“Of all the things I anticipated might happen when I stopped drinking, I never expected to need talking points. After my umpteenth time stumbling through an explanation of why I wasn’t drinking, I prepared answers. Scribbled in my notes app, I carried around my bullet points like a security blanket. When I said I didn’t drink, I often got a pitying look or a raised eyebrow. I’d find myself justifying the decision, recounting my drinking history to a stranger. Some people outright asked me, ‘Are you an alcoholic?’” Head to the link in our bio to read the full story, written by Sarah Wood.