Identity and Freedom: You Are More Than a Label

# Identity and Freedom: You Are More Than a Label **October 2, 2025** **Lauri McGivern, MPH, ALPC - Alcohol Freedom Coach** Identity is powerful. It shapes how we see ourselves, how we show up in the world, and often how others expect us to be. Our identities form through our families, our culture, our work, and our lived experiences. For years, I volunteered in EMS and worked as a death investigator. In public service, identity is strong. EMS, firefighting, law enforcement, death investigation — the badge, the title, the role often become who we are. We identify so deeply with what we do that sometimes we forget who we are. The same is often true with alcohol. ## The Identity of "Drinker" (and "Alcoholic") Many people unconsciously adopt the identity of "drinker." Society reinforces it with messages like: 🍷 Drinkers have more fun. 🚫 Non-drinkers are boring. And when alcohol becomes too much, another identity gets handed down: "alcoholic." That word carries such stigma that people struggle to separate themselves from it. I hear the questions often: "Am I an alcoholic?" "Does that mean I'll always be one?" The answer is no. You are not a label. The more we define ourselves by labels, the harder it is to grow beyond them. ## Shifting the Focus: Thoughts, Feelings, and Actions Instead of attaching to labels, a more empowering approach is to focus on thoughts, feelings, and actions. * **Thoughts:** What story am I telling myself? Do I believe alcohol will make me more fun, less stressed, more connected? Is that belief actually true? * **Feelings:** What am I feeling right now that makes me want to reach for a drink? Anxiety, overwhelm, loneliness, celebration? Can I sit with that feeling and notice what it's asking for? * **Actions:** What choice can I make right now that supports my well-being? Could I pause, breathe, journal, or connect with someone instead of pouring a drink? When we explore thoughts, feelings, and actions together, we see alcohol for what it is: a learned response, not our identity. By changing the story in our mind, tending to what we're really feeling, and choosing a new action, we create space for freedom. ## Meeting Your True Self Again Asking, "Who am I without that identity?" can feel scary. But often, the person you rediscover is your truest self — the part of you that has been waiting under the surface, pushed aside by roles, expectations, and labels. That self is not boring. That self is not weak. That self is not defined by alcohol. That self is ready for freedom, joy, and happiness. ## Reflection for You * What identities are you holding onto? * Are they supporting you — or holding you back? * How can you shift your thoughts, feelings, and actions to align with who you truly want to be? You are not your role. You are not your label. You are so much more. 💛 If you're ready to reconnect with your true self, I'd love to walk beside you on that journey. 📧 **[email protected]** 🌐 **www.FreeSpiritsAF.com**