jh1

Well just got back from visiting a bunch of my friends for 3 days and went up pretty worried I was going to get drunk and fall into bad habits. New Years Eve was the first time I had been out to a bar atmosphere since I stopped drinking (12/10) and you know it wasn't bad. I actually had a ton of laughs because my friends were blitzed and pretty amusing. I found myself messing with em' quite a bit and also could provide them with a sober driver. In addition I also got a number from one of the best looking girls i've seen in a while-something I couldve never done if i was drinking like i used to because i would be cross eyed and probably not making any sense and more concerned about getting my next drink-so overall it was a pretty fun night and not as bad as i thought. And I was pretty proud I didn't give in to the many many offers and pressure because everyone was like c'mon its NEW YEARS! I do have to confess though-I started out the night with diet cokes and that just got nasty so I had a Bud Light for the new year and that was all. The next night i was out again with my friends and had a a bud light also. Both nights i had one beer and that was all. Im not too upset at myself, but was wondering is my date still 12/10 now or does it move to last night? Well, i guess ill say this is my 25th days since ive been drunk. Yay. Anyways, hope everyones holidays went well and everyone stuck to their plans.

mxchaos

I had ten months and then relapsed on one drink and felt the need to start counting at day one again. It's up to you but if it were me one drink is messing with fire and I'm bound to burn myself.

Rouxballs

sounds like you had a blast.. thats great. I have to agree with mxchaos--just 1 drink is all it takes to start a forest fire but only you know what you are capable of controlling.

Theresa

I have noticed a pattern to my not drinking/ drinking: If I don't drink anything--I don't drink anything.

If I take a break from this routine of not drinking, it starts with a single beer or glass of wine, then maybe two glasses of wine the next night, followed by four the next. Geez. Not sure why this has to be so for me, but I do find comfort that many here have the same problem/pattern of drinking.

For me, I am either not drinking, or drinking: it is so black and white/ on or off.

yeahgr8

One drink and i would be staggering around at 6am, credit cards maxed out and in the wrong part of town...just a fact for me lol It's funny (and not obviously) but at least i realise that now!

Rouxballs

At this point in my life, If I had just 1 drink--I would be disappointing myself.
I would fail. It has come to the point now where co-worker, friends and family ask me if I am still not drinking---I like to tell them "yup--35 days no drink." It will be 36 tomorrow.
That seems to be 1 of the things that motivates me not to drink.
Its like a puzzle coming together--Motivation= Better Health, Better life quality, More money in the pocket, Feeling like a winner, like you are accomplishing something. I am sure there will be more pieces to add to the list.

Rouxballs

WOW! I really like my last post above!
Lets add another piece to the puzzle--Confidence.

jh1

yea i agree with you guys because im the same where almost always one leads to a TON and many days. Im not going to be going out again for awhile and since going sober ive felt confident by myself that i won't go out and get a drink and i haven't. I knew I would only have one on new years and I stuck to it. I'm going to analyze and manage myself the next few weeks and see if that one drink did do anything to me mentally and see if my urges are worse or the same, etc. As for now im still saying im on day 25 now because i didn't go back for the 2nd,3rd,4th, and on and on. But at the same time I know from reading many of your guys posts that that one can play tricks on you and make you believe you can then start to have some more when you go out-but i know better and know ill end up back to that dark place we've all been. And to add to that in 3 weeks of not drinking and working out hard I seriously see some major differences just from not drinking and eating better. Amazing. Drinking just isn't worth it----i gotta keep telling myself that, ha.