How did you get to 6 months AF?

[spiritwolf333]

How did you get to 6 months AF?

frances;1636630 wrote: These posts have been very helpful to me - good friend and major drinking friend just emailed me about going to happy hour soon. I want to see her and know that I don't want to drink so I've been thinking about what I will say. I will just tell her I'm not drinking but would still like to see her. To be completely honest I've been thinking that I could see her and have a glass of wine but now I realize I'm fooling myself. I would just get back to where I always get when I try that. Why is that fact so damn hard to let myself understand?! And if she asks for more details I will tell her I have been drinking way too much, every day, and I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired. I'm pretty sure she could relate but not sure whether she would admit that to herself.

Hi Frances -I went through a couple of very similar situations with some friends. Each time, they both ended up being very understanding. They both offered not to drink which was unacceptable. I told them to have at it (I really would have preferred them not to have drank but it was then an EGO prob with me.) I was fine each time following, but strangely enough neither drank the next time we met.

I think the point is this and it has already been made earlier on this thread. Some drinkers begin to look at their own drinking habits and wonder. My experience tells me that I am going to be fine in these situations -as long as they don't want to just sit there and continue to drink and talk-lol.

Final funny thought; sometimes it has selfishly helped me to sit there and watch some folks drink while I did not participate. I watch them and say to myself "Was this me when I use to drink?" LOL.

[3June2013]

How did you get to 6 months AF?

I guess my memory is shot. I really have to reach to remember the beginning of my quit. I am glad I started a thread, it helps me to remember how I was feeling.

I found MWO through a search. I was doing all the quizzes, you know, the ones where you know you're an alcoholic if "you are searching for quizzes that you hope will tell you you're not". I read about people starting out, people feeling better, tools, plans. I dove in not really thinking forever. I just knew each day I felt better. Sure, the cravings were rough, but I quit smoking when I was expecting my son, you just grit your teeth and plod along. I knew the cravings would become less often and less seductive. In the beginning I threw out all the booze that I couldn't give away. I ate ice cream, hot chocolate, smoothies, any comfort food I wanted. I read and I posted every night and every morning for the first while. I watched all the videos and followed up with all the articles. I became disgusted with AL. I got over my fear of social situations, the first couple were tough but Byrdie was there to help me. Then I realized that being a non drinker isn't boring, it's the drinkers who are boring. So I tend to stay away from what I know will be drinkfests. Not because I will be tempted, because I will be bored! My best friend and my mum miss their drinking buddy but too bad.

My hubby is a non drinker, while that made it easier on the one hand, he doesn't know what I went through. It's ok now but that bugged me in the beginning. No problem though, there were plenty of people here who knew exactly what I was enduring and were proud of me.

I counted my days faithfully, loved seeing my name and number up there on the Newbies Roll Call. I now realize that when I picked my handle 3June it meant that date would be ingrained in me forever and I didn't want to change that date.

I am rambling a little, sorry. I worked a night shift and barely slept, but seeing this thread is bringing it all back.

If you're reading this and thinking about your drinking habits give abstinence a try. See how it feels. I think you'll like it!

[Bastet]

How did you get to 6 months AF?

It's funny when I read about people being worried about what people will think when they are not drinking. Where I live it is totally acceptable to not drink. Everyone thinks it's fine to have 1-2 glasses of wine or a cocktail and a glass of wine but more than that is considered too much and frowned upon. It is a very health conscious society. It is best if you are vegan or vegetarian. It's ok to eat meat but not really red meat. Frozen yogurt is ok but ice cream has too much fat. Everyone I know participates in some form of regular physical exercise. I used to feel like the odd one out and would go home to open another bottle, who knows maybe they were doing that too. It may all be on the surface I don't know. It's funny how smoking is totally bad and yet smoking pot is fine and you can just go down the street to the medical marihuana dispensary on the corner and select what you want based on price and the kind of high you are looking for. I guess it's different all over but I really feel like I fit in better now that I am not drinking.