Originally Posted by
Doug39 
Recovery is recovery.
Since my wife still drinks everyday I was in a bar a few days after I quit drinking 38 days ago. I have even gone to the store by myself to buy her beer.
Next Friday we have a Christmas party to go to; they are all heavy drinkers and it will get pretty boring pretty quick for me once everyone is liquored up.
I was in these situations in 2013 when I quit drinking for 4 months and it was torture because back then I didn't really want to quit; I had started an anxiety medication and I couldn't drink with the meds.
This time I really want to quit drinking and have no desires or craving. I shouldn't have any problems except wanting to get the hell out of there.
These situations are like more self-abuse almost.. like flirting with fire.. I think.
So I still live in a house where alcohol is present, I mean the way normal people have it, it just sits there. I wasn't tempted because it was just a part of the backdrop, it's just there. Like the Klondike bars in the downstairs freezer, I don't want the calories in ice cream badly enough that I'm gonna walk myself down there and get one. Actually, there are some Whole Fruit bars in there.. mmm, I could go for that. See?
However, I don't cross the street and walk in to the bar, Mom wouldn't ask me to go pick her up some Firefly moonshine and Dad wouldn't ask me to grab him a case of Coors Light. Because they don't care if they have it or not, and are perfectly capable of getting it themselves, but also because they know I have or had an addiction.
And if they did ask me??? Heck to the NO. This is not like asking me to drive you to the doctor's office. I take care of myself first, and I am not going to go there, to try and test myself, because I respect myself!
The only exposure I had that I couldn't avoid was a month in, I took a client to a family wedding, and alcohol was not only all around me, it was in my hand, I had to hold my clients big heavy glass of wine her niece brought her lol Can I just tell you it smelled WONDERFUL? I had the safety buffer of being on the clock though. Take safety buffers away and send me in to a place to purchase alcohol? I don't think so.