gadd

I hear a lot of people mention their AA friends. Do I have to give up the friends I have now? Aren't I the same person just one who doesn't drink?
Can't I do all the things I used to do?

also, what about non alcholic beer - I hear mixed reviews. I am looking for a consenus.

THanks and have a great week

W

Anna

Hi Gadd,

I don't know if you're the same person that you were, but I know, that when I began to live a sober life, I was not the same person that I had been. My drinking had been masking my emotions and I was living the life I thought I 'should' be living. Some of the things I believed about myself were not true and there were other things I came to learn about myself. Sobriety is a period of growth.

As far as friends, I think the issue is always, will they be supportive of you. I had to stay away from drinking people and situations for quite awhile. I just found it too stressful to be around alcohol. So, it's not just the people, but also the situations you are going to be in. Also, I'm not an AA person, but I did change some of my friends when I stopped drinking. I had been living a negative life and I had attracted some people into my life who were just plain toxic. I had to get rid of them. I also found that my new attitude brought some new and wonderful people into my life.

I have seen non-alcoholic beer discussed around here many times and it seems like it's just a really bad idea.

chicago

im a completely different person than i was. the majority of my friends today are in the program but a handful of life-long friends are still in my life --though not like they were. to achieve sobriety i had to change who i was because my thinking patterns were screwed up. i was dishonest, inconsiderate, and selfish. you're speaking of people, places, and things...all of which i had to change. if you hang out in a bar with your drinking buddys chances are extremely high a drink will eventually follow. this is a program of action and change. i would highly advise you not to drink non-alcoholic beer.

Spiritual Seeker

It would seem that if you drank when you got together w/ certain friends, that would automatically be a trigger to want to drink with them cuz that's just what ya do. Newly sober stay away from temtation

gadd

Thankfully (very odd to say that), I was my main drking buddy. Most of my friends drink only in moderation.

Thanks

tyler

I would say you are really the only one who can make that decision. Pot was my main issue, but I'm also a binge drinker. I know there is absolutly no way I can hang out with my old pot smoking buddies, even the one's that know I don't smoke anymore. I hate that fact, but I've tried the other way too many times. As far as alcohol goes, and I am only stating this for myself, being around other's drinking doesn't really bother me, because when I drank, it was by myself, in my room, with a bottle. But everyone is different.

If you are early in recovery, it's probably best to stay clear of drinking situations until you know how you will react to them. As far a non-alcoholic beer goes, it really doesn't hold any interest to me because it won't get me drunk, which is why I drank in the first place. I'm no beer expert, but most people I've talked to say the non alcoholic stuff tastes like **** water anyway!!

BTW, I'm not an "AA person" either, not that there is anything wrong with that, these are just my own personal experiences. Take care.

CarolD

For me....friends are people who share the same
goals ...hobbies and lifestyle with me.
I find most of them in AA.

As a non drinker...I don't choose to eat or drink alcohol.
that means no fake eer with it's trace of alcohol.

Glad to see you again...