Weekend trip
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Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Boston
Posts: 50
Weekend trip
This weekend was tough for me. I went on a weekend trip to a cabin up north that I'd planned with friends back in December. I did not drink, but unfortunately drinking wound up being the focus of the people I was traveling with. I was happy to serve as DD, but have been going through some rough times myself and not feeling great about having to take care of others when I could really use someone to take care of me. Once again, being the only sober person in a group of drunk people felt extremely isolating for me. I loved everyone I was with - they are good, true friends, and not just former drinking buddies or anything like that - but I do feel everyone in my outward life just assumes that for me this was a simple matter of removing alcohol from my life and now everything is hunky dory (even more so having gotten into school and having had a lot of other successes). Honestly as soon as I got home I just had this huge emotional outpouring because I feel like when I'm around others I am just constantly acting fine and it's exhasuting. I DO talk to my friends about what's going on, but am realizing I don't do a great job of fully expressing my emotions in person and so I don't think anyone is really understanding that I am actually struggling.
It is hard right now to find a balance between experiencing and validating my emotions and not wallowing in them so that I can make positive changes. I find as this goes on I feel more and more emotionally raw - though I am also working through some non-alcohol related issues at the moment too, so it's definitely a lot at once. On the very bright side though, at 31 days without any alcohol!
Anyway, just wanted to share somewhere where people would understand. This weekend also made me realize that I would like to stop putting myself in situations that make sobriety more difficult for me right now, and seek a LOT more support to take a kinder, gentler approach. I am a big "achiever" at most things in life, but with this I need to take care of myself first and maybe speak up more for my needs, though I haven't yet worked out how to do that.
If anyone had luck calling their local AA to get set up for coffee with someone or to talk to someone one-on-one before attending meetings and could share their experience of that, I think that would be helpful to me. I've been thinking about doing that since I'm a little intimidated by meetings still but suspect the social support would be a big help for me. Thank you.
It is hard right now to find a balance between experiencing and validating my emotions and not wallowing in them so that I can make positive changes. I find as this goes on I feel more and more emotionally raw - though I am also working through some non-alcohol related issues at the moment too, so it's definitely a lot at once. On the very bright side though, at 31 days without any alcohol!
Anyway, just wanted to share somewhere where people would understand. This weekend also made me realize that I would like to stop putting myself in situations that make sobriety more difficult for me right now, and seek a LOT more support to take a kinder, gentler approach. I am a big "achiever" at most things in life, but with this I need to take care of myself first and maybe speak up more for my needs, though I haven't yet worked out how to do that.
If anyone had luck calling their local AA to get set up for coffee with someone or to talk to someone one-on-one before attending meetings and could share their experience of that, I think that would be helpful to me. I've been thinking about doing that since I'm a little intimidated by meetings still but suspect the social support would be a big help for me. Thank you.
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: KC MO
Posts: 980
I think it's human nature for people that are drinking whether alcoholic or not,to not really give any thought to those that do not drink.
That is why I try to stay away from that sort of thing. It's like going to a smorgasbord while on a strict diet.
I never called AA before going myself. I just took a deep breath,walked in and sat down like I owned the place. The people there know how awkward it is. They had to do it also.
Fred
That is why I try to stay away from that sort of thing. It's like going to a smorgasbord while on a strict diet.
I never called AA before going myself. I just took a deep breath,walked in and sat down like I owned the place. The people there know how awkward it is. They had to do it also.
Fred
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