Month: February 2016

Interview: Alcohol was my Self-Medication for Depression with Meg Kirby

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Meg Kirby is the epitome of zen. The times I spent around this incredible woman stand out because she stands out. She’s a voice for equal rights and she serves as a witness to what yoga truly is: love. I was lucky enough to work closely with her at lululemon in North Houston. We recently caught up and Meg opened up to me about depression, finding herself before she could find true love, and how her pregnancy inspires her commitment to self discovery.

SobrieTea Party: How were you introduced to alcohol?

Meg Kirby: I was 16 years old. It became clear that drinking alcohol was the most popular way to have fun or to cope with stress. The mentality of binge drinking is “You have to drink. And you have to drink a lot”. We always made sure to have a designated driver, but we made fun of anyone else in the group who wasn’t drinking the way that we did. Growing up in Canada, where the legal drinking age is 18, alcohol was everywhere.

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How Scott Weiland Fueled my Sobriety

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Sunday, November 29th - My friends and I were at Fanelli’s, our favorite dimly lit pub in SoHo. Our table was full of Stella, Blue Moon, and frustration. We talked about how we’re “too busy” and how we “don’t have enough time to get things done”. After a few too many pints, I looked at my phone and realized that we had spent four hours in that pub. FOUR HOURS. On the walk towards my train, I began making a mental list of things I can cut out of my life in order to be more efficient with my time. I can spend less time networking. I could cut back on my workouts. I can write less. Though I was aware of how I just spent four hours in a bar, drinking less alcohol never even crossed my mind.

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Puke & Rally

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I’m at a yoga retreat in The Berkshires and I’ve succumbed to some sort of stomach bug. This retreat was supposed to be my getaway from the city, my time to reflect, my time to slow down and recharge. Why did I have to get sick? Why am I stuck in my room for most of the weekend?

I just threw up for the first time in years. The last time I threw up, alcohol was the catalyst. In my past life, I drank to excess, puked, then drank some more. This correlation between drinking and vomiting happened so frequently that I eventually developed some tricks on how to refrain from throwing up: swallow saliva repeatedly so it can’t come up, take another shot and forget about it (until later), or dance to burn it off. All of these tactics may sound insane, but in that state of mind, I thought that these practices kept me afloat in a world where I was drowning. Worst of all was my favorite… Continue reading “Puke & Rally” →

RealiTea Bites

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Today was one of those days where I was reminded that I’m a human being, not a machine. Nothing in particular happened; it just wasn’t my day. I had several plans, but I canceled them all. Something was calling me to come home, drink tea, and write.

I get phone calls and texts from people asking how I’m doing, what it’s like living in New York, and how my blog is going. So…have you ever asked me a question like this and I’ve replied with “It’s going great! How are you?” This is how I really want to respond, but I’m afraid to admit that I’m not perfect and I have my own daily struggles, too. Continue reading “RealiTea Bites” →