HELP ON HAND TO BREAK HABIT
THE ubiquitous Aussie drinking culture isn’t easy to counter.
Alcohol has been a constant in the young adult life of Geelong’s Sam Wilson.
From family celebrations and university parties to corporate functions and Friday after-work catch-ups, alcohol was an essential part of her social scene. It can seem impossible to fit in without it.
“I don’t think we talk about the option of not drinking,” the 26-year-old said. Now, three months into her journey of sobriety, Ms Wilson is keen to help people navigate the challenges of being a non-drinker.
She has launched Sober Mates, an online forum that allows people to explore their drinking habits.
“I am super happy with being sober, but I have been unable to find a good support network that understands the complexities of Australian drinking culture,” Ms Wilson said.
“So I decided to create my own. What I want it to be is a community where you can feel safe to explore your drinking habits.”
The technology business analyst considers herself to have been a regular Aussie drinker, not an alcoholic, but she found herself unable to moderate her drinking to an acceptable level and she’s not proud of how her drunken behaviour sometimes impacted on those close to her.
It got to the stage that her “morning afters” became filled with anxiety and not wanting to learn on social media the disasters of the night before.
A confident and social person, Ms Wilson thinks her short period of sobriety has helped change her mindset when it comes to drinking and to better understand the triggers for wanting a drink. These are the sort of experiences and knowledge she wants to help share through Sober Mates.
“I’m not a sobriety expert and I’m not going to pretend to be, I’m learning this all as I go through this journey,” Ms Wilson said,
You can find Sober Mates on Instagram.