I know what the joys of not drinking are. My thinking is clear, my decision making is reliable, people trust me, I can commit, I am responsible for myself and others, I am relieved of guilt, I don’t have to lie, I don’t look at authority as the enemy, people don’t avoid me and don’t have to lie to me, I laugh more, I don’t worry about my health or mortality, I can enjoy the company of others and remember the gathering, I don’t have to apologize for upsetting people when I was under the influence, I can look people in the eye and this is just a short list of my joys. All this I already knew was possible if I stopped drinking, but the knowledge wasn’t enough to stop me. I had to become desperate enough and sick and tired enough of my life to want to change it. To want what other non drinkers had. The desperation humbled me enough to seek help and that is what altered my life so I could enjoy what others so preciously had. The joys of not drinking.