“Hi to this amazing community! I’m Michelle, aka @soberinlosangeles. I started my sober journey in September of 2017, after years of partying and excessive binge drinking. I’ve always considered myself to have control over so many aspects of my life, and excelled in so many ways, but alcohol was the one thing I couldn’t control and was always getting in the way of really leading my best life: it was causing me so many problems, increasing my depression and anxiety, and making me hurt others around me.Alcohol crept into my life in high school and gained speed, becoming increasingly problematic, in college and my 20s. I loved going out and drinking with friends, but I became more and more unable to control how much I drank when I went out. My drinking caused concern amongst my closest friends, while straining relationships. I knew things had to change. I decided to get sober in 2017 and had a couple of years of amazing sobriety, but after those years (and being in the pandemic), I thought I could moderate again and opened the door back up to alcohol. I realized, after old patterns emerged again, that I had to get back on the sober path, and I’ve been continuously sober since November 20, 2021! Getting sober in my early 30s and then having to reevaluate my relationship with alcohol post-relapse last year has been, albeit challenging, the most rewarding journey of my life. Creating @soberinlosangeles and being part of the @sobercitymovement (created by @sobernseattle) has allowed me to connect with so many sober people across the globe, as well as allowed me to make new, amazing friends in the Los Angeles area. I’m so excited to continue to embrace and share my sober journey with others and create safe spaces and events for sober women in the LA area so we can continue to break the stigma around addiction, while creating meaningful friendships and connections.”