Soberintexas007

Ever since my sister and parents found out that I was drinking again, they have been pressuring me to stop drinking. I am on Day 2 because I want to stop drinking, but I am not liking the pressure I am feeling from them. It is making me feel very anxious. Does anyone else feel this from their families?

Popeye2014

I live with my mother, stepfather and brother.
I told my brother that I was on SR, he said that I was not an alcoholic, because I just drink beer. He also told me just to drink a few when ever I felt like it.
I got up and left the room. I have no support at my house. They are not going to stop my sobriety . I just read your post again, looks like I got the opposite problem. Just breathe just hang in there and stay sober. 10-4

Soberwolf

It sounds like this has obviously been a problem before when you say your family found out your drinking again

They are worried and rightfully so your loved

Well done on 2 days sober that is awesome get some sober time under your belt and i guarentee things will improve in all areas

you can do it good luck JB

Soberintexas007

They found out after I got drunk at my mother's birthday on Monday. My dad could not believe I could not drink for a few hours, but I told him that once an alcoholic starts drinking again, we are unable to reason when we drink and when we do not. I guess it is nice having the support of my family because I am loved, but at the same time the disappointment can be that much more. Almost done with Day 2. A positive so far is that I am getting things done in my apartment right now that I otherwise would not be doing if I was drinking. I did tell my parents and sister, however, that if they had the same disease that I do, they would be more understanding of how difficult it is. I told them to count their blessings that they do not have to deal with alcoholism. But I guess this goes with any disease. Someone with cancer could tell me the same thing.

GracieLou

They would but since they are not alcoholics, they will never understand and you know what, that is okay.

We do!

It would not help me at all if someone said "Just don't drink, get over it" or even worse "you don't have a problem, have a drink".

This is why support from other alcoholics and a recovery plan is so important. If I only got support from people that did not have alcoholism or god forbid from people that were still active alcoholics themselves, I would still be drinking.

I had to leave my box and step out of my comfort zone and seek help with people that do understand.

For me that was AA and this message board. It makes a HUGE difference when I would say "I feel like drinking" and the other person said "I know and I understand".

Soberintexas007

Yes, that is what I told my sister the other day. When she told me that I did not need AA and to just not drink, I knew right then that she just did not understand. I told her that when I am in AA, I feel like I am home. Day 3 today and feeling okay right now. Mornings are difficult for me to get up and get going. I start to feel better in the afternoon.

Soberwolf

Justbreath stick with Aa your doing fantastic well done on day 3

zjw

Are you not drinking for you or are you not drinking for them?

The min my wife made suggestions of me quitting made me wanna do nothing more then drink even more. Screw her I'll do what i want gimme another beer!. Or it would make me anxious OMG maybe she'll take my beer away. Or it just felt like that background pressure to quit based on what someone else wanted out of me and not what I wanted out of me.

In the end quiting had to be about me and for me and not about what anyone else said or thought. That got rid of the pressure from the outside and the anxiety that went along with it. I still had ions of my own pressure on myself and my own anxiety but it allieviated the outside forces at least.

I'm the type that would respond Screw you i'll do what i want! then I'd quit or i wouldnt. But the choice had to be mine and mine alone. I'm a stubborn little snot like that always have been.

Soberintexas007

I am quitting for myself, but my family has ALSO been giving me pressure to quit. My husband told me the other day that he knows that he should not be drinking because of a heart problem, but he is unable to quit totally. But he has been cutting down, which has made things easier on me.

Almost done with Day 3. Today I went to a meeting and then treated myself to an omelet with potatoes and toast after the meeting at a small bistro before I went to work. There were some cravings at the bistro to have some wine, but I let those cravings pass, as I did not want to go back to drinking. Once I started eating, I felt better.

Almost to Day 4. For me in the past several months, it was getting past Day 2 that was the most difficult because that is when my hangover was completely gone, and I was tempted to drink again.

One day at a time.

MelindaFlowers

Yes at the very end my family was pressuring me to stop and I resented it terribly. Part of me wanted to stop visiting them because I knew I couldn't drink at their house. I felt like they were watching me. I was very angry.

But after some time and reflection I realized that if I actually did not drink at all, they would have nothing to look for and nothing to criticize me about. They wouldn't have the opportunity to catch me drinking if I just didn't. It was a huge relief to stop, really.

Even at the time I knew that they were only saying it because they cared about me but I wanted none of it. I didn't want them to care. Isn't that sad?

Now when I visit I just sit on the couch with them and do normal things like non-drunk people do. I really enjoy visiting them now and I don't have to be hung over every day and pretending that I'm not. Quitting drinking is a huge relief.