Everything in Moderation Is a Lie—Hadley Sorensen Explains Why
Mar 17, 2025
Ever told yourself, “I’m just a social drinker” or “Everything in moderation”?
We hear these phrases all the time. They make drinking sound harmless—something that can be easily controlled. But what if that mindset is keeping you stuck in a cycle you don’t even realize you’re in?
Hadley Sorensen knows this all too well.
A mom of three, lifelong runner, and writer, Hadley spent years questioning her drinking—not because of how much she drank, but because of how it made her feel. She wasn’t drinking every day. She wasn’t hitting what most people think of as “rock bottom.” But something wasn’t right.
Three and a half years ago, she woke up after one last hangover and decided she was done. No medical crisis. No intervention. Just a gut feeling that life could be better without alcohol.
Now, Hadley is the author of The Dirty Truth on Social Drinking: Everything in Moderation and Other BS, where she challenges the cultural myths around drinking—and helps others see that anyone can quit drinking at any time, for any reason.
The Myth of Moderation
So many people stay stuck because they think the problem is them.
They believe they should just be able to “drink responsibly” or “cut back”—but that’s exactly what alcohol marketing wants you to believe.
Hadley, like so many of us, spent years trying to be a “normal” drinker. She made rules, broke them, and made them again. She Googled Am I an alcoholic? and told herself that because she didn’t check all the boxes, she must be fine.
But she wasn’t fine.
She was on the mental hamster wheel of drinking—the endless cycle of promising to moderate, overdoing it, feeling guilty, and swearing to start fresh.
Sound familiar?
When Social Drinking Stops Feeling Social
For Hadley, the shift happened at her lake house during a summer of weekend binge drinking. The pattern was always the same:
✅ Friday: Drinks with friends, feeling carefree.
✅ Saturday: More drinks—because it’s the weekend, right?
✅ Sunday: Anxiety. Exhaustion. Depression.
✅ Monday-Wednesday: Clawing her way out of the fog.
✅ Thursday: Feeling “better” just in time to do it all over again.
Even though she wasn’t drinking every day, alcohol had a huge impact on her mental health. She realized she was spending most of her week recovering from her drinking, and that wasn’t the life she wanted.
Then came the moment that hit her like a ton of bricks.
One night, her son saw her laughing with friends and assumed she was drunk. She wasn’t. But the fact that he even questioned it was enough to make her stop and think:
What kind of example am I setting?
Quitting Without Rock Bottom
On August 6, 2021, Hadley woke up feeling awful after another weekend of drinking. She had two choices:
1️⃣ Keep repeating the cycle.
2️⃣ See what life could look like without alcohol.
She chose the second option.
At first, she didn’t tell anyone. Instead, she gave herself an “alibi” and told people she was doing 75 Hard—a challenge that included quitting alcohol. But as the days passed, she felt different.
✔️ Her mind felt clearer.
✔️ Her anxiety faded.
✔️ She felt more present for her family.
Most importantly? She realized she didn’t miss alcohol at all.
The Message Every Gray-Area Drinker Needs to Hear
Hadley’s journey led her to write The Dirty Truth on Social Drinking, a book that shatters the myths about alcohol and moderation.
Her biggest takeaway?
You don’t need a rock-bottom moment to quit drinking.
If alcohol makes you feel like crap, you don’t need a bigger reason than that. You’re allowed to walk away at any time.
Hadley’s Alcohol-Free Life Today
Now, three and a half years later, Hadley has:
🔥 More energy for running, lifting weights, and actually enjoying her workouts.
🔥 Stronger relationships with her husband and kids.
🔥 A new purpose—helping others break free from the drinking cycle.
She’s currently working on a novel about different drinking experiences and even planning a book to help teenagers navigate alcohol culture.
Final Thoughts: Is It Time to Get Curious About Your Drinking?
If you’ve ever thought, “Do I really need alcohol in my life?”—this is your sign to get curious.
Not everyone who quits drinking does it because they “had to.” Some, like Hadley, do it because they realize they don’t want to keep feeling this way. You can do it too!
Listen to Sober Fit Life 🎧
Want More From Hadley? Here’s How to Connect:
📖 Get The Dirty Truth on Social Drinking on Amazon
📌 Follow Hadley on Instagram
🌎 Visit her website
