I Never Called Myself an Alcoholic. I Still Retired from Alcohol.
By Colin Casillas, Founder of Prepared Sobriety
The word stopped me for years. Alcoholic.
I'd have a drink on a Friday night and catch myself wondering if I should stop. Then I'd run that word through my head. Does it apply? Am I there yet?
I wasn't drinking in the morning. I showed up to work. I kept my job and my marriage. From the outside looking in, my life looked the way it was supposed to.
So I'd decide the word didn't apply, and I'd have another drink. I did that for about ten years.
What those years looked like
I drank on Fridays. Then Fridays and Saturdays. Then Sundays became brewery days with my wife.
By Monday evening I was crabby, every week. I knew why. I didn't say it out loud.
My total cholesterol was 285. I weighed 230. Acid reflux put me in the ER once, and they had to put me under to clear my esophagus. I was on two medications.
I kept drinking after all of that. I didn't fit my own picture of an alcoholic, so I told myself I was fine.
Why the label gets in the way
For a lot of people, "alcoholic" works like a permission slip. If things are bad enough, you're allowed to stop. Programs exist for you. People understand.
If things aren't that bad, you're on your own. You don't have a crisis to point to. You have a thought that won't go away. That thought is where preparing starts.
What I did instead
I spent about six years preparing. In the Prepared Sobriety framework, that's Visualization. I pictured what mornings could feel like. What things with my wife could look like. What being sharp at work five days a week could do.
Surgery in April 2025 set the date. By then I'd already decided. I retired from alcohol on April 16, 2025.
What changed
- Total cholesterol from 285 to 202.
- LDL from 212 to 142 in four months.
- hs-CRP from 2.9 to 1.6.
- Off two medications, for blood pressure and acid reflux, by February 2026.
- 14 pounds lighter in four months without changing my diet or workouts. 23 pounds lighter today.
At home, my daughter told me I listen now. My son started telling me his goals. At work, management noticed before I said a word.
Does this sound like you?
You've been thinking about it for longer than you'd admit. You function. You show up. The thought won't leave.
You don't need a label to act on it. You need a date.
Open to talking it through? Book a complimentary call, or start on your own time with Reserve.
Colin Casillas founded Prepared Sobriety to help high performers retire from alcohol on their own terms. He retired on April 16, 2025, after 30 years of regular drinking. Four months later his LDL was down 33% and he'd lost 14 lbs. Within ten months he was off two medications. You can work with Colin one-on-one or on your own time.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to identify as an alcoholic to change my drinking?
No. Many people who retire from alcohol never identify as alcoholics, and never hit a visible rock bottom. The alcoholic label creates a threshold most high-functioning professionals never reach, which keeps them drinking longer than they should. You don't need a crisis or a label, just a decision and a date.
What is the difference between stopping drinking and retiring from alcohol?
Stopping can mean a battle, forcing it through cravings and counting days. Retiring from alcohol is a prepared decision made after months or years of preparing. The mind gets there first. When the date arrives, the decision feels inevitable rather than forced.
Can you stop drinking if you still function normally?
Yes. Functioning well doesn't mean alcohol isn't costing you. It may mean the costs are quieter, brain fog on Mondays, short fuse with family, weight gain, elevated cholesterol, reduced clarity at work. High-functioning grey area drinkers face real physiological and relational costs even without a visible rock bottom.
How long does it take to mentally prepare to retire from alcohol?
It varies. Colin Casillas spent six years in the preparation stages before retiring on April 16, 2025. Most people move through the process over months to years without realizing it's preparation. The Prepared Sobriety Framework names and accelerates that process so you can move toward a specific committed date.
What happens to your health when you retire from alcohol without a program?
The body responds quickly regardless of how you stop. Colin lost 14 pounds in four months, reduced LDL cholesterol from 212 to 142, cut his inflammation marker nearly in half, and eliminated two daily medications within ten months. No program, no diet change, no new supplements.
Is grey area drinking a real problem if nobody around you notices?
Yes. Grey area drinking produces real physiological effects even when nobody around you sees a problem. Elevated cholesterol, systemic inflammation, disrupted sleep, and cognitive impairment accumulate quietly over years. The absence of an obvious crisis doesn't mean the costs aren't real.