Since celebrating a year of being “alcohol free,” Kyle Richards wishes to thank everyone for their “kind and encouraging comments.”. ” .
The 54-year-old Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star shared some of the advantages of sobriety on Monday and talked openly about how her fans reacted to the news.
Richards captioned a photo of herself sitting outside in the sun wearing a black sports bra, “Sitting outside reading all your DM’s regarding my last post,” on her Instagram Story.
“It appears that many of you have similar experiences, and many of you want to follow that path but are unsure how to. We’ve been socialized to believe that when we go out to meet people, we must drink. Most of us just operate on autopilot. And nowadays, so many of us are used to not being fully present. ”.
Following that, Richards offered some words of support to her 40.2 million followers who were contemplating quitting but hadn’t quite made the decision.
She wrote, “There are many options you can order that taste better than alcohol, are better for our bodies, and won’t leave you feeling like sh*t and guilty the next day. Additionally, it feels great to be fully present and explicit in all of your speaking and actions. ”.
She added that staying sober had improved her mental health. As someone who has always struggled with anxiety, I was taken aback when I discovered that I was surprisingly calm in situations that would typically set me off. I’d say it’s a win-win situation for me,” she continued.
Richards candidly shared on Instagram on Saturday that she has been sober for a year and told her followers that she has “never felt better. “.
She captioned a selfie with, “Today marks one year alcohol free for me.”. I realized I didn’t want to drink after considering a number of factors. I felt there wasn’t a place there that I wanted to be, first and foremost. “.
Richards continued by saying that she decided to stop drinking because “I knew it was no longer serving me physically, mentally, or spiritually.” She added that the procedure “was much easier than I thought it would be.”. “.
“I never gave a time frame for when I would start drinking again or said IF I ever would. All I know is that I’ve never felt mentally or physically clearer or better, the reality star continued. “I’ve discovered that I still share excessively, but at least I no longer experience anxiety when I think about it. I’ve also discovered that I still make foolish decisions occasionally and beat myself up over them. “.
Although her peers were “mainly supportive even if they didn’t quite understand since I don’t have a ‘problem’ with alcohol,” Richards claimed that her commitment to remaining sober was “met with resistance by some.”. ” .
When she drank alcohol, she always felt “depressed the next day, no matter how fun the night before was,” she continued, “although trust me plenty of times it didn’t feel like that. ”.
Furthermore, life will undoubtedly present us with some challenging days. That list already has enough items; I don’t need to add any more,” she continued.
In his final statement, Richards said, “A lot of you ask me in DMs about my journey without alcohol, so I thought I’d share here today on this 365th day.
Cheers.
“.
After 27 years of marriage, PEOPLE earlier this month confirmed that Richards and her husband Mauricio Umansky were divorcing.
Kyle and Mauricio have been apart for some time, but they are still sharing a home, a source close to the couple told PEOPLE. As they determine what comes next for them and their family, they continue to get along. “.
Alexia, 27, Sophia, 23, and Portia, 15, are their three daughters together, and Richards is also the mother of Farrah Brittany, 34, from her first marriage to Guraish Aldjufrie.
