Originally Posted by
doggonecarl 
Not even to, as you call them, " ...your dudes, bros, sisters, whatever...your friends."?
You are correct.
I'm gonna say something of real truth putting me in a vulnerable spot, but here goes;
I'm afraid. Not the kind of afraid some folks might think, but afraid of failure, ridicule, and accompanied with a strong case of the what ifs. Its like this, what if I tell my few best buds what has really been going on? So they listen, offer support, and remain my friends. Likely it's no big deal and I've blown all this out of proportion because I'm a firm believer that in reality, no one really cares if I drink LOL.
But in doing so I open myself up to be read like a book. Now people know. Then....what if I drink again? I will then be labeled the guy who quit drinking because it was a problem but relapsed. Everyone close to me would know that it was a struggle, and there I am drinking again, taking down the very addiction I couldn't handle. Weak.
So as crazy as it sounds, at 8 months sober I am afraid of telling folks my struggle in fear of judgment suppose I fail.
*Thank you to everyone for the support. One thing I've learned is offering support to others is how this works, it keeps the wheel turning.