Book Review – Sober Letters to My Drunken Self by Ed Latimore

The bubbly fizz and good vibes did not outnumber the brain fog and constant hangovers.

I drank from sixteen years old to thirty-four years old. For the first time ever, this past January, I passed one year of no booze.

For the first few months of not drinking, it was quite tough. But Ed’s book was there, on my phone in my pocket, ready when I needed some sober words to clarify my sober thoughts.

The book deals with:
-the uncertainty of quitting booze
-the peer pressure to drink again
-the simple step in admitting you have a problem with booze
-and the internal and external positive effects quitting alcohol will have on your relationships with the people you love.

And there is much more inside the book.

Here are some of the Kindle highlights I made throughout Ed’s book:

“A great challenge you’ll face is having the courage to say you no longer want to drink.” (p.11)

“You saw the end result of continued heavy drinking and decided that you don’t want to be there. It’s natural to think it’s going to be easy to abstain from alcohol, but when things are going well you will forget how bad they can become.” (p. 11)

“Impatience, weakness, and aversion to change are the worst enemies of sobriety. The only way to conquer them and enjoy a sober life is by slowing down, staying strong, being willing to change, and taking things one day at a time.” (p. 43)

“When I first stopped drinking, I counted the days. After 30 days passed, I counted the months. After 12 months, I counted the years.” (p. 43)

I also found myself counting the days, weeks, months, and now year and a half.

2 weeks no booze. This is actually working.
— D (@Down_Culture) January 16, 2020

3 weeks no booze. So far so good. Can you imagine if I made it to a month? Lets do this.
— D (@Down_Culture) January 21, 2020

4 weeks no booze. One day at a time. The real tests of my will are still to come.
— D (@Down_Culture) January 28, 2020

Officially been one month since my last sip of booze. Cheers, to a another month.
— D (@Down_Culture) February 1, 2020

Holy shit I just went a year without booze.
— D (@Down_Culture) January 1, 2021

I recommend this book if you are ready to quite alcohol but you’re not sure where to start or who to talk to. Ed’s book, Sober Letters To My Drunken Self – is a conversation with a friend who gives it to you straight and doesn’t shame you for quitting booze.

This book however, should not be your only tool for dealing with addiction. It can be tough, but if you can muster the courage (I know you can!) – call your local help-phone-line if you suspect you or a loved one is suffering from addiciton, alcohol abuse, or alcoholism.

“The thing that drove you to drink can also drive you to greatness.” -Ed Latimore

Grab a copy of Ed’s book here (not an affiliate link)