+Rio Jupiter That's great ! I'm a year sober and mindful of the fact that booze takes away from us the urge to do the things we love. In my case music. I spent 20 years boozing when I should have been writing songs and playing guitar. Always blamed my failings on the guitars so bought more of them and ended up using their cases to hide empty bottles in. In sobriety I've built a recording studio, have a couple of musical projects on the go and am teaching. It's all good !
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. - John 3:16 KJV I think ❤️💕 before I was a Christian I used to drink really much and mix with drugs and fight and get in trouble with the police and party a lot and sleep with many women and back then I probably thought I had a lot of fun but it ain’t worth going to hell for it maybe is worth going to jail for short periods if there would have been no God but there is a God and it is not worth going to hell for ❤️💕💖 God bless you and repent toward God and believe in Jesus if you haven’t and don’t, it is worth it ❤️💕
im an alcoholic im 28 years old and you inspire me i cried when i watched your video anne rice is my hero my favorite writer im on a alchol programme its nice to know you have people that have done the same
I never drink, but reality has become so alien to me that every time I stop smoking Fentynol the world is unrecognizable & I see no where for me to exist. Life is so much easier when in a fog of dream. Everything is possible I can do it all, I would & the drug is just in the way, but maybe it's an excuse to hide in a place where expectations can never be expecpected.
Good Lord, Anne! When I was in university, I learned that I could have an awesome time with my friends(even at clubs, or parties) without touching a drop of alcohol! And I remembered the good times the next morning and for years to come!
Alcohol will dull the pain, but Alchemy will transform it. Anne Rice was a true alchemist, and transformed the darkness of life into literary gold for us all. Thank you Anne, wish you were still with us!
@@alexcoltuneac May 31 will be my 3rd sober birthday. Some days it is still a struggle but most days are OK. There will never come a day when I finally made it though, I'm always going to be one drink away from going back to where I was before.
so glad a moment of desperation led me to searching "dont drink" in youtube and finding this gem. thank you anne. anyone reading this 16yrs after it was posted like i am, you can do this.
Thank you for sharing this message and your personal story. Happy sobriety anniversary! I am 7 years sober and it is an everyday battle but I am truly a more complete person without all the baggage and drama that comes with an alochol addiction. Much love to you Anne!
I wanted to thank you for this announcement, I grew up surrounded by drink, my father was an alcholic and my mother worked as a bar manager. This may have led a lot of people into the drinking culture but I turned against it hating it for taking my mother away to work such long hours and stealing my father from us (he died from alcohol abuse several years ago). I know the dangers in drinking and it pleases me to see someone like yourself speaking out about them too. Yours Nick Murray x
I love that you've gone public with your truth. I completely agree with you about not drinking. I'm a child of two alcoholic parents and there are wreched memories/scars that I have because of their addictions that will never go away. I have never been able to drink because I was always so scared that I'd damage my children the way my parents damaged me. I'm an advocate for sobriety!!! Thank you for going public with this Anne Rice! I love you too!!
Im so proud of you Anne! I 100% agree with you and am very happy for you. Drinking isn't glamorous and I've been negatively effected by it from people I know. Your inspiring Anne and I wish other people had your will-power and strength.
*☼ This is such an important entry. I had seen it before. My mom stopped drinking to have me. Alcohol is such a danger - there is no drug quite like it. No drug insidious - sneaky - like it in quite the same way. And it protects itself, not unlike possession. And it is the most accepted. I've seen it destroy the most powerful people.* It causes the depression and hopelessness it claims to treat. The trick, though, is that one can be genuinely sad first. Confusing the arrow of causality.
I applaud you for being sober and could not agree more about enjoying being clear headed. There is no fun in not remembering what one does during a drunken stupor. I saw some negative comments here but I think it's a wonderful thing you've done if you can reach a single person and change their life or at the very least plant the seed of reality into their brain. Alcohol physically affects women even worse according to medical research. Thanks for sharing & again congrats on staying sober :-)
Wow! I pulled up this video because I thought you were going to give writing advice - and was going to recommend that people not drink while they were writing. This is one of the best public service announcements that I've ever seen on NOT DRINKING! I have a friend of mine who is 68 years old that is helping a friend go through an alcohol rehabilitation 28 day program. Just hearing about this has given me new insights - and the awareness that you would never want to let drinking have that type of hold on your life. Great speech. You did a fabulous job getting the point across. Very inspiring - Thank you for saying this. I gave up drinking about eight years ago, shortly after my mother passed away. It was one of the best decisions that I have made. I occasionally have a glass of wine, but do not drink into excess. Great public service announcement. I'm sure there are a lot of people who would benefit by seeing this. Thank you!
It has been 23 years for me. I can remember taking a case of beer in my room and reading Interview all night. I drank day and night from the age of 15 to 25. One day something came about me and I just stopped. Its almost like there were angels helping me. Some comments said that some people can handle it. The problem is taking that risk to find this out. I don't think I would ever regret my past. The experience helped me see life differently.
Well said, Anne~! Kudos. There is nothing more important then showing our little ones that we can walk through this life with our eyes wide open. It's SO much cooler to be the sober. Life gets more creative without the bottle.
