I think that sometimes our friends don't realize how hard this is for us. I think that is what is so nice living out load here and in AA. People here get it. We understand what kind of slippery slope even taking cold medicine can be. Non-alcoholics simply don't get it.
I have several friends and family members that know I've quit drinking. I will say, if I decided to "have a beer one night" none of them would understand how big a deal it really is for me to drink that beer. To them, it's one beer and move on. To me, it's like enlisting in the army.
Drinking, for me, is a lifestyle. It's not something I do, it's something I become. Non-alcoholics simply don't get it. What I need to do is surround myself with people that either get it, or don't offer me a drink.