What do you do when your life looks perfect, but your habits make you feel like a complete fraud?
Sheri had what many would envy—sun-drenched mornings in Playa del Carmen, a fulfilling career as a yoga and aerobics instructor, and a picture of vibrant health. But behind the mat and beneath the surface, she was secretly battling her drinking. She was feeling like a fraud because of drinking, and that feeling was eating her alive. This is her story of facing the truth, finding healing, and walking forward in sober strength.
Trigger Warning: This post includes mentions of alcohol abuse, grief, and the sudden death of a loved one. Please take care while reading.
I Looked Like the Picture of Health—But I Was Living a Lie
Growing up, alcohol wasn’t a big deal in my house. My mom didn’t drink, and my dad wasn’t a daily drinker. I started drinking like most teens do—at parties and on weekends—but it didn’t feel like a problem back then.
As a young adult, alcohol seemed harmless. It was everywhere—at weddings, girls’ nights, Sunday brunch. Drinking felt like a rite of passage into adulthood. But I still kept it in check. I was too image-conscious to let myself gain weight, and I knew alcohol could do that.
But when I moved to Playa del Carmen in my mid-20s, everything changed. The drinks were cheap, the lifestyle was laid back, and I had the money to indulge. I was also the local yoga and aerobics instructor. Imagine that—leading sunrise yoga after partying all night. I’d be standing in front of a group of yogis at 7am, shaking from the night before. And yet, I still showed up. That’s when I started feeling like a fraud because of drinking.
I felt like I was living two lives. And the weight of that lie was unbearable.
I Tried Everything to “Fix” It
I didn’t want to admit I had a problem, so I tried to control it.
Moderation? I tried it a gazillion times.
AA? I went. I even led meetings.
Therapy? Been there.
Exercise? I used it to try to outrun my drinking.
But nothing worked—not long term. I’d tell myself I had it under control, but I was lying. Lying to myself, lying to the people I was leading, lying to the world.
And the shame kept growing.
👉 Ready to Stop Feeling Like a Fraud Because of Drinking?
If you’re done living a double life, done feeling like a fraud because of drinking, and hiding your struggle while showing up like everything’s fine, there’s a better way.
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A Facebook Post Changed Everything
One day, I was scrolling Facebook—mindlessly, numbly—and something from This Naked Mind popped up.
I clicked. That click changed my life.
I read Annie Grace’s book and suddenly, the fog started to lift. Finally, I began to understand why I drank, and that it wasn’t my fault. I wasn’t broken. I wasn’t weak. And I wasn’t alone.
From there, I dove headfirst into “quit-lit.” Reading everything. Binge-listening to podcasts. Soaking up every ounce of knowledge like my life depended on it—because it did.
This wasn’t about willpower. It was about rewiring the beliefs I didn’t even know I had.
Then, the Unthinkable Happened
After I finally quit drinking—almost seven months ago—my husband Erick was diagnosed with glioblastoma. 40 days later – he died.
He never even had a headache. He had just turned 46.
Erick was a big drinker. He wasn’t ready to give it up. And I believe, with all my heart, that if I’d still been drinking when he died, I might not have survived either.
His death was the most painful, shocking, disorienting thing I’ve ever experienced. And I stayed sober through it. That fact still blows my mind.
Grief – I walk through it sober. I wake up clear-headed. I cry without numbing. Unashamedly – I feel the pain—and I survive it.
I’m Not a Fraud Anymore. I’m Sober-Sheri.
I’ve learned that being honest is the most powerful thing I can be.
I don’t take my health for granted. I walk forward with intention.
These days, I don’t numb. I don’t lie. I don’t hide.
Proudly I can say I am Sober-Sheri now. And I’m not feeling like a fraud because of drinking—I’m finally living in alignment.
And if I could go back and tell my past self anything, it would be this:
“Alcohol is not your friend.
Everything bad that happens in your life will be tied to it.
Please, don’t drink—like ever.
Alcohol is poison.”
But since I can’t go back, I’ll say it here, for anyone who needs to hear it:
You are not alone. You are not broken. And you can walk forward, too.
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