July 2013 would prove a challenging time for Mike.
I consider myself a moderate drinker, but every now and then I impose upon myself a period of abstention in order to prove to myself I’m in control of my habit, not the other way around. In the few months prior to July 2013 I had found myself drinking pretty much every night; alcohol-free days (AFDs) were very few and far between. Quite often I can manage a week without alcohol easily enough, but I’d decided to test myself by aiming for a whole calendar month with-out a drink.