I started drinking at 14, and it became a dangerous habit for more than 55 years. I'm finally sober at 70. From left: Barbara Face pictured as a teenager when she first started drinking, at the height of her alcoholism, and sober, as she is today. Courtesy of Barbara Face Barbara Face began drinking at 14 when a boy secretly brought beer to a church treat she attended. The habit continued during her life as she increasingly used alcohol to relax and escape reality. She got sober more than a year ago with help from an app that guided her through the process. This story is based on a conversation with Barbara Face, 70, a former training manager from Phoenix. It has been edited for length and clarity. I'll never forget the first time I drank alcohol to excess. I'd had the occasional, tiny taste of it when my parents had it with a meal, but this experience was different. We were at a church retreat, and a boy had sneaked in a six-pack of beer. He stashed it in a pile of snow to keep it cold, and we opened the bottles with glee. After a while, I started to feel happy. However, it was accompanied by a sense of numbness. Things were tough at home, and I forgot about my problems for a while. Drinking made me feel better My friend and I started drinking sweet, fortified wine. We had to rely on older kids to buy it from stores, who mostly used fake IDs. I couldn't help notice that my high school friends drank less than I did. They wanted to have fun, but it was more than just a joyride for me. I just wanted to feel better. Face as a teenager, around the time she started drinking. Courtesy of Barbara Face On my 18th birthday, a friend drove me over the border to Wisconsin, where the legal drinking age was 18, compared to 21 in our native Minnesota. It was thrilling to be in a bar. My parents didn't want me to go down the college route. They thought it was wrong for a girl to do so. It damaged my self-esteem, and my outlet continued to be drinking. Still, I'd describe myself more as a social drinker in my late teens and early 20s. I got married at 19, but divorced five years later. The break-up hit me hard. It was painful to be so hungover I ran with a fast crowd, and weekends were about drinking. One night, in my early 30s, I filled a flask with vodka. I was swigging it while dancing. I don't remember driving home, but I crashed my car into a barrier. Somebody came by and took me home, and my friends helped me pick up my car the following day. I was so hungover, it was painful. The fact that I'd blacked out scared me to death. Face said she looked bloated before she quit drinking Courtesy of Barbara Face A therapist referred me to a 30-day treatment center where I dried out. The clinicians were so worried about me, they would only release me to a women's halfway house. I joined AA and became a sober person for a few years. Then my mental health deteriorated again. I went back to my old ways and drank up to two bottles of vodka every weekend. Then, after being accepted into a Master's program at Ohio State University, I began to drink hard liquor every night alone after school. I had terrible hangovers and felt ashamed and guilty. I wrecked my car on the way to a casino I moved to Birmingham, Alabama, after taking a job in a call center. The hangovers made me angry and resentful. It was always someone else's fault, not mine, and I was reported by a supervisor for erratic behavior and swearing. Somehow, I managed to hold onto my job and move with the company to Phoenix in my 40s. I was drunk and headed to a casino, when I totaled my car. Face began with drinking beer before graduating to hard liquor and wine. Courtesy of Barbara Face Fortunately for me, it was on a Native American reservation, and the police officer who attended didn't have the jurisdiction to breathalyze me. I refused, and it got me out of a DUI. Two decades went by. There were days when I didn't want to wake up in the morning. My blood pressure was very high "I'll have a small glass of wine at 3 p.m.," I'd tell myself. Then it would be 2 p.m. I drank one or two bottles of wine a day. My dinner was inevitably liquid. It wasn't the taste I was after; it was the emotional release. The wake-up call came in September 2024 after an annual check-up at the doctor's office. My bloodwork results were dangerous. My blood pressure was very high, and I was also verging on pre-diabetes. Face at her 70th birthday party which she celebrated without alcohol. Courtesy of Barbara Face The doctor asked about my blood sugar levels and whether I liked sweet things. She asked about my drinking, and I lied about the amount because I was ashamed. I said it was about two glasses of wine a day. "You should try to cut back," she said. It was around that time that I received a marketing email from an app that offers advice on both reducing and eliminating alcohol intake. I downloaded the app and read how much my brain was being affected by the effects of alcohol, particularly at my age. I attend online groups I started to reduce my drinking by 10%, and then more. I'd measure out my glass of wine, which I'd sip during my evening meal. There were podcasts and readings about how much a woman should be drinking at my age. Then I joined some of the online groups, which were non-judgmental and supportive. Face, pictured with her dog, Lumi, enjoying a sober lifestyle on a hike. Courtesy of Barbara Face Cutting back lifted my depression a bit. I started to sleep better after years of insomnia. The endless cycle of negative thoughts slowed down. Next, I began weaning myself off altogether. The first day I was able to go without alcohol was super exciting for me. It was a huge accomplishment. I was concerned about my 70th birthday party One day without drinking turned into two, then three, then a week. I'd never been proud of myself, but I was on top of the world when I had my last-ever drink on December 9, 2024. I had anxiety ahead of my 70th birthday party in late January 2025. "How will I be able to celebrate without Champagne?" I thought to myself. I managed fine. Face said she is proud of herself for stopping drinking. Courtesy of Barbara Face Then, my sister-in-law and I went on a cruise along the River Danube. Everybody was drinking, but I stuck to my cranberry juice and tonic water. It felt good to travel without being hungover. I had my bloodwork redone last April, and there was a marked improvement. I was no longer at risk of being pre-diabetic. My blood pressure had lowered. In the meantime, I look and feel a whole lot better. My face no longer looks bloated. I've started doing yoga and feel a lot more fit. People ask me if I'm worried that I might go back to drinking. What's stopping me is the thought of a healthy future. As I approach 71, I'm in the last stages of my life, but I still find it worthwhile to be alcohol free. Read the original article on Business Insider
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