Lasizwe on his sobriety journey – “Every day I’m tempted to drink”

Lasizwe Dambuza opens up about his sobriety journey which he kicked off three months ago.

Speaking with TshishaLIVE, the actor said he’s been faced with temptation due to the industry where he finds himself, but he’s been able to control himself.

“Sobriety is going well. Every day I’m tempted to drink. It is such a beautiful journey to be able to make such a conscious decision whether you want to drink or not. So with this sabbatical, essentially. I’m not saying I’m quitting alcohol because I’m an alcoholic — no, I want to have the control and the choice to say I want to drink or I don’t want to drink.

“When I’m drinking, what is the purpose of drinking? Are we celebrating? I don’t want to just drink alcohol nje. I want to be able to be in the moment and say we are all cheers-ing, have a drink and be responsible,” he said.

Lasizwe’s decision to be alcoholic-free has also aided his mental health.

“I’m a big advocate for mental health. I think you guys have seen my journey about it. I’ve been transparent about it and how it has affected me. I almost lost my life a few years ago and I’m conscious of when I’m anxious, when I’ve got anxiety, when I’m approaching depression.”

“That I have been on sabbatical, it gives me that experience of experiencing problems sober. Because — there’s a saying: ‘my problems need alcohol, fast’ — I’m in a moment where my problems need me sober.”

“I’ve learnt one beautiful thing from my sabbatical: I’ve learnt to be less of a complainer and more solutions-driven.”