Cheryl Burke celebrated seven years of sobriety, reflecting on the misconceptions she had about being sober and the unexpected perks of her journey.

“7 years ago, I thought sobriety would mean losing everything,” Burke, 41, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, July 23. “The fun. The freedom. The fearless version of me I thought only showed up after a drink.”

The Dancing With the Stars alum explained, “But what I didn’t realize back then … Was that the escape I craved was really from myself. And the girl I ran from?  She was the one waiting to save me.”

Burke recalled turning to alcohol in times of happiness and sadness but never fully understanding its control over her.

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“I used to believe alcohol gave me confidence, connection and control,” she continued. “Turns out, it stole those things quietly — day by day — until I couldn’t recognize my own reflection.”

After giving up the vice, Burke said she’s learned that being sober has become somewhat of a superpower. “Today, I no longer chase chaos dressed as fun,” she shared. “I no longer tolerate connections that require me to abandon myself. And I no longer mistake numbness for peace.”

Burke pointed out that what she thought she’d “miss” in sobriety was “never real to begin with.”

The professional dancer recalled thinking that she’d miss out on things like “being the ‘fun one’” and “the life of the party” — or the “freedom” she attributed to drinking, which she has since realized was “addiction” that was “a cage dressed up like a good time.”

Since cutting out alcohol, Burke said she’s “gained” so much more than she realized was possible with “presence, peace [and] self-respect” at the top of the list.

“And a relationship with my Higher Power that reminds me I was never walking alone — not even in my darkest moments,” Burke told her followers. She noted that although God “didn’t take the pain away,” he did hold her hand “through it and gave me the strength to rise.”

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Burke used her sobriety milestone to empower others struggling with their own addiction issues, explaining, “If you’re reading this and wondering if it’s possible — I promise you, it is.”

She reminded her fans, “There’s a whole world on the other side of rock bottom. And it’s so much more beautiful than I ever imagined.”

Burke concluded her post — which included photos of what she thought she’d miss by getting sober — by toasting herself.

“Here’s to 7 years sober. Here’s to choosing clarity, wholeness and me,” Burke wrote. “One day, one hour, one minute at a time. 💫 #sober #soberbirthday #choosingme.”

Burke has been vocal about her sobriety journey since she quit drinking in 2018. She confirmed in September 2020 that she was two years sober after events including her engagement to Matthew Lawrence and her father’s death prompted her to recalibrate.

Burke and Lawrence, 45, filed for divorce in February 2022 after three years of marriage. Eight months later, the dancer confirmed that she was still on track and was happy to be four years sober.

She recalled in an essay for Us Weekly written in October 2022 going “cold turkey” and cutting out alcohol the night of her and Lawrence’s engagement party. In that moment, Burke, whose father was an alcoholic, knew she had to turn the page.

“That’s very much my personality, I’m an all-or-nothing kind of girl,” she wrote of the day her life changed. “I didn’t tell anyone at first. I think I was afraid the pressure of other people knowing would lead to me self-sabotaging and my reason for quitting felt shallow.”

Burke, who recalled wanting to stop drinking after she started breaking out in hives when intoxicated, revealed, “I know now that doesn’t really matter though, shallow or not, I stopped, and that vanity probably saved my life.”