Anne! I never knew you were sober. I am a recovering addict and have also experienced the negative effects of alcohol in my life. 5.50 years clean and sober here! Thank you for sharing a bit of your personal story. Means a whole lot. Thank you for getting sober so you could continue to give the world such amazing stories. I actually started reading one of your books in jail (serving consequences of my addiction) and you and your characters quickly became a favorite, definitely helped me stay sane and pass the time in a positive way, expanded my vocabulary, and helped me escape and not feel so alone. Thank you.
Love her dress! Never been drunk and don't want to start (guilty semi-drinker here). I wonder if depression is related to drinking? Alcohol is bad, wine is too--never mind what doctors claim. When does the "once in a while glass of wine" become something worse? 2020 saw a lot more alcoholics than usual. I abstained for so long but now I indulge... but it's good to have limits (and I'm a lightweight). Good for those keeping sober, it's a struggle. Love and support to you!
I'm happy she's not drinking and happy about it. But I don't like it when ppl get all high and mighty about it 90% of the ppl in this world drink occasionally and don't get to the point of blackouts and hangovers just because some ppl over indulge doesn't mean the other 90% have to stop too. They tried Prohibition it failed miserably.
I wish I would of stopped earlier. Drank 2 weeks ago, and it just reaffirmed why I didn't like Alcohol anymore. Waste of money, and waste of time. I screwed up so many times while being drunk, and then had to spend so much time trying to fix those fuck ups. Oh, and those hangovers...
Of course drinking with moderation is the second best thing to do. Just as much as there's no "need" for completely staying away from alcohol, there's also no need to ever try it! People in this comment section don't seem to get that. o.o Also, you shouldn't say you don't believe her, even if you're not going to explain it further (which just makes it look like you've got nothing to back up your claim). It's nobody's right to claim to know something about her life. How could anybody but her?
I think there's no need to stop drinking when you don't have an alcoholism problem. I enjoy drinking a beer o some wine from time to time, i just don't get to the point of getting drunk, because i dont enjoy that part.
Thank you so very much Anne for the truly inspirational advice. It takes courage to say such things. I can relate as I did struggle with alcohol a great deal. I made it through medical school and residency being a pretty heavy drinker. Along came my son, and several months before his 2nd birthday I stopped drinking entirely. It's been the best thing I've ever done for myself and for him as well. Every single facet of my life has improved as a result, and I mean this when I say it, I've watched your video several times during the tough times when taking a drink seemed like such a good idea. But, I never did..... Thank you again.
I love that she has shared this personal narrative; I've had my dark moments with drinking and "drugging" and battle some things to this day, but I'm learning that sobriety is longevity.
I celebrate you Anne! Not only am I a fan of your books (interview with the vampire is amazing. Once when I was high on ecstasy and coke I went on my fire escape and screamed for Lestat to come and make me a vampire! I wanted it so bad. But then a neighbor threw water down on me and I thought it was burning me so I went inside haha!) Ann, I am so glad to hear you are sober without AA because I am too. I was in AA for 13 years and all I did was relapse as soon as I left my true sobriety began.
You absolutely _can_ live a happy, fulfilling life _without_ drinking alcohol. I'm living proof of that. My father was an alcoholic. It damaged my childhood severely. My mother was threatened with child protective services because of the absolute mess my father had caused. As a result, I wasn't allowed to even play outside lest I be spirited away by social services. It got so bad, my mother took my brother and I and fled to another province, leaving my father to his choices. Thankfully he stopped drinking and we were able to return to him. He hasn't drunk a drop of alcohol since he stopped cold turkey. It wasn't easy for him, but he did it, and I have the utmost respect for him for that. As an adult, I refuse to drink. Not only do I recognize a certain pattern of addiction in my family - one I need to be mindful of and curb at all costs - but, honestly... alcohol tastes awful to me. Wine, beer, you name it. Simply _awful_ . I don't understand how people enjoy such drinks. In any case, I don't drink, I don't smoke, and thankfully, I have never taken drugs. To my mind, life is best enjoyed sober and aware. Thank you for this message, Lady Anne. Much love.
Anne, I can happily tell you that I have never Drink in my life nor have I ever done drugs. Can't say the same for cigarette's. When I was a child some girls thought it would be funny to see me try and smoke a cigarette (I was 6 at the time) and I didn't know cigarette's were bad so I took it and somehow smoked the damn thing. The girls right away took it from me and starting to get mad at me and told me how bad that was. (Why the hell did they give it to me anyway?) Guess the joke was on them.
I love how delightfully extra Anne is with that dress. Dressing up to celebrate sobriety. You go girl! I hope your words wisdom are far reaching and heard. It seems that drinking is being glorified again in the wake of the internet age.
