A high-flying events manager who quit alcohol after a decade of daily drinking left her struggling to get out of bed has revealed why going on a summer holiday is actually more fun without the booze.
Melissa Lionnet, who lost control of her alcohol relationship and quit her job in a high-ranking position to teach others the health benefits of being teetotal.
In an Instagram post, “It’s not me, it’s booze,” the 33-year old Sydneysider wrote that there was once when she would have been ‘wasteful’ while on vacation, but that she found herself enjoying life more sober.
She wrote, “I would always leave a holiday feeling like I needed another vacation to heal,”
“When I looked at the pros and cons of drinking during this trip, there were more cons.
Left, Ms Lionnet in Bali, 2019, and right (almost two years sober by 2021). She began drinking when she was 15 and soon developed an unhealthy relationship with alcohol.
They included being sick the next morning on the drive home, feeling anxious about work the Monday after it ended and not producing any results once the holiday had finished.
“I would not have helped Andy unpack his car. I would have eaten poorly all week. Not exercised. Lost confidence. Wouldn’t have been there with my mum or friends.
Daily Mail Australia previously interviewed Ms Lionnet regarding her problematic relationship with alcohol. This began in the tender age at 15.
Her grandmother raised her and she told them that alcohol was an escape for her when she started to feel depressed and had suicidal thoughts.
As many teens, Ms. Lionnet began drinking with her friends but soon realized she was the drunkest person at every party.
She stated, “At the time it seemed perfectly normal, it was enjoyable because everyone was doing this,”
After more than 10 years of abuse, the sobriety coach quit drinking (pictured in 2021 with a glass alcohol-free wine)
When she began working as a hostess, her drinking habits became more severe. She was offered a job as an event manager and continued to schmoozing with clients at functions like the Melbourne race.
“I used to entertain people all the time and that always involved alcohol,” she said.
‘But when it’s part of the job you don’t see it as a problem – that was just my normal, feeling like s**t for four days a week.’
Ms. Lionnet explained that her partner left her to cope with her increasing erratic mood swings. She also said she was indecisive, depressed, and low self-esteem. However, her performance at work continued.
Ms. Lionnet, pictured in 2021. She believes that your sobriety journey starts when you begin to reevaluate your alcohol-related relationships.
Ms. Lionnet was tired of living in self-loathing for years and had trouble getting out of bed. She decided to make a change with alcohol.
A 30-day detox challenge was offered to her in 2019, which gave her the opportunity to live a happy, healthy life.
“It gave me back so much clarity,” she stated. She added: “I believe your sober journey starts from the time you begin to think about changing your alcohol relationship.”
Ms. Lionnet tried these programs for over a year and always went back to her bottle once the challenge was finished.
Although she appeared to be in complete control of her own life from the outside, the truth was quite different.
Ms Lionnet (back row, second from left) credits sober social media groups which have provided her with an online community of like-minded alcohol-free friends (pictured) for keeping her on track over the past 18 months
She said, “I would stumble home” and that he would have to drag me from the garden or put me on the sofa.
“He was the one who saw me for what I truly was. He finally said, “I don’t want to marry you. I can’t care for your child.”
“It forced me to realize that I do not want to be that person.”
She was only able to completely let go of her alcohol dependence when she began to educate herself on the effects that excessive drinking can have on the body.
Drinking alcohol can cause damage to your liver, heart, and brain. It also causes digestive problems that are caused by large amounts acidic drinks.
Also, it has been proven to reduce the quality of sleep. People who consume alcohol shortly before bedtime often feel restless and fatigued the next day.
Experts say binning the booze for just one month can transform your health, provided the temporary abstinence leads to a more moderate and mindful approach to drinking in the long run.
Dietitians and fitness coaches promise even short periods without alcohol will improve memory, mental clarity and sleep, as well as promoting weight loss and reducing pressure on the liver which starts to cleanse itself just one hour after your last drink.
According to doctors, abstaining for as short as one month from alcohol can improve concentration and decision making and reduce the chance of developing mental disorders such as anxiety or depression.
Ms. Lionnet can attest to that, and claims that both her and her clients’ clarity has improved in the space of weeks.
“People are more confident in themselves and make faster, better decisions. They also trust their instincts far more than when they drink,” she stated.