How's everyone feeling about the upcoming holidays...?
I'm looking forward to the Holidays. It'll soon be a year of sobriety and it feels good to not be carrying around the drunkard baggage. I'm really thankful for SR and the many things I've learned from reading the posts here.
TERRIFIED!! I'm so newly sober (this time)- straight up, I'm planning to bail at this point. My family has no idea that I've been in treatment... They have just NOW started calling about the holidays and I have yet to respond. I in NO WAY want them hearing all this treatment stuff, and then have to sit with them and this giant elephant in the room. So.. Oh my... I think I feel this flu... This HORRIBLE FLU... I feel it coming on! It's destined to "ruin" all of my holiday plans!!! Darn...
Yeah... That's right. I'm gonna lie. I'm gonna be a big fat liar! And I don't care not ONE bit. This time is for me right now. I'm doing this for me. Maybe that's selfish, but I can't worry about that. I have to stay safe. I'm not "there" yet. I don't have a burning desire to "come out" and I am in NO WAY ready to deal with the holidays at this stage. So Ima' gone lie thu mah teeth! Just sayin...
Yeah... That's right. I'm gonna lie. I'm gonna be a big fat liar! And I don't care not ONE bit. This time is for me right now. I'm doing this for me. Maybe that's selfish, but I can't worry about that. I have to stay safe. I'm not "there" yet. I don't have a burning desire to "come out" and I am in NO WAY ready to deal with the holidays at this stage. So Ima' gone lie thu mah teeth! Just sayin...
I'm a scrooge... always have been, I did retail for years at the mall while in college so I have a profound hatred of Christmas music but I digress. I got sober after a bad drunk at a holiday party last year and to be honest, being sober is a huge relief to me. Last night I went to a holiday party where everyone was trashed and it really made me appreciate my sobriety. Drunkenness is too loud... and everyone repeats themselves. lol
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 26
Christmas is an empty consumer holiday where one must purchase obligatory gifts lest he or she be whisked away to the leper colony of reason. Let me tell you. I'd rather hang with the reasonable lepers than with those forcing their greed and consumer obsessions upon me.
Also, thankfully I'm at least a thousand miles away from those boring family holiday gatherings where the teevee is playing a football game, the conversation is so lifeless and dull that, in order to remain sane, I crack open a few beers and then some whiskey. My family, like most families it seems, have done nothing interesting with their lives and try to get you to mired in their rut.
Thanksgiving, away from the family, was an entire blur. Drink, drink, drink. That's all I did.
Being Dec 14th, I've been sober for three days. My record is a month (usually I crack at two weeks) so hopefully I don't give in to cravings, boredom and depression this time.
Also, thankfully I'm at least a thousand miles away from those boring family holiday gatherings where the teevee is playing a football game, the conversation is so lifeless and dull that, in order to remain sane, I crack open a few beers and then some whiskey. My family, like most families it seems, have done nothing interesting with their lives and try to get you to mired in their rut.
Thanksgiving, away from the family, was an entire blur. Drink, drink, drink. That's all I did.
Being Dec 14th, I've been sober for three days. My record is a month (usually I crack at two weeks) so hopefully I don't give in to cravings, boredom and depression this time.
I'm looking forward to this one as it will be my 2nd sober Xmas...I quit just before Xmas last year so did have quite a few cravings over the holiday period....This year I'm looking forward to stuffing myself silly then I have a 15 hour night shift to go to....At least at work no one will be around so I can smash the gym lol...
So true!!
I'm dreading all the non-stop activity of Christmas Day, and of course my family dynamic which triggers me. But it's these holiday parties that get to me the most! Last Friday I missed my meeting to go to my work party, where everybody was drunk and loud. Last night I missed my meeting to go to hubby's work party, where everybody was drunk and loud. Next Friday, well next Friday we have yet another holiday party, but we're going AFTER my meeting, come hell or high water!
It really helps beat the cravings and any anxiety/bad feelings to share on here and at meetings with other alcoholics who understand me.
Thanks for being here everyone, and wishing you all happy, sober holidays!!
I'm dreading all the non-stop activity of Christmas Day, and of course my family dynamic which triggers me. But it's these holiday parties that get to me the most! Last Friday I missed my meeting to go to my work party, where everybody was drunk and loud. Last night I missed my meeting to go to hubby's work party, where everybody was drunk and loud. Next Friday, well next Friday we have yet another holiday party, but we're going AFTER my meeting, come hell or high water!
