Originally Posted by
Ohme 
It's true. I just want to be prepared when it comes up so I don't make a dumb choice to avoid feeling awkward or uncomfortable. I know I shouldn't care what they think but I do and I think that's something that's gonna take time for me to get used to.
One of the biggest causes of my anxiety is the way people feel about me and perceive me and I believe it's the reason that I got so heavily into drinking in the first place. I would drink to not care and then the next day go down a spiral about all the dumb things I said. Ugh. What a monumental waste of time.
Anyways, all of this advice is amazing and I'm thankful to all of you for it. I have a lot to learn and I am ready to hear it.
Not drinking doesn't seem to be the end of the world to me anymore. I don't know when this changed but it probably has something to do with hanging around here for the last 2 years.
It’s totally understandable to be initially anxious about this.
We alcoholics or alcohol abusers or problem drinkers are so obsessed with drinking and how much it has come to define us and be part of our dna that now we are not drinking we put instant pressure on ourselves along with fear to explain ourselves or make up excuses as to why we are no longer drinking.
The truth is that normal drinkers are not obsessed like us and may either be supportive of your healthy choice or couldn’t give a rats ass if we drink or not and what our reasons may be.
When it comes to worrying about what people think or may say about you about drinking or anything for that matter I heard a client and friend of mine who is over 15 years in successful recovery say the following and it has always stuck with me on a profound level:
“Those that care don’t matter and those that matter don’t care”