A Coffee with the FABULOUS Heather Lowe
I had the pleasure of having coffee some months ago with Heather Lowe who is the President and Founder of Ditched the Drink. Ditched the Drink , is a health and wellness brand that offers online recovery coaching and workplace wellness consulting. Heather’s mission is to help individuals and organizations evaluate their relationship with alcohol. By normalizing not drinking through education, awareness, and solutions, we can empower others to be better versions of themselves. My impression of Heather on our call was really positive and I found her warm and charming. But for me, Heather proved how wonderful she is as a human after our chat ended. She regularly checks in with me through the loss of my Mam, Covid and a rocky medical round of tests and interventions - NEVER once did she put pressure on me for this article or ask when the magazine was coming out. NOT ONCE, and to me - that is everything you need to know about her. She is an exemplary human being whose heart is in the right place and she works tirelessly to bring sobriety, health, and wellness to people's lives each and every damn day. "When I first quit drinking I wanted everything in my life to stay exactly the same. The only difference would be that I was no longer drinking. I didn’t want anyone to know if I was drinking or not drinking, and I definitely didn’t want it to be the topic of conversation. I feared my relationships would change, or that others would feel uncomfortable around me. I wanted to go on living my life, only somehow secretly not drinking alcohol. Now, at 3-years sober, I realize how that was both unrealistic, and not in my best interest. Looking back it doesn’t surprise me that I had all of these expectations. I had set myself up to live an unliveable life in many ways. I wanted to go unnoticed and keep everyone around me happy at all times. I also never wanted to feel anything. If I started having an intense feelings, I would get disappointed in myself. It was easier to pretend it didn’t exist. Whatever the feeling was, it had to be wrong, and it was my fault for feeling it. I expected myself to be flawless. This was something I could never live up to, and I punished myself for it. I expected myself to be able to drink alcohol without consequences. So day after day, I would berate myself for having a hangover — and not to mention, become overwhelmed with embarrassment. I would get heart-pounding panic attacks knowing others had seen me too tipsy, or remembering myself, buzzed in front of my husband and kids. Sobriety changed all of that." Heather said in an article for Monument in 2021 READ IN FULL HERE
I asked Heather to answer some of the standard questions and she did so promptly and charmingly. What is your sober date? 20th February, 2018 When did your drinking career start? I first got drunk at 14. I first worried I was an alcoholic at 21. I (unsuccessfully) completed my first sober experiment at 39. I was 42 years old on my last and FINAL Day 1. How long do you think you had a problem with alcohol before you took the decision to make the changes and do the work? I never wanted to admit alcohol was a problem. Deep down I knew from my first drink how much I loved it. It lit me up and I wanted more than anyone else. I knew I would be a drinker. It was everywhere in my environment. What program did you use to reach freedom from alcohol; Twelve-Steps or Modern Recovery? I didn’t use a formal program at all. I surrendered to my husband that I needed help. I used meditation, journaling, fitness, podcasts, quit lit, and lots of walks and baths. I had a friend that got sober with me, and that was the best support. Professionally has your decision to be public in sobriety had any consequences? Yes, in the best way. I became a Certified Professional Recovery and Life Coach and started my own business, Ditched the Drink, to help others. This is an absolute dream come true. I was climbing the career ladder while drinking, but I was going through the motions and getting increasingly miserable, not to mention rejected in my endeavors. Getting sober paved the way to live in alignment and I am so grateful. Have you seen great changes within your relationships in sobriety? Yes definitely. My husband and I are much more connected. It has been good for him to level up too. My children respect me, support me, and together we have experienced overcoming something really tough. This has strengthened our bond beyond measure. The most important relationship improvement, however, is with myself. I have learned to love myself without apology and that has made all the difference.
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