My mom got sick with cancer in 2003 and I went off the deep end with drinking. I was drinking a lot and driving intoxicated. Not good. My mom passed away after a year battling leukemia, and I went even further into the bottle. Then last December I went on a 3 day drinking / pill popping binge that ended with me in the hospital with cuts up and down my arms and charcoal in my system. After that I had a 3 day stay at a psych hospital. After that I decided it was time to quit drinking. It wasn’t easy. All my friends drink and it sucked not being able to drink with them, but I knew it was for the best. They all supported my decision, but part of me still felt like an outsider. Its been a little over 8 months since my last drink, and I’m very happy.