What initially started out as an experiment for Valerie Bertinelli has quickly become a lifestyle.
The actress is reflecting on six months of being alcohol-free, a decision that was initially sparked by a desire to participate in ‘Dry January’ but also remedy her inclination to use both food and alcohol for self-soothing purposes. She posted the milestone to Instagram earlier this month in a bold return to social media.
“I don’t think I ever really had a problem [with alcohol], and that’s why it was a bit, I don’t want to say easy, but it was an easier path for me to start with Dry January,” she told People magazine, of what her life has looked like since the new year. “And then go, ‘Well, I’m halfway through February. Now I might as well just keep going.’ And now for me, I kind of make a game of it.”
VALERIE BERTINELLI EXPLAINS WHY SHE GAVE UP DRINKING: ‘THERE WAS SO MUCH SADNESS IN MY LIFE’
Valerie Bertinelli has been alcohol-free since initially participating in Dry January at the start of the year. (JC Olivera/Getty Images for NATAS)
Having been sober for six months, Bertinelli, who previously said weight loss had been a benefit of her sober lifestyle, has also noticed other changes from cutting out booze.
“Even with life struggles and how life can be challenging, I find that it is easier to get myself clearer faster, about what I need to do and taking care of my life,” the “Made in Cleveland” star explained. “I feel good when I wake up in the morning. I’m not groggy. I’m not tired. I’m not: ‘What did I do last night?’”
Valerie Bertinelli says eliminating alcohol has helped her see other elements of her life more clearly. (Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)
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In April, Bertinelli admitted to the outlet that her divorce from second husband, Tom Vitale, whom she had a tumultuous marriage with, had inspired her decision to quit drinking.
“I was still going through a lot of crap, and I knew that I wanted to be on the road of intentionally finding my core happiness,” Bertinelli said. At the time, both food and alcohol were in Bertinelli’s “toolkit for soothing and ignoring s— that I shouldn’t be soothing and ignoring.”
Valerie Bertinelli says getting divorced from second husband Tom Vitale gave her motivation to stop drinking. (Rich Polk/Getty Images for St. John)
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“I’m not groggy. I’m not tired. I’m not: ‘What did I do last night?’”
“I would go out and have a fun time, drink, and the next day, I’d be so sad,” she remembered. “Because there was so much sadness in my life, and alcohol amplified it. I think it’s important to really not numb emotional pain.”
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Now, Bertinelli is able to identify how a sober lifestyle can not only change her present, but also her future.
“[It’s] keeping me honest about my emotions and honest about my mental health journey, and my work that I want to do there,” she continued. “I say all the time, ‘If I’m lucky, I have 20 more years left,’ and I want them to be the best years of my life. And I don’t want to be doing what I’ve been doing the last 64 years,” she added, of eliminating drinking. “I want a better, cleaner, cooler, more exciting way to knock out the last 20.”