Insights From a OYNB Member on Changing Your Relationship With Alcohol: Lucinda Carney | OYNB 040

Giving up alcohol can feel like an isolating proposition, especially if most activities with your friend group revolve around drinking and you don’t know anyone else who is trying to abstain. Groups like One Year No Beer help by providing a community where people who are trying to change their relationships with alcohol can find others who are in the same place that they are, and be inspired by others who have been where they are. Today’s guest is one of those group members.  Lucinda Carney has been a member of One Year No Beer for 112 days. And while she’s the first to admit that those 112 days haven’t been perfect, she has managed to significantly change her own relationship with alcohol in that time. In today’s interview, Lucinda explains her background and her previous history with alcohol. She describes herself as someone who’d been a big drinker since her late teens or early 20s, and says that she was also part of a group of friends who drank heavily at social events. She also says that the stress of building a business contributed to her drinking.  “I certainly didn’t realize that alcohol was making me anxious until I stopped.”  Lucinda talks about her decision to join One Year No Beer and how she found help and support on the One Year No Beer Facebook forums. She describes learning about the triggers that made her want to drink, and the substitutes that she found helpful, like drinking kombucha tea or diet Coke out of a wine glass. She also talks about how her husband is now drinking less as well, and how her kids are happier with her thanks to her new approach to drinking. Lucinda points out that she hasn’t abstained completely for the entire 112 days that she’s been a member of One Year No Beer, but that she’s certainly been drinking far less than she would have without One Year No Beer.  Lucinda talks about the importance of not putting too much pressure on yourself, and setting yourself up to succeed instead of fail. She talks about surrounding herself with people who won’t put her in situations where the question of drinking will come up, and how to put alcohol in its place. Lucinda also gives some important tips for getting through the early days of an alcohol-free challenge, like setting small goals and giving alcohol-free alternatives a shot. She describes how her quality of life has changed since she began changing her relationship with drinking. Tune into the episode to hear more of Lucinda’s story.  LINKS & RESOURCES:  OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/  OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/  OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/  OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/  OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/