*it is a fantastic entry.* im always impressed by people who become sober. & invariably: they go to not even ever having a wine w dinner. idk what that is exactly, but alcohol once it gets a hold protects itself like no other drug ive seen. on paper, hr should still be some middle ground. but i admit: ive never really seen it. not when people pretend to use it as a medication (i say pretend, bc it is never just 3 shots to achieve x, or just to watch show y: it is always a bottle or 5-8+ drinks: intentionally not counted.) i would still never dare to tell any1 what to do. smoking is nearly the only cause of lung cancer (90%). im not sure alcohol kills the same way. but it destroys. & it is not dosed like a medication, by anyone. bc the first training is always intoxication. if you can more than just barely feel a drug working, the dose is often too high. & it causes depression. *causal*. thr are better drugs to get a break from the world. there are medications to assist w the day. alcohol...it just isnt any good. only accessible. were everything as easy to obtain, i do wonder if anyone would choose it. & all the other street drugs we use as medicines, at different doses. not alcohol. benzos yes, but not alcohol. some drugs in a class just arent any good. but i also understand. a puritanical healthcare system that abandons and scolds people first, and there may not even be a "2nd": this is part of the problem. _JC
But to many it is the devil in disguise. In the end, it does no good. It hurts you, and others in the long run. I think drinking responcibly, is somewhat of a justification to drink. I live with my parents, two alchoholics, and I wish they could hear your story Anne...
Marius Romanus Anne... Beautifully breaking mirrors, Unforgivably radiant. Looking like the devil made her, But God created her. Again... Simply beautiful.
I couldn't have put it any better my friend. Lestat, always articulate, forever young and beautiful....p.s Have you heard anything at all about Anne possibly writing the chronicle of Bianca Solderini?
I congratulate you and anyone else who has stopped. I lost my uncle and another person. I abused alcohol at a very young age. Thankfully I stopped im in tears
RAVEN Moon Tarot My problem was I never built up a Tolerance 4-5 sips I was buzzed. Not sure but I think it was because I was only 5'6" Tall. I was really afraid at 70s concerts of getting In fights because the Security was low. Even got to see David Cassidy from Partridge Family TV Show. Feel like Im living in the past still listing to songs from those 70s concerts 35 years ago.
It's amazing how children will change people, or at least they are supposed to. I'm reminded of the old Simon and Garfunkel "Voices of Old People " where you hear this woman say "It is a mother's life to live for her children.". She said this so forcefully and with such conviction that it has stayed with me. Bless you Anne.
I get horrific stomach pain when I drink so I just don't. As a young person, being unable to drink made me furious and I felt so deprived. It's so sad how intertwined it is in our culture to celebrate with drinks. You feel so left out and are accused of being a bore if you don't participate in drinking. Being in my thirties now I realize how lucky I am to have never been able to tolerate it. Alcoholism runs in my family and I probably would have fallen prey to it had my body not stopped me. I'm very lucky in that regard.
She's just informing them. Sometimes it isn't a bad idea to let someone know about a mistake they could make that could hurt others or themselves. Yes, a human must make mistakes in order to learn, but some don't learn and some don't care. Most will continue to make those mistakes. Someone like Anne Rice who has inspired many people in the world, can help change someone's views before they make even more of those sad mistakes.
It is better for a person to stop drinking if he/she can't control her/his drinking. I specially love drinking wine/beer when eating, it's perfect, delicious. Even water can poison you if you drink too much of it. Balance, moderation. I've drank more than I should have several times, but believe me, I don't want to experience that any more, its horrible. Now, I clearly know my limits and respect them. Wine is a blessing, like water, but they both can kill in large quantities.
And this is the reason why people still need help to get themselves sober. Cause of you do stop, you get a clean sense of mind of what's around you. And this is great message about it.
I think the key question you have to ask is this: do I control it, or does it control me? If you ever find yourself looking for booze/drugs/food/cigarettes then its a problem. I admire your stand against booze and I respect your advice but It may be too unyielding. Doesn't a little bit of bad do you good, (I am thinking of Paul Sheldon's cigarette from the film Misery). Disciple is key to everything in life, if you have discipline you should be fine right?
You are an inspiring person. I really mean this. I'm not into alcohol or any common addiction, but it's just hard to get out of habits you seemingly enjoy but are actually destructive. And it's hard to get used to the good habits you think you won't enjoy, such as slowly backing out of alcoholic drinks even with all the temptation in your head. It takes patience and bravery, and to see someone who hasn't got back to the cruelty of alcohol in so many years is just astounding. Thank you.
This argument is just stupid. They've got very good reasons to be so much against it now, and of course they don't want to be involved with it anymore. Thus, they don't want to be involved with people doing it in their presence. You sound very much like those meat-eaters picking fights with vegetarians. Maybe you've got problems with someone questioning your enjoyed "pleasures".
Well happy birthday, and keep going. there are things in your story that I don't believe, but I'm not going to discuss it. Just to say. Go ahead and drink! Not everyday not everytime!Not everywere!Forget about the brain cells! they die everyday! Think about your dignity and the control you loose in your life. I get drunk perhaps twice a year, and drink a liquor or wine twice a week ( a glass), and I not an alcohoolic. Drink with moderation! thats the secret to have the best of both worlds.
She's a little bit to extreme in this video. I know that she had a bad time with alcohol and is trying to reach people who suffer from alcoholism, but saying people who never taste it to not start it it's a little bit extreme. This is a free country. Every Adult has the right to choice and is responsible for their behaviour. I seriously don't care if people like to take drugs or being drunk. As long they don't pose any danger to others.
I'm proud of her for saying what she felt the need to say. She is obviously very grateful for and appreciative of her sobriety. Alcohol is a drug, just like other legal drugs such as caffeine and nicotine, and some people overdo it and can harm themselves or others. Just because it is available to us does not mean it is harmless. Very few people are brave enough to say in public that they don't drink because alcohol harmed them, it's not a popular statement, and I applaud her.
