Originally Posted by
Cityboy 
Drinking a cold beer at the end of the day is such a deeply engrained part of working out of town. It seems to give you something to look forward to. Of course a cold beer always leads to 10 cold beers and a bottle of wine.
When we go fishing, my friends and I drink astonishing amounts. These are my best friends in life and I can't just cast them aside.
Just a couple of examples.
What's this, Day 6, CB, right?
Give yourself time to adjust (says jr67 with a grand total of 16 days under jr67's ever-so-slightly loosening belt) (and counting).
I mean, you need to have a plan, or be working on a plan, for various contingencies, but not all at once.
For example: When is your next business trip? When is your next fishing trip?
Whenever they are, they are not right now, here, today, so for now, here, today, you are not drinking. Same for tomorrow. Same for Saturday, etc. etc.
Meanwhile, you are learning to be the new CityBoy. Same as the old CityBoy, sans ethanol.
So not exactly the same, but better, you will see. You are seeing already.
You said in an earlier post:
"Alchohol is such a part of so many activities that I'm sure some things will be difficult triggers to manage. Working out of town, working in yard, going fishing, cooking on the grill, going to certain friends' houses, we'll see how it goes.
"I'm sure that family members and friends would be more supportive but just don't know how.
"Actually this has been a bit more emotional than I had ever anticipated. Perhaps just thinking it through and opening up about it has helped."
End Quote.
That's great that family and friends would be more supportive "but just don't know how." So they, or some of them, are aware that you've quit? That great, imho. Cut them some slack, just as you need to cut yourself some. They are learning, too. Any number of things could be going on.
Each situation, and each family member and friend, is different. Maybe, for some of them, they're nervous about saying the wrong thing, so they say nothing. I think that's part of what's going on with my two sisters and my two brothers. Drinking has always been a notable part of family events, but not, like some others here, the central, defining element. But that's ok, when I next see a couple of them (in mid-February, they live in different states), I'll do what I can to show them they do not need to walk on eggshells. And so far, in my 15 days of sobriety, I've had a couple of "practice runs," where I was out at a bar or restaurant and simply ordered water. BTW, if no one has stressed this to you yet: Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
The good part (one of the good parts) is that you have those friends and family members (as some here do not), and you trust that their intentions are good.
For me, it has been surprising, astounding even, to experience how helpful (and yes, emotional) the "thinking it through and opening up about it" on this site has been and continues to be.
I hope you (and I) stick around for a while.