The Other Half of the Moon: Addiction, Judgement, and the Pain We Don’t See

It’s 6 a.m., and there’s still a beautiful half moon in the sky. Not incomplete, just hidden. The other half, unseen.

That image stayed with me. Half the story. That’s usually what we hear. Half-truths.

And when it comes to addiction or compulsive behaviors, what we don’t see is everything.

We walk past the homeless man and immediately reach for a story to explain him, one that keeps our distance intact.

“He must’ve lost control.”

We see the drunk woman, jittery at the train station, the one who talks to herself.

“She’s weak. She had a chance. She chose this.”

We say it in different ways, sometimes with words, sometimes just deep in our minds, an internal monologue that goes:

“That’ll never be me.”

“Poor guy. What a mess.”

“How could she not stop?”

But the truth is, no one chooses to have an addictive personality. No one picks a vice or a dependency because they think it’s glamorous. No one wakes up and says, “I want to destroy my life today.”

Addiction, in all its shapes and disguises, is the avoidance of suffering. Not the lack of willpower.

The spectrum of alcohol misuse and addiction is wide:

• The single mum who downs three glasses of wine at night just to feel a bit less overwhelmed

• The high-functioning exec who needs a drink before every social event

• The friend who jokes about their hangxiety every Monday morning

• The fentanyl user who was abused as a child and never got the help they needed

One thing unites them: you don’t know the full story.

Yes, people are responsible for their choices. Yes, some carry damage into the world and pass it on. But when it comes to drinking, numbing, and escaping, trauma is always part of the equation.

If you take one thing from this, let it be this: before you judge someone for drinking too much, acting out, or messing up again, pause.

What are they trying to escape? What kind of pain are they holding onto?

You don’t need to fix them. But you also don’t need to protect yourself by judging.

Be better than that. Be curious. Be kind. That’s how we become better humans.

You Don’t Have to Do This Alone

Are you personally questioning your relationship with alcohol or worried about someone in your life? Help doesn’t have to mean hitting rock bottom.

There is a whole spectrum between “just a few drinks” and “problem drinking.” And somewhere on that spectrum, people start looking for change.

If that’s you or someone you love, reach out.

Join a sober community that doesn’t shame or preach but listens.

Explore sober coaching that meets you where you are. You don’t need to be “an addict” to deserve support. There’s room for everyone here.

Stay sober. Stay Cool.

High Sobriety Club