Excess, anything can be dangerous in excess. Drinking is just one of those things that can be particularly dangerous in excess. If you have an addictive personality or are susceptible to overdrinking, Anne is right. Personally I'm a bartender and have a fascination with liquor and liqueurs but can count the number of times I've been drunk on one hand. I'm not super tolerant either. Funnily enough my girlfriend doesn't touch the stuff. Go figure.
I may have been born in the wrong century.... Opium and all of its modern derivitives have claimed my soul. No need for nourishment, just euphoria. The euphoria I can really only compare to the elegant and violent manner in which a vampire drinks blood... I take your message to heart, Anne. You're courage on this youtube clip has given me much to think about. Thank you. -My name is Amanda.
I'm actually not surprised she was an alcoholic, and I don't mean that in a disrespectful way. It's just that throughout literary history, virtually all the greatest writers have been alcoholics-Poe, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, to name a few. And I've said it many times before, that Anne Rice is perhaps the closest thing we in the 20th-21st century will ever get to an Edgar Allen Poe. Hell, one of my classmates even called us English Majors "functioning alcoholics"! There's something to be proud of!
I found smoking (tobacco) even harder to give up... but I did for the child. I'm glad but it still pains me. Knowing how bitter poor old Hinch was about dying I'll bet he'd have given it up too if he could have a second chance. Still drink beer with the alcohol removed - can't tell the difference tastewise with a good brand. Regards.
I don't drink, and I've never once been drunk. I just don't like alcohol at all. Still people pressure me about why I don't drink, as if alcohol is essential to living. I have made up thousands of reasons, but my main one is: It don't like it. (That's all you really should need as reason) Now I need fancy celebration clothes like Anne's...
I'm all for not getting drunk. But I think it's heathly now and then to have a glass of wine. WINE. Not beer, or some other shit like that. I like wine and I have a glass of it about three times a week. Getting drunk isn't cool, but I think it's okay to have it once in a while.
Thanks, Anne! It's been a pleasure seeing how you've grown in a similar way I have over the years (through reading your books). I really appreciate you sending out this message. You're a wonderful woman, truly inspiring! :)
I couldn't agree with you more. If there's one thing I can be pissed off at alcoholics for, it's spoiling things for those of us who make a point of drinking responsibly, and making us feel guilty for enjoying good wine/beer/whiskey in moderation.
How rude of you. Drunk or not, Anne Rice writes wonderful, original, and very clever stories. If alcohol mattered more than family and your other passions, then you wouldn't mind having your brain fried, but that was not the case of Anne.
Awesome words. Really My mother drunk when I was child. And Now I have 18 years old. Never touch alkohol glass. This is one thing for I can thank her. So continue to be yourself :) ( Sorry for my english I just learn) .
I got stupidly drunk 3 days ago and woke up with the most terrible hangover since 2002. I swore to myself I would never do sth as idiotic as this again. We love you, Anne. GiorgosKZ, Thessaloniki, Greece.
I've been sober for 6 years. I got depressed because of my drinking, and depression killed my creativity. Because I'm sober I can make art again.
+Rio Jupiter That's great ! I'm a year sober and mindful of the fact that booze takes away from us the urge to do the things we love. In my case music. I spent 20 years boozing when I should have been writing songs and playing guitar. Always blamed my failings on the guitars so bought more of them and ended up using their cases to hide empty bottles in.
In sobriety I've built a recording studio, have a couple of musical projects on the go and am teaching. It's all good !
💜
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. - John 3:16 KJV I think ❤️💕 before I was a Christian I used to drink really much and mix with drugs and fight and get in trouble with the police and party a lot and sleep with many women and back then I probably thought I had a lot of fun but it ain’t worth going to hell for it maybe is worth going to jail for short periods if there would have been no God but there is a God and it is not worth going to hell for ❤️💕💖 God bless you and repent toward God and believe in Jesus if you haven’t and don’t, it is worth it ❤️💕
@@ilovechrist9780 what if u go Alahs hell instead or reincarnate as a plant in Hinduism
this made me cry, because the author that I love so much shows how much she actually cares and loves us in return. Thank you very much, Anne.
Today, December 3rd, 2021, I have quit the misery of drinking and am living a happy life, thanks to Anne and this incredibly inspirational video.
im an alcoholic im 28 years old and you inspire me i cried when i watched your video anne rice is my hero my favorite writer im on a alchol programme its nice to know you have people that have done the same
I never drink, but reality has become so alien to me that every time I stop smoking Fentynol the world is unrecognizable & I see no where for me to exist. Life is so much easier when in a fog of dream.
Everything is possible I can do it all, I would & the drug is just in the way, but maybe it's an excuse to hide in a place where expectations can never be expecpected.
Im so grateful to be sober today! I got help with AA and have been experiencing clarity just like Anne described. RIP and thank you Anne!
That's beautiful, congrats!
i love her she is so awesome its been 34 years now she is truly a soldier amazing what setting your mind to something can do
Absalutely im in tears
Good Lord, Anne! When I was in university, I learned that I could have an awesome time with my friends(even at clubs, or parties) without touching a drop of alcohol! And I remembered the good times the next morning and for years to come!
