days of Sober Takeaways: Day 15
The End of Isolation
For a long time, I thought keeping things to myself was a form of protection. If nobody knew what I was thinking or struggling with, nobody could judge me.
I could keep up the appearance that everything was fine, even when it wasn't.
What I didn't understand was that keeping people out also meant keeping them from knowing me.
Recovery slowly made honesty less frightening.
I began saying things out loud that I had spent years keeping to myself, including things I found embarrassing or difficult to admit.
I fully expected people to judge me, but more often they listened - because they understood.
Little by little, I stopped seeing vulnerability as something that made me weaker or less capable.
And I began to understand that the way to becoming less alone was by letting people see what was actually going on.
I had thought isolation was protecting me but, really, it was keeping me stuck.
It’s time to come to terms with perfect imperfections tomorrow – on Day 16 of my 18 Days of Sober Takeaways from #NationalSoberDay to #SoberOctober.
If you’d like to start on Day 1, you can find it here: 18 Days of Sober Takeaways: Day 1
To further explore any of the topics raised in my 18 Days of Sober Takeaways, or if you’d like support in stopping drinking, please visit:
Substack: Sally Cardy - Transformative Recovery Solutions