Today I’d like to touch on the Sober Curious Movement and my growing interest in cutting alcohol out of my life. Have you ever tried out Dry January and... Failed? Or had the hangover from hell and sworn off alcohol forever? Me too. So, after a particularly disastrous night out in Boston, and months of following influencers heading the Sober Curious Movement, I decided enough was enough. I went two full weeks without picking up a drink, and something magical happened. The next time I went to have a drink, I only had one. I know a lot of you out there might be like okay, this chick has a drinking problem. I had never had just one drink in my life, and the reason I’m willing to expose myself to the internet is that I think a lot of people could relate. If you’ve been to a large college, ever hung out with the party crowd, or felt pressure to drink, then you can understand. Alcohol is everywhere in our lives and abstaining can make you the “weird” one. 


Now, all my problems weren’t magically fixed after those two weeks of being alcohol-free. In the spirit of being completely transparent, I have had a drink (or four) several times since then. For me, giving up alcohol may take a while, and that’s something I didn’t want to admit. When I first decided I wanted to get sober, my grandfather was the first person I spoke to. My grandfather hasn’t had more than a sip or two of alcohol at a time in 30 years. He was never an alcoholic, he simply didn’t like the feeling and decided to quit. He says he didn’t give it a second thought. At first, when I heard this, I panicked. Why wasn’t it as easy for me to quit? Am I an alcoholic? Will I need to go to AA? After a few days of an existential crisis, I realized there should be no pressure to do this “right”, and so I’ve decided to keep trying.


I had cravings, and every time I watched an episode of ‘Winter House’ on Bravo or saw someone sipping from a pretty martini glass, I wanted to fall back into old patterns and open a bottle of wine. To combat this I drank copious amounts of Polar seltzers, bought a couple of packs of marijuana gummies, and watched a lot of Netflix. Thankfully the cravings quickly subsided, but it made me think of the ways in which we’re conditioned by society to drink. Our favorite movies, TV shows, social media; alcohol is everywhere. I was using booze as a coping mechanism, a way to socialize with people, and a way to relax. What I got were blackouts, hangovers, and apology tours. Right now, I’m taking things one day at a time, but I will say that my ultimate goal is to completely cut alcohol out of my life. 


The further I dive into the movement, the more I think about the potential of being able to help others get sober. I’ve even asked myself if this may be what I want to focus on after grad school as my “niche”. 


Stay tuned for an upcoming book review of “Quit Like A Woman” by Holly Whittaker and let me know if you’ve ever heard of the sober curious movement and your thoughts on it. 



If you are struggling with alcoholism or you feel alcohol is controlling your life please consider using the below resources for help:

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Check out my YouTube channel McKenzie Johnston - YouTube

How I got started in social work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhcGXKNMaCY&t=9s

5 Things you should never say to clients: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I24ygQBQ17c

Unboxing the Microsoft laptop go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6wLjNSfXdc

5 Tips for building rapport with clients: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpFKBGKvo8M&t=35s