I read somewhere that God will come in the form of some person and help us. I think C. Rice is the angel send by God. Best wishes for mum and son.
Alcohol will dull the pain, but Alchemy will transform it. Anne Rice was a true alchemist, and transformed the darkness of life into literary gold for us all. Thank you Anne, wish you were still with us!
May she rest in peace. I hate that she's dead. Such a nice lady. I love her stories, several are amongst my favorites.
No she is not. She is more alive than ever.
I'm on Day 24 now and damn this is hard,but well worth it.
@@alexcoltuneac May 31 will be my 3rd sober birthday. Some days it is still a struggle but most days are OK. There will never come a day when I finally made it though, I'm always going to be one drink away from going back to where I was before.
Thank you for this beautiful message, Anne. May you rest in peace. 🙏🏽
so glad a moment of desperation led me to searching "dont drink" in youtube and finding this gem. thank you anne. anyone reading this 16yrs after it was posted like i am, you can do this.
I'm very fortunate that I have never liked alcohol. I'm 27, I've never been drunk. Not even tipsy.
Su-Mari Diedericks I got a low tolerance, rarely drink.
Same. 48. Not even a buzz.
GOD! She is amazing! She will always be my favorite writer. I just love her vampire chronicles.
Thank you for sharing this message and your personal story. Happy sobriety anniversary! I am 7 years sober and it is an everyday battle but I am truly a more complete person without all the baggage and drama that comes with an alochol addiction. Much love to you Anne!
Bless you, Anne. Wish I heard that from somebody 50 years ago.
I wanted to thank you for this announcement,
I grew up surrounded by drink, my father was an alcholic and my mother worked as a bar manager.
This may have led a lot of people into the drinking culture but I turned against it hating it for taking my mother away to work such long hours and stealing my father from us (he died from alcohol abuse several years ago).
I know the dangers in drinking and it pleases me to see someone like yourself speaking out about them too.
Yours
Nick Murray x
amen. thank you for using your voice for the power of health and wholeness.
Hi Anne
How about blood?
May I drink blood?
Kidding...😂
I love that you've gone public with your truth. I completely agree with you about not drinking. I'm a child of two alcoholic parents and there are wreched memories/scars that I have because of their addictions that will never go away. I have never been able to drink because I was always so scared that I'd damage my children the way my parents damaged me. I'm an advocate for sobriety!!! Thank you for going public with this Anne Rice! I love you too!!
Im so proud of you Anne! I 100% agree with you and am very happy for you. Drinking isn't glamorous and I've been negatively effected by it from people I know. Your inspiring Anne and I wish other people had your will-power and strength.
*☼ This is such an important entry. I had seen it before. My mom stopped drinking to have me. Alcohol is such a danger - there is no drug quite like it. No drug insidious - sneaky - like it in quite the same way. And it protects itself, not unlike possession. And it is the most accepted. I've seen it destroy the most powerful people.* It causes the depression and hopelessness it claims to treat. The trick, though, is that one can be genuinely sad first. Confusing the arrow of causality.
I applaud you for being sober and could not agree more about enjoying being clear headed. There is no fun in not remembering what one does during a drunken stupor. I saw some negative comments here but I think it's a wonderful thing you've done if you can reach a single person and change their life or at the very least plant the seed of reality into their brain. Alcohol physically affects women even worse according to medical research. Thanks for sharing & again congrats on staying sober :-)
Tammy O Beauty is the eye of the beer holder. Who is this in bed with me? Where did I get this tattoo?
+Pat McCarthy hey she's my favorite writer.
Wow! I pulled up this video because I thought you were going to give writing advice - and was going to recommend that people not drink while they were writing.
This is one of the best public service announcements that I've ever seen on NOT DRINKING!
I have a friend of mine who is 68 years old that is helping a friend go through an alcohol rehabilitation 28 day program. Just hearing about this has given me new insights - and the awareness that you would never want to let drinking have that type of hold on your life.
Great speech. You did a fabulous job getting the point across. Very inspiring -
Thank you for saying this.
I gave up drinking about eight years ago, shortly after my mother passed away.
It was one of the best decisions that I have made. I occasionally have a glass of wine, but do not drink into excess.
Great public service announcement. I'm sure there are a lot of people who would benefit by seeing this.
Thank you!
Thanks. Love you so much.
Cheers Anne! My anniversary is 3 years on December 5th...I know how hard it can be, but it CAN be done! Here's to many many many more happy years!
It has been 23 years for me. I can remember taking a case of beer in my room and reading Interview all night. I drank day and night from the age of 15 to 25. One day something came about me and I just stopped. Its almost like there were angels helping me. Some comments said that some people can handle it. The problem is taking that risk to find this out. I don't think I would ever regret my past. The experience helped me see life differently.
RIP. came here after founding out your passing. may you join your little girl wherever she is waiting for you.
Thanks Anne! This month marks two years of sobriety for me!
Well said, Anne~! Kudos. There is nothing more important then showing our little ones that we can walk through this life with our eyes wide open. It's SO much cooler to be the sober. Life gets more creative without the bottle.
