The First Official Review is in!

It's always nerve-wracking when awaiting a review of your written material by someone outwit your family friends and peer group; they have no reason to spare your feelings with the truth!

I felt quite delighted when I read the independent review of 'The Secret to Being Fashionably Sober and Fabulous' by Janet Mawdesly at Blue-Wolf reviews. You can see the original here.

When Rachel Black faced the reality that she had somehow managed to become an alcoholic while out partying and being the life of the party, it was a shocking wake-up call.

More than two years ago she had to make some very hard choices; keep on going the way she was and spiraling steadily downwards, or stop drinking altogether.

After several false starts, with many reasons to put off making the difficult shift from hung-over to sober, she eventually made the decision to make the shift to becoming a sober, responsible adult person.

Now two years on she shares her journey once again, from the person she once was to the person she is now, sober, fabulous and a full time member of her family.

Deeply personal and with no holds barred she has broken each chapter down into the introduction as to the event, how she would have been and handled the situation two years ago, to how she deals with the same circumstances now as a sober person.

Looking back paints a stark contrast on the then and now, with the now being so very much easier and although not simplistic, so much more relaxing than the then, ever could have been or become.

Suddenly holidays are easier to plan for, work commitments and stresses are handled far easier, her chocolate intake has risen but her weight, always an issue when drinking, is manageable.

As she has moved on and embraced ‘sobriety’, has she as a person, changed all that much? Probably not, as she attests to still being a person who does like a bit of personal space, enjoys having time to do things on her own, can still be demanding and insecure, but overall accepts that is who she is, but is now able to enjoy her children and time spent with her husband, so much more.

A quiet night in now takes precedence over a night out partying hard, coming home late at night, hung over or drunk is a thing of the past. Revisiting places she would once have reluctantly gone with her family, hanging out for the next glass of wine, has been replaced with the pleasure of seeing her children enjoying themselves.

She describes in a single word the effect alcohol once had on her daily life as ‘encumbrance’ but now, with it no longer being a constant part of her life, she feels ‘free, as if a heavy load has been lifted, no longer holding her down or back’.

For anyone who is considering the effects alcohol is having on their lives and wonders if, by giving up, will life as they know it change for the worse, take a read of Rachel’s journey, be heartened and assured that life can only go on getting better and better.