I'd Never Have Done That If ......
I hadn't been drunk. Most of us have whispered this line to ourselves at some point. Sometimes it’s said with embarrassment, sometimes with disbelief, and sometimes with a kind of grief for the person we were in that moment. It’s a sentence loaded with regret, but also with recognition — because deep down, we know that alcohol made choices for us that we never would’ve made sober.
11/16/20251 min read
The Reckless Influence of Alcohol
Alcohol blurs the edges of reality. It numbs the parts of us that care — about consequences, about other people, about ourselves. Judgment fades first, then empathy, then self-respect. What’s left is a version of us acting on impulse rather than intention. Looking back, it can feel like watching a stranger making decisions you don’t recognise.
Personal Reflection
There were things I did that I still wince at today. Moments where I crossed my own boundaries just "for the craic". Times I acted chaotically because I thought it made me free. Nights I said yes when every part of me sober would’ve said no. These aren’t confessions to drown in shame — they’re truths I can hold with honesty and accountability. I can say: I did those things that I am not proud of. I know they are things I won't repeat sober.
Ripple Effects
Alcohol doesn’t just change behaviour — it shifts identities. It strains relationships, distorts priorities, and alters the way we see ourselves. It convinced me for years that I could act recklessly and not feel bad about it. It made me act loud and extroverted, when that is simply not me. The truth is, alcohol made me comfortable acting in ways that didn't align with my values.
Reframing Regret
Regret used to feel like a weight I had to drag behind me, if I had a weekend of poor choices. Now, I see it differently. Each moment I wish I could rewrite became evidence that alcohol is not something that benefits my life. Proof that I am capable of choosing differently. Sobriety didn’t magically erase the past, and I am not saying there aren't good memories there either — but it gave me clarity, responsibility, and the power to make a decision to take a different path.