Thank you anne
Anne! I never knew you were sober. I am a recovering addict and have also experienced the negative effects of alcohol in my life. 5.50 years clean and sober here! Thank you for sharing a bit of your personal story. Means a whole lot. Thank you for getting sober so you could continue to give the world such amazing stories. I actually started reading one of your books in jail (serving consequences of my addiction) and you and your characters quickly became a favorite, definitely helped me stay sane and pass the time in a positive way, expanded my vocabulary, and helped me escape and not feel so alone. Thank you.
"I never drink...... wine" - bela lugosi
Lol
buddhastalin I was about to say that...
Thank you Anne for your inspirational message.
Blessings to you Ann. God bless you for this...over and over...
I’ll stick with my coffee..as usual..so glad I don’t have an alcohol problem..congratulations to all who are continuing to be sober…
Love her dress!
Never been drunk and don't want to start (guilty semi-drinker here). I wonder if depression is related to drinking? Alcohol is bad, wine is too--never mind what doctors claim. When does the "once in a while glass of wine" become something worse? 2020 saw a lot more alcoholics than usual. I abstained for so long but now I indulge... but it's good to have limits (and I'm a lightweight). Good for those keeping sober, it's a struggle. Love and support to you!
I'm happy she's not drinking and happy about it. But I don't like it when ppl get all high and mighty about it 90% of the ppl in this world drink occasionally and don't get to the point of blackouts and hangovers just because some ppl over indulge doesn't mean the other 90% have to stop too. They tried Prohibition it failed miserably.
I wish I would of stopped earlier. Drank 2 weeks ago, and it just reaffirmed why I didn't like Alcohol anymore. Waste of money, and waste of time. I screwed up so many times while being drunk, and then had to spend so much time trying to fix those fuck ups. Oh, and those hangovers...
Thanks for sharing your story. Congrats for being sober.
Of course drinking with moderation is the second best thing to do. Just as much as there's no "need" for completely staying away from alcohol, there's also no need to ever try it! People in this comment section don't seem to get that. o.o
Also, you shouldn't say you don't believe her, even if you're not going to explain it further (which just makes it look like you've got nothing to back up your claim). It's nobody's right to claim to know something about her life. How could anybody but her?
I think there's no need to stop drinking when you don't have an alcoholism problem. I enjoy drinking a beer o some wine from time to time, i just don't get to the point of getting drunk, because i dont enjoy that part.
Thank you so very much Anne for the truly inspirational advice. It takes courage to say such things. I can relate as I did struggle with alcohol a great deal. I made it through medical school and residency being a pretty heavy drinker. Along came my son, and several months before his 2nd birthday I stopped drinking entirely. It's been the best thing I've ever done for myself and for him as well. Every single facet of my life has improved as a result, and I mean this when I say it, I've watched your video several times during the tough times when taking a drink seemed like such a good idea. But, I never did..... Thank you again.
I love that she has shared this personal narrative; I've had my dark moments with drinking and "drugging" and battle some things to this day, but I'm learning that sobriety is longevity.
Thanks so much you inspired me to stop drinking you are my coach..........
Thank you! This was truly inspirational ❤️
I celebrate you Anne! Not only am I a fan of your books (interview with the vampire is amazing. Once when I was high on ecstasy and coke I went on my fire escape and screamed for Lestat to come and make me a vampire! I wanted it so bad. But then a neighbor threw water down on me and I thought it was burning me so I went inside haha!)
Ann, I am so glad to hear you are sober without AA because I am too. I was in AA for 13 years and all I did was relapse as soon as I left my true sobriety began.
3 weeks sober, i celebrate every Saturday with a big can of yoghurt.
we love you too dear anne
You absolutely _can_ live a happy, fulfilling life _without_ drinking alcohol. I'm living proof of that. My father was an alcoholic. It damaged my childhood severely. My mother was threatened with child protective services because of the absolute mess my father had caused. As a result, I wasn't allowed to even play outside lest I be spirited away by social services. It got so bad, my mother took my brother and I and fled to another province, leaving my father to his choices. Thankfully he stopped drinking and we were able to return to him. He hasn't drunk a drop of alcohol since he stopped cold turkey. It wasn't easy for him, but he did it, and I have the utmost respect for him for that.
As an adult, I refuse to drink. Not only do I recognize a certain pattern of addiction in my family - one I need to be mindful of and curb at all costs - but, honestly... alcohol tastes awful to me. Wine, beer, you name it. Simply _awful_ . I don't understand how people enjoy such drinks.
In any case, I don't drink, I don't smoke, and thankfully, I have never taken drugs. To my mind, life is best enjoyed sober and aware.
Thank you for this message, Lady Anne. Much love.
Amen. I have 7 years and 4 months sobriety and Anne’s absolutely right. Don’t drink.
Anne, I can happily tell you that I have never Drink in my life nor have I ever done drugs. Can't say the same for cigarette's. When I was a child some girls thought it would be funny to see me try and smoke a cigarette (I was 6 at the time) and I didn't know cigarette's were bad so I took it and somehow smoked the damn thing. The girls right away took it from me and starting to get mad at me and told me how bad that was. (Why the hell did they give it to me anyway?) Guess the joke was on them.
I love how delightfully extra Anne is with that dress. Dressing up to celebrate sobriety. You go girl! I hope your words wisdom are far reaching and heard. It seems that drinking is being glorified again in the wake of the internet age.
