I used to have lots of people guess.
Some quiet observations, others loud and obnoxious.
For some it was out of kindness, others - I am not sure of their motivation, I am not sure caring was the top of their agenda.
I don't really advertise what I am doing or make any big thing of it.
To me it's massive and a total life turnaround that is 100% better than I could have ever imagined.
Now I have stopped, some people seem generally pleased, others confused, others think it's strange.
I usually group responses this way...
If they are pleased, they have guessed and they knew.
If they are confused, they probably did not know.
If they think it is strange, no way did they know.
I choose who I share it with too.
If someone asks why I just say 'I have set myself a challenge and I want to stop drinking for a year'.
If those who know my history ask why have you stopped drinking I say 'well I was never very good at it was I?'
They usually laugh, which is nice...
By this I mean I did outrageous daft things when drunk, could not control my drinking, blacked out.......was a general all round plonker.
My boss has always drunk too much.
However he often used to project his drinking onto me. Saying I had drunk too much to take the pressure of him.
Now I do not drink at all, so he cannot do it.
Sometimes when we are on our own he talks about some of the physical symptoms he is having, which to be qute frank I DO NOT WANT TO KNOW!!!!
I wonder if deep down he knows he has signs of being a problem drinker?
Is he sounding me out so I can say ' I would not worry about mate' and make him feel better.
I won't do that. He never extended me that courtesy.
Recently I have started saying that I think his health problems are all due to drink and if he stopped for a month, the redness and puffiness in his face would go. His tummy would feel better and his gout would clear up for good.
But I suppose it takes one to know one....! However, I never had gout.
But I do think we think we hide it well when we are drinking and we really don't. We shake, we smell, we look ashamed after a blow out.
Don't be worried about going to be a meeting....get gone Cheese.
I have never felt more at home or in better company when I am with a bunch of ex drunks who are talking about how much happier they are when they are not drinking.
We all know how each other feels and understands.
And as one old timer at meeting says - 'I did not get sober to be a miserable tw@t' - we all have a good time, serious stuff aside.
I will take you to one if you want?
Now you have nothing to be scared of.
Any thoughts from my post?
S
xxxx