Many people assume alcoholism means drinking every day or drinking enormous quantities. But quantities and frequencies may vary and don't always point to alcoholism. 

There are people who are binge-drinkers. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), binge drinking is defined as having five or more drinks in under two hours. Four drinks or more, if we consider only women. 

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a psychiatric condition referenced in the DSM-V that is characterized by a pattern of use or abuse of alcohol that causes social, physical and mental distress to the user. This includes binge-drinkers, people who drink every day, people who have exaggerated amounts of alcohol at once and those who can't go even a few days without drinking.

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a medical condition that is characterized by the impossibility or difficulty in one controlling their alcohol consumption or use despite negative consequences on their career, health and social life. It is a disease, a psychiatric disorder that needs to be properly diagnosed and treated. Yes—it can be treated. No, it’s not your fault.

It's interesting that alcohol is the only drug that you need to justify not using. I was an active alcoholic for thirteen years and nobody ever said a word. After I quit, in every event, bar or party, there's always someone to ask why I don't want a glass of wine or why am I drinking water. No one needs to justify not smoking, not using cocaine or marijuana. Alcohol is different. You're different if you don't use it. And you have to justify it.

The first few days of sobriety can be very tough. Depending on the level of drinking you had endured before quitting, you may feel different symptoms of abstinence. The weekend before I quit, I drank for three days straight. On Monday, I was a shadow of myself. The hangover lasted another three days. I decided that I never wanted to feel like that again. Fortunately, the only signs of abstinence I felt were psychological. My body felt good, but my mind did not.

Noah doesn't remember that I drank. He knows I did because we talk about my sobriety and the general topic of drugs, smoking and alcohol. But he doesn't remember my drinking. This was one of the biggest gifts that sobriety has given me. I was not a bad mother when I was using. But I wasn't the best mother that I could be. There were many shortcomings.

If we only lived for ourselves, life would be easy. But we live in a society where things are expected of us. We're expected to go to our friend's dinner party, to our nephew's birthday party, to your brother's graduation and your roommate's wedding. We can't get out of it forever. There is a social pressure for us to be around other people and around alcohol. 

There's one other issue—when you hang out with people who drink, at some point the vibe shifts. As the alcohol makes its way through their veins, you are still sober. Suddenly they are laughing at things that aren't funny, getting angry at things that don't make sense and defending viewpoints you never knew they had. And you are just—you.

I went to AA twice a week for four months back in the beginning of my journey. I always spoke and shared my feelings, my thoughts, my doubts. My companions always treated me with kindness and I felt like the group meetings were useful.

After more than a decade sober, I want to share some of the lessons I learned the hard way. From accepting that I had a problem to rebuilding my health, relationships, and life, this is the advice I wish someone had given me when I first tried to quit drinking.

So, how can you finally quit drinking? A quick story about someone who has gone through it multiple times, the many roads to sobriety and the ultimate decision.

Why should you quit drinking? We all have our reasons—from just trying to be more healthy in general to treating alcoholism. It's different for everyone. But there's also only one solution, no matter your reason—to quit.

I knew alcohol would become a problem from the very first sip I took at 17. What began as a way to fit in slowly turned into something I relied on to socialize, feel confident, and escape myself. This is the story of how drinking gradually took over my life and what finally led me to quit after thirteen years.