Originally Posted by DoubleDragons

Girl, I was you, too. I thought I was the life of the party; that I was a fun, party girl, but in reality, I now realize that my friends (and my husband for that matter) liked me despite of my partying, not because of it. I am 8.5 months sober and Friday I attended a party and I had a wonderful time. I don't think I was a total bore either because a new friend suggested a weekly lunch date and another new friend befriended me on facebook.

You sound younger than me, so I will tell you that it does progress to something even darker. Look at your mother. My mom is an alcoholic, too. She doesn't do "fun, partying" drinking. She now drinks daily, sometimes in the mornings and she is ruining her health and relationships. Watching her descent and realizing that I was depending on the drink and thinking about alcohol more than I ever had before, made me realize that I had to make some major changes in my life. Someone at SR challenged me to give sobriety "a try". I had given 27 years to drinking so at the very least I was going to give several months to sobriety. Girl, life is better sober. I am healthier, thinner, emotionally stronger, more self aware, I have more self esteem than ever. I have a better relationship with my husband and children than I ever have, because I like and respect myself more than ever. Most people who really push the drinking on you, do it because they want you to justify their bad behavior. Ignore your mother-in-law. In the beginning, until you feel stronger, you can tell that you are on an antibiotic and you that you can't drink. Once you feel more secure in your sobriety, it will be easier for you to not drink, no explanations needed.