*it is a fantastic entry.* im always impressed by people who become sober. & invariably: they go to not even ever having a wine w dinner. idk what that is exactly, but alcohol once it gets a hold protects itself like no other drug ive seen. on paper, hr should still be some middle ground. but i admit: ive never really seen it. not when people pretend to use it as a medication (i say pretend, bc it is never just 3 shots to achieve x, or just to watch show y: it is always a bottle or 5-8+ drinks: intentionally not counted.)
i would still never dare to tell any1 what to do. smoking is nearly the only cause of lung cancer (90%). im not sure alcohol kills the same way. but it destroys. & it is not dosed like a medication, by anyone. bc the first training is always intoxication. if you can more than just barely feel a drug working, the dose is often too high. & it causes depression. *causal*. thr are better drugs to get a break from the world. there are medications to assist w the day. alcohol...it just isnt any good. only accessible. were everything as easy to obtain, i do wonder if anyone would choose it. & all the other street drugs we use as medicines, at different doses. not alcohol. benzos yes, but not alcohol. some drugs in a class just arent any good.
but i also understand. a puritanical healthcare system that abandons and scolds people first, and there may not even be a "2nd": this is part of the problem. _JC
Hello 👋 anne
But to many it is the devil in disguise. In the end, it does no good. It hurts you, and others in the long run. I think drinking responcibly, is somewhat of a justification to drink. I live with my parents, two alchoholics, and I wish they could hear your story Anne...
Simply beautiful...
Agreed. She still looks wonderful, doesn't she?
Marius Romanus
Anne... Beautifully breaking mirrors, Unforgivably radiant. Looking like the devil made her, But God created her.
Again... Simply beautiful.
I couldn't have put it any better my friend. Lestat, always articulate, forever young and beautiful....p.s Have you heard anything at all about Anne possibly writing the chronicle of Bianca Solderini?
I congratulate you and anyone else who has stopped. I lost my uncle and another person. I abused alcohol at a very young age. Thankfully I stopped im in tears
RAVEN Moon Tarot My problem was I never built up a Tolerance 4-5 sips I was buzzed. Not sure but I think it was because I was only 5'6" Tall. I was really afraid at 70s concerts of getting In fights because the Security was low. Even got to see David Cassidy from Partridge Family TV Show. Feel like Im living in the past still listing to songs from those 70s concerts 35 years ago.
R.I.P
It's amazing how children will change people, or at least they are supposed to. I'm reminded of the old Simon and Garfunkel "Voices of Old People " where you hear this woman say "It is a mother's life to live for her children.". She said this so forcefully and with such conviction that it has stayed with me. Bless you Anne.
I get horrific stomach pain when I drink so I just don't. As a young person, being unable to drink made me furious and I felt so deprived. It's so sad how intertwined it is in our culture to celebrate with drinks. You feel so left out and are accused of being a bore if you don't participate in drinking. Being in my thirties now I realize how lucky I am to have never been able to tolerate it. Alcoholism runs in my family and I probably would have fallen prey to it had my body not stopped me. I'm very lucky in that regard.
Even though I don't drink, I'm glad this message is out there!
8.5 years sobriety here, & grateful & loving it! You're one of my favorite authors. Thanks for sharing this. I relate even more now...
Anne, thank you so much for your wisdom, and words of encouragement. I can so relate to your story, and I'm happy to say I am sober today!
Don't drink alcohol, but my dark side says it's still okay to drink blood!
wonderful! wonderful, I went to the same thing drinking. great video.
God bless you Anne! R.I.P
She's just informing them. Sometimes it isn't a bad idea to let someone know about a mistake they could make that could hurt others or themselves. Yes, a human must make mistakes in order to learn, but some don't learn and some don't care. Most will continue to make those mistakes. Someone like Anne Rice who has inspired many people in the world, can help change someone's views before they make even more of those sad mistakes.
congratulations on sobriety, thank you for warning us
It is better for a person to stop drinking if he/she can't control her/his drinking. I specially love drinking wine/beer when eating, it's perfect, delicious. Even water can poison you if you drink too much of it. Balance, moderation. I've drank more than I should have several times, but believe me, I don't want to experience that any more, its horrible. Now, I clearly know my limits and respect them. Wine is a blessing, like water, but they both can kill in large quantities.
I'm gonna watch this everytime I feel like alcohol
@winterkeow She wrote most of her vampire books sober...
Anne you've really made me think about my drinking. I'm not an alcoholic, but I could be. I understand where you're coming from.
I was in and out of rehabs as a juvenile so I can relate very powerful message .
Cheer up 💞
Thanks Anne Rice, and congrats.
I should show my parents this, but they woulden't care. Im 19, wont drink, never have.
Good job :D
Finding this as a 33 year old married woman is disturbing lol I drink, but rarely, and responsibly.
And this is the reason why people still need help to get themselves sober. Cause of you do stop, you get a clean sense of mind of what's around you. And this is great message about it.
This video changed my life last year… rip queen.
I think the key question you have to ask is this: do I control it, or does it control me? If you ever find yourself looking for booze/drugs/food/cigarettes then its a problem. I admire your stand against booze and I respect your advice but It may be too unyielding. Doesn't a little bit of bad do you good, (I am thinking of Paul Sheldon's cigarette from the film Misery). Disciple is key to everything in life, if you have discipline you should be fine right?
