SOBRIETY: “Judaism has been teaching the 12 Steps for 3,0000 years” Aish.com 

My husband and I haven’t drank alcohol in many decades. Teetotalism. That’s where the details stop. Most people don’t care to hear about it. A prurient interest is a big red flag for us.  (Maybe the asker should quit, too. Maybe that’s why she’s trying to embarrass me.) I don’t have to explain anything. 

For my part, I am too busy setting healthy boundaries to care, too.  That’s the gift that keeps on giving.  

Have I taken away car keys from people when they drink too much? Yes. Not in a long time.  We are Silver Sneaker Status. 

Have I volunteered to be the designated driver for Girls Night Out or Wedding Shower Night? Not in a very long time, but yes. MOST bars or nightclubs will serve you a fantastic meal and all the non-alcoholic beverages you want, and the bouncer, owner, and police will personally thank you because on that night, no one in your care is going to drive their car over an entire family and kill them.  

Do I personally know someone who has driven their car over an entire family out for a walk and killed them? Yes. She is sober many, many years now and will tell you all about it.

Do I have friends who still drink? Of course.  If they ever abuse us or create an unhealthy atmosphere for me or my husband, we can no longer see them.   

Do we socialize with people who still drink? Of course. (Oneg supply wine AND apple juice.) 

Do we know people who have given up alcohol? Thousands. Hundreds of thousands.  We are Silver Sneaker Status. 

Do people ask me for my opinion? Yes. Mostly because I don’t repeat what I hear. (Remember: I am too busy figuring out how to live my best life by setting healthy boundaries.)

Do I give advice?  I will TELL anyone who is being abused by a lover, a family member, a boss, a co-worder about al-anon.org. MOST people need advice and support on how to set healthy boundaries. That’s it in a nutshell. 

I recently learned that many treatment centers and meeting groups in the US use Judaism as the foundational spirituality for 12 Step Groups.  I had no idea. When I read this quote I smiled hard: 

“Judaism has been teaching the 12 Steps for 3,0000 years” Aish.com 

There are books galore on the subject like this one I ordered recently: