Binge drinker finds sweet spot

MY YEAR OF NOT GETTING SH*TFACED – HOW I TRIED AND FAILED TO GIVE UP ALCOHOL AND LEARNED THE JOYS OF MODERATION

Pamela Power

Loot (R189)

Jonathan Ball

AFTER an exceptionally wild Mother’s Day where she danced like there was no tomorrow, picked a fight with a stranger and collided with the floor, Joburg scriptwriter and author Pamela Power is forced to take a hard look at her drinking habits.

She realises that although she does not need to find an AA group immediately, she might be a serial binge drinker and needs to take back control.

In this honest yet humorous account of her year of not getting sh*tfaced, Pamela examines her long, complicated relationship with alcohol. She is shocked to realise just how much of a crutch alcohol has been for her. There is always a bottle of wine or prosecco around her to help her manage the demands of life as a freelancer and as a parent.

Pamela starts her journey to sobriety at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic as her family faces financial troubles, and life in the suburban Parks of Joburg isn’t so blissful any more.

Through her we experience all the frustration, irritation and surprising benefits of going dry. In dealing with her dependence on alcohol, Pamela also confronts her troubled relationship with her parents. While many other sober-curious books portray sobriety as the only answer, Pamela has found a sweet spot between total sobriety and binge drinking: moderation.