Thank you Anne. Thank you so much for being the example.
Anne: 28 YEARS WITHOUT A DRINK, I AM SO HAPPY.
Anne's Face: GIVE ME A FUCKING TUMBLER, BITCHES!
great vid Anne
This is one of the most profound and a passionate arguments against drinking I have ever seen or heard.
You are an inspiring person. I really mean this. I'm not into alcohol or any common addiction, but it's just hard to get out of habits you seemingly enjoy but are actually destructive. And it's hard to get used to the good habits you think you won't enjoy, such as slowly backing out of alcoholic drinks even with all the temptation in your head. It takes patience and bravery, and to see someone who hasn't got back to the cruelty of alcohol in so many years is just astounding. Thank you.
This argument is just stupid. They've got very good reasons to be so much against it now, and of course they don't want to be involved with it anymore. Thus, they don't want to be involved with people doing it in their presence. You sound very much like those meat-eaters picking fights with vegetarians. Maybe you've got problems with someone questioning your enjoyed "pleasures".
Well happy birthday, and keep going. there are things in your story that I don't believe, but I'm not going to discuss it. Just to say. Go ahead and drink! Not everyday not everytime!Not everywere!Forget about the brain cells! they die everyday! Think about your dignity and the control you loose in your life. I get drunk perhaps twice a year, and drink a liquor or wine twice a week ( a glass), and I not an alcohoolic. Drink with moderation! thats the secret to have the best of both worlds.
She's a little bit to extreme in this video. I know that she had a bad time with alcohol and is trying to reach people who suffer from alcoholism, but saying people who never taste it to not start it it's a little bit extreme. This is a free country. Every Adult has the right to choice and is responsible for their behaviour. I seriously don't care if people like to take drugs or being drunk. As long they don't pose any danger to others.
I'm proud of her for saying what she felt the need to say. She is obviously very grateful for and appreciative of her sobriety. Alcohol is a drug, just like other legal drugs such as caffeine and nicotine, and some people overdo it and can harm themselves or others. Just because it is available to us does not mean it is harmless. Very few people are brave enough to say in public that they don't drink because alcohol harmed them, it's not a popular statement, and I applaud her.
Excess, anything can be dangerous in excess. Drinking is just one of those things that can be particularly dangerous in excess.
If you have an addictive personality or are susceptible to overdrinking, Anne is right. Personally I'm a bartender and have a fascination with liquor and liqueurs but can count the number of times I've been drunk on one hand. I'm not super tolerant either. Funnily enough my girlfriend doesn't touch the stuff. Go figure.
I may have been born in the wrong century.... Opium and all of its modern derivitives have claimed my soul. No need for nourishment, just euphoria. The euphoria I can really only compare to the elegant and violent manner in which a vampire drinks blood... I take your message to heart, Anne. You're courage on this youtube clip has given me much to think about. Thank you.
-My name is Amanda.
I'm actually not surprised she was an alcoholic, and I don't mean that in a disrespectful way. It's just that throughout literary history, virtually all the greatest writers have been alcoholics-Poe, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, to name a few. And I've said it many times before, that Anne Rice is perhaps the closest thing we in the 20th-21st century will ever get to an Edgar Allen Poe. Hell, one of my classmates even called us English Majors "functioning alcoholics"! There's something to be proud of!
I found smoking (tobacco) even harder to give up... but I did for the child. I'm glad but it still pains me. Knowing how bitter poor old Hinch was about dying I'll bet he'd have given it up too if he could have a second chance.
Still drink beer with the alcohol removed - can't tell the difference tastewise with a good brand.
Regards.
I don't drink, and I've never once been drunk. I just don't like alcohol at all. Still people pressure me about why I don't drink, as if alcohol is essential to living. I have made up thousands of reasons, but my main one is:
It don't like it. (That's all you really should need as reason)
Now I need fancy celebration clothes like Anne's...
I'm all for not getting drunk. But I think it's heathly now and then to have a glass of wine. WINE. Not beer, or some other shit like that. I like wine and I have a glass of it about three times a week. Getting drunk isn't cool, but I think it's okay to have it once in a while.
Thanks, Anne! It's been a pleasure seeing how you've grown in a similar way I have over the years (through reading your books). I really appreciate you sending out this message. You're a wonderful woman, truly inspiring! :)
I couldn't agree with you more. If there's one thing I can be pissed off at alcoholics for, it's spoiling things for those of us who make a point of drinking responsibly, and making us feel guilty for enjoying good wine/beer/whiskey in moderation.
How rude of you. Drunk or not, Anne Rice writes wonderful, original, and very clever stories. If alcohol mattered more than family and your other passions, then you wouldn't mind having your brain fried, but that was not the case of Anne.
Awesome words. Really My mother drunk when I was child. And Now I have 18 years old. Never touch alkohol glass. This is one thing for I can thank her. So continue to be yourself :) ( Sorry for my english I just learn) .
I got stupidly drunk 3 days ago and woke up with the most terrible hangover since 2002. I swore to myself I would never do sth as idiotic as this again.
We love you, Anne.
GiorgosKZ, Thessaloniki, Greece.