S3 Bonus | Personal Life Update - My struggle with alcohol

Aug 19

If you follow Carla on her Instagram Page, you know she has been open about her struggle in using wine as a coping mechanism since she was a child. In this bonus episode Carla provides an update on her journey to break free of this bondage that has had a very strong grip on her.

Alcohol as a Crutch

Carla takes us back to her childhood to explain how alcohol became a crutch starting at age 12, she used it to numb pain and be accepted by peers, and how it continued into her teenage years and early 20’s. Alcohol is a socially accepted way of coping - even after Carla became a Christian, her use of alcohol to numb out or relax was not challenged. She justified her use of alcohol because she wasn’t “abusing” it by partying, going to work hungover, etc, but just unwinding at the end of the day.

During the pandemic, Carla noted that the weekend glass of wine turned to the weekday glass of wine, and how that became true for a lot of our culture. Eventually, she began to realize that using alcohol only made her feel more shame, caused more depressive episodes, blocked her intimacy with Christ, and created tension in her family - eventually becoming a problem.

Ask yourself - what do you use as a crutch to numb out or escape your pain?

Fear as a Speedbump to Freedom

Even though Carla was beginning to see that alcohol had become a crutch, she was having a hard time giving it up. The fear of giving up alcohol was greater than her desire to be free of it. She had seen this fear-based addiction in other areas of her life previously - like smoking - and when her desire to be free outweighed her desire to numb out, she was able to quit cold turkey!

Carla found that, using her trauma as an excuse to numb out was not longer serving her, but causing her even more self-loathing and even taking her to suicide idealation.

Hard thoughts are always there, even if you’re numbing them out. Learning how to let go of her fear and taking thoughts captive instead of numbing them out empowered Carla to give up the substances that held her back - she learned how to trust the Lord to come through for her!

Ask yourself - why are you afraid to give up your crutches? What freedom can you find on the other side of fear?

A New Perspective of Stewardship in the Light Of Wellness

Carla shares how her journey to holistic wellness gave her a new perspective of stewardship, which helped eliminate fear.

A steward is someone who is trusted with someone else’s resources. As a Christian, your life was bought by Christ and it is not your own, you are entrusted to steward it.

Carla lists what God has entrusted her to steward - physical body, spiritual gifts, her family, and more and encourages listeners in their stewardship.

Take a moment to write down what the Lord has entrusted you to steward.

Turning to Jesus

Carla challenged herself to a month without drinking, and found that she had not been turning to the Lord for help, but a glass of wine. Since eliminating alcohol, Carla’s body & mind have been healthier and it has created opportunity for genuine connection with her son. Only GOOD things have come from eliminating alcohol.

TIP: A craving only lasts 20 minutes - if you can hold out for a craving wave, you can overcome it! Find ways to occupy yourself in the craving (a walk, worship music, etc).

Carla has committed to never using wine as a crutch again. This doesn’t mean she doesn’t plan on never touching it again, but she is prioritizing God’s voice in her life over numbing out.

It can be scary to release alcohol, but there are far better things on the other side and the Lord will sustain you. If you have the courage to take the leap, you will find His voice in your life is better than relaxing with a glass of wine or using alcohol as a social lubricant.

It’s up to us to normalize pressing into Jesus over mommy wine culture!