silentrun

I am on vacation in Chicago. In Minnesota you have to buy liquor in a liquor store. Certain times they can sell and never on Sunday. Here I go in to get a soda and it's on the shelves at the 7-11. Go into Walgreen's and a full wall of pretty booze bottles. I can handle it now but at first I don't know if I could have walked out empty handed. I know a lot of other states sell it openly so Minnesota may be the exception with the special stores. I never thought how much temptation my fellow SR friends had. Also the people quitting with drinkers living in the same house. Would have been too much for me. Salute to all of you overcoming these situations.

CharlieNoogan

You forgot about the ridiculous requirement of 3.2% beer sold at sporting events and by grocery/convenience stores lucky enough to get a liquor license.

As a tax heavy state, you would think Minnesota would wisen up and allow Sunday sales and full off-sale liquor business in outlets other than liquor-only stores. Instead, they allow all that tax money to get dumped into Wisconsin.

karate

They have beer EVERYWHERE !!!!!! here and i mean EVERYWHERE !!!!!!1

A truck load in every store ,cant find my drink of choice without walking by a dozen cases of beer ,wine ,ect .

All i can tell ya is it gets easier ,and YOU are running your life .

It will get to where it wont bother you at all .

Impurrfect

They only recently allowed alcohol sales in GA on Sunday's. I was recently in Missouri (on my way from Arkansas to Minnesota ) and was amazed at how alcohol was EVERYWHERE!! Even wally world had it's own liquor store.

Karate is right...it will get to where it won't bother you. Though I was addicted to crack, I drive by dealers all the time and just silently say "thank You, I want NOTHING to do with that!!!"

Hugs and prayers,

Amy

Lily

Yeah, WI is it out in the open too as was in CA. (the two states I have lived) Pennsylvania has those liquor stores only as well as I remember.

bigsombrero

I was raised in the city of Minneapolis and now live in Chicago, I know what you mean. They sell it here in Chicago day and night, there is always somewhere open even at 4am on weekends. The only delay is Sunday, where you have to wait until 11am...and believe it or not there is a line for that stuff at that hour. Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, it's pretty alcohol-oriented, etc.

Sorry for the rant, just glad I'm not the only one who is overwhelmed at times.

DG0409

You can buy hard liquor at the gas stations here... and they wonder why we have a drinking and driving problem!!

karate

Dang it ,I thought looking at beer was bad enough .

Im sure glad i cant get a pint of crown at the gas station .

25-30 miles to hard liquor ,That helps .

silentrun

I just wasn't prepared for it. My brain light up like a Christmas tree when it saw all of that. My addiction started in on me big. I honestly don't know if I could have made it this far if it had been in my face all the time. I have gone into a liquor store 3 times since I quit and I have a conversation with myself each time to prepare. Guess I am extremely fortunate both with that and having a spouse who doesn't drink.

karate

Beer was not my problem ,but whiskey in the gas station ,,,,,,,DAMN

That would be tough .

silentrun

Yeah me too. I looked up to pay for my coffee and pints of whiskey right behind the cashiers head. EEEWWW scary.

FeelingGreat

You can buy take out liquor most days in Australia, but only at special stores, no gas stations, no grocery, no local delis. In my state we are only now getting to the point of having a coffee shop with a few top shelf bottles but I'm not sure whether the hours of sales are restricted.

DG0409

In a way, I think having it around can be an advantage. I quit while bf was still drinking and like I mentioned above, it's available in the gas stations here. It forced me to decide very early that I was quitting regardless of what was around and knowing I could do the first few days with my house stocked with liquor kind of gives me confidence that I can make it through any situation.

KristyCat

I live in WI, I pretty much know where the beer/liquor is at stores so I just avoid that aisle or if I have to go down that aisle, I won't even look at it, I'll try and look at the food by it, or something.

Looking at it makes me feel sick and anxious inside. I don't like the look and or taste of alcohol. When I have a craving, I am thinking about the high or experience of it. I guess that's a little bit different?

karate

Yep ,im glad i dont have to face the pints of whiskey .

I can start drink whiskey and be drunk ,before i knew what happened .

Its too much for me .

Crown ,Jack ,and Sevdka ,took me out behind the barn ,for a beating .

Thats when i hit the bottom .

Nevertheless

Yea,I live in Missouri. All convenience stores have 5% beer,and hard liquor. It was tough when I first quit. I was a 5 oclock drunk,and thats the first place I always went after work.
After I quit I still went to the same stores after work,only I bought chips and a soda. It took probably 6 months,but it was quite a feeling to realize I had gone in,bought my chips and soda,and I was 10 miles down the road when I realized I went in without even thinking about the cold beer in the cooler.
It was a feeling of freedom.

Fred