stroz (he/him)<p>Before the awful festivities of tomorrow's holiday, I wanted to take a moment to reflect, as it will mark 17 years of <a href="https://infosec.exchange/tags/sobriety" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>sobriety</span></a> for me, personally.</p><p>It's been a tough road, and 45/47 definitely has made the past decade rough as all hell. But I keep showing up, one day at a time.</p><p>My health has declined since the first COVID infection in 2022, but even with these symptoms, it's a world of difference being sober. My liver and kidneys aren't constantly filtering poison from my body, and after 17 years of time off, maybe they're doing pretty great. Take a look at the before and after photos below...70 extra lbs is a lot to carry!</p><p>If you are questioning whether you need to stop drinking, or picking up that drug of choice: Don't lie to yourself. It's incredibly easy to lie to yourself, very difficult and admirable to reject lying to yourself in this moment.</p><p>If I can do this, you can do this. Stay strong. Stay alive.</p><p>Here's to tomorrow's challenges, which I will face like I did today's: With effort, but also resolve</p><p><a href="https://infosec.exchange/tags/OneDayAtATime" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>OneDayAtATime</span></a> <a href="https://infosec.exchange/tags/SoberInCyber" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SoberInCyber</span></a> <a href="https://infosec.exchange/tags/Sober" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Sober</span></a> <a href="https://infosec.exchange/tags/SoberFedi" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SoberFedi</span></a> <a href="https://infosec.exchange/tags/Drinking" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Drinking</span></a> <a href="https://infosec.exchange/tags/Health" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Health</span></a> <a href="https://infosec.exchange/tags/KeepComingBack" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>KeepComingBack</span></a> <a href="https://infosec.exchange/tags/NA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NA</span></a></p>