It really helps beat the cravings and any anxiety/bad feelings to share on here and at meetings with other alcoholics who understand me.
Thanks for being here everyone, and wishing you all happy, sober holidays!!
Mixed emotions.... This is my first xmas ; I'm a noobie at 4 months sobriety.
The first of the holiday parties last week went fine. No worries.
Tonight is another holiday party at my GF's company. I don't get the cravings to drink but I DO become apprehensive about being judged or put on the spot.. I think it's a cognitive distortion, though, because when my life revolved around drinking it felt like others had the same mindset. I just have to push through with the thought that most people aren't paying that much attention to my beverage choice.
The first of the holiday parties last week went fine. No worries.
Tonight is another holiday party at my GF's company. I don't get the cravings to drink but I DO become apprehensive about being judged or put on the spot.. I think it's a cognitive distortion, though, because when my life revolved around drinking it felt like others had the same mindset. I just have to push through with the thought that most people aren't paying that much attention to my beverage choice.
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Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Edinburgh
Posts: 73
I'm confident at the moment, but that may change. In Scotland New Years is a BIG thing- we even get an extra bank holiday to recover! I'm lucky as I live right out, too far to easily get to a party. My housemate will be drinking whisky but I shall not succumb... I hope.
I'm going to be alone over Christmas, and thats dangerous. But if I dont go to the shops and buy that bottle I will be fine. I'm not expecting presents or anything, it will be a normal day to me. I have Doctor Who to look forward to. Cant be blitzed for Matts regeneration! But my anxiety and remorse may have diminished by then so my AV may be stronger. The only danger is the local corner shop will be open. I can't go and buy booze.
I may be very active on here that day! But NY Eve is hard as it is a traditional day when EVERYONE gets drunk.
I'm going to be alone over Christmas, and thats dangerous. But if I dont go to the shops and buy that bottle I will be fine. I'm not expecting presents or anything, it will be a normal day to me. I have Doctor Who to look forward to. Cant be blitzed for Matts regeneration! But my anxiety and remorse may have diminished by then so my AV may be stronger. The only danger is the local corner shop will be open. I can't go and buy booze.
I may be very active on here that day! But NY Eve is hard as it is a traditional day when EVERYONE gets drunk.
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Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 370
I went to a friends Xmas party tonight. These are friends I've known for 30 years or more, but most are heavy drinkers, and I usually did my share at this party in years past. I considered the danger in going, and I don't plan to put myself in situations like this often. But many of these friends I only see at this event, so I decided to go. I stopped and picked up plenty of NA drinks (Arizona tea, vitamin water, etc), and had absolutely no inclination to drink the 4 hours I stayed.
I actually really enjoyed myself, and felt like I was more focused on the conversations I had. More into actually catching up with people rather than sharing the experience of getting hammered with them. It was actually refreshing, and made me feel pretty good about my growth and my new ability to socialize while sober. I also told anyone who asked why my (EX)GF wasn't there, and why I wasn't drinking... My drunken behavior f'ed things up between us, and I've quit drinking. Every single person I mentioned it to respected my decision and ability to do so. And of course, I get to wake up fairly early tomorrow with no hangover!
I actually really enjoyed myself, and felt like I was more focused on the conversations I had. More into actually catching up with people rather than sharing the experience of getting hammered with them. It was actually refreshing, and made me feel pretty good about my growth and my new ability to socialize while sober. I also told anyone who asked why my (EX)GF wasn't there, and why I wasn't drinking... My drunken behavior f'ed things up between us, and I've quit drinking. Every single person I mentioned it to respected my decision and ability to do so. And of course, I get to wake up fairly early tomorrow with no hangover!
I just left a meeting on this topic. Early in my drinking career I remember I used to like Christmas because I could get away with drinking because everyone else was. Never mind I was drinking 2-3 times as much. As years progressed tho I was drinking to get drunk every day so the holidays were no different. Now, my family are social drinkers and that's ok with me but if they start getting drunk I will have to leave. No jimmy and beach guy I am newly single as well and it would be easy to get the poor me pour me a drink attitude but I just plan on being prepared and ready to leave if I have to.
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 154
A bleak advantage of alienating all my family and friends over the years, is that I am no longer welcome anywhere near them at Christmas. It will be a normal day for me. I may glance at the horizon, and imagine what my estranged family are doing, all those thousands of miles away, but that will be it.
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