Giving up alcohol doesn't have to be hard.

By KATE WEBBER

I love booze. I love it in all its forms. I love beer, cider, scotch, good vodka, better gin, bourbon cocktails, quality rum, bad rum (I am a Queenslander, after all), tequila, but most of all, wine. I actually can’t imagine a world without wine; it doesn’t bear thinking about. My family are all drinkers, and what seems normal to us (knock off work, cook dinner, sit down to a wine or four), is excessive to others, and actually considered binge drinking by the medical society.

After working in hospitality my entire life, it also became totally acceptable within my friendship group and circle of colleagues to finish work and knock back at least three drinks… and that’s on a quiet night! And alcohol is not the only substance enjoyed by those close to me; recreational drug use was the norm growing up.

Let’s break the mold here. I am not from a disadvantaged background, a broken family, or an area known for a certain demographic. My sister and I are lucky enough to come from one of the most loving, close and amiable families around. Our parents are celebrating their 43nd wedding anniversary this year. I was sent to one of the most exclusive girls’ schools in Australia, and we grew up in a lovely, leafy inner-city Brisbane suburb. Yet substance abuse nearly claimed the life of one of my closest family members, and we were moments away from losing this beautiful, talented, loving and charismatic person on multiple occasions. Figuratively, we lost that person for 10 years. As for myself, I was in a haze of partying, “recreational” drug taking, drinking and not much sleep for most of my late teens and twenties.

So how does it happen that two such wonderful people as my parents nearly lose two children to substance abuse? We had all the

Looking back, I can now see the only reason we both came out the other side was because we are lucky enough to have the support network we do. We have people to help us, are there for us no matter how horrendously we behave, and love us. But how can you possibly get out of that cycle if you don’t have this safety net? And it is scary how many are out there that have no one.

Now? I’m a boring old accountant; I eat a paleo diet and do crossfit. I try to keep as healthy as I can. However, I still can’t shake those two glasses of wine on the couch every night, and many more when catching up with the girls on the weekend. It’s hard to break a habit of a lifetime. This is why I’m doing Ocsober this year. I’m going 31 days without my beloved booze to raise money for Life Education Australia, an amazing initiative to educate kids all over Australia on the negative effects of drugs and alcohol, poor diet and lack of exercise, and so importantly, bullying. These guys do an amazing job, and if they can change the course of a few kids’ lives through knowledge, then giving up wine for a month is the least I can do. And hopefully this month off will change my habits also… Although a celebratory Riesling will be well earned on November 1st!

You can support Kate and Life Education by donating here – https://ocsober2014.everydayhero.com/au/ladybrolgaga by raising $1,000 Kate’s effort will teach 100 primary school children how to stay safe online from bullies and online predators

About Ocsober:

Australians are being urged to set their willpower free this October and participate in Ocsober – a month long refrain from alcohol, all in the name of a good cause. www.ocsober.com.au

Ocsober (1-31 October) is the biggest fundraiser of the year for national charity, Life Education which is the largest non-government provider of health education to children.

Life Education is seeking to raise $1 Million this year for its drug, alcohol and health education programs which are delivered to 600,000 school students annually. The preventative health programs educate and empower children and young people to make safer and healthier lifestyle choices.