Carrie36

Slowly but surely I have been 'coming out' to family and friends as an alcoholic.

Yesterday I told my dad and my step mother/friend (who incidentally was my closest drinking buddy)

I wasnt really sure what to expect but she said I had her support. I sure hope thats true.

Its so hard when its a family member you drank with, its so damn complicated.

I hope that this gets easier...

it should get easier in time ..right??

JackNWA

Yep - it does

Fandy

I've found that I was more worried about not drinking with my family and friends than they were...my family and friends are very supportive and always have alternate beverages available.

there is not a big sign hanging over my head, but they don't treat me differently either...the biggest discussion was the painless calorie deduction from not drinking....prompting a few friends to join me with tea instead of wine.

LawMama

It has gotten easier for me since I started telling people about 3.5 months ago. Now it seems to come out naturally. And I relate on the family thing....my family members were my best drinking buddies/partners in alcoholism lol

Kitey

I just tell it as it is to people asking why I dont drink anymore...That it has a Grip on me, its better than saying Im an Alcy even though its the same thing..lol

least

I don't shout it from the rooftops but if anyone asks I just tell them I can't tolerate it anymore, that it does bad things to me and I'm better off without it.

Actually, today I went thru the drivethru where I used to get my wine and the girl there asked me why I hadn't been there in such a long time. I told her I finally quit drinking for good and she congratulated me and said she was happy for me! (especially considering that I was often the first one waiting for them to open at 8am!!) I stopped specifically to tell her why I didn't go there anymore! It sure felt good!

Isaiah

I find it's gotten easier the more comfortable I've gotten with sobriety (fact of my weekend aside.) And a lot of that has come from going to AA; I've learned how to better articulate the illness and it helps me open up about it.

Kjell

Well done!

For me, like some have said, I don't shout it from the rooftops, but when I was active, I had so many lies going on, that now I tend to overtell the truth

NEOMARXIST

I try to be open from the get go about the fact that I don't drink booze at all. It often is quite at the forefront of conversation, what with hanging around with 18/19 year olds again! It's funny listening to all the stories of how wasted they got 'pre-drinking' last night and thinking about the AA meeting I was at! It's always amusing as well knowing the debauchery that I witnessed and listening to their stories that sound so tame, but to them so 'hardcore'. ha-ha. Makes me smile it does!

I ain't ashamed to be an alcoholic but I was mighty ashamed to be a drunk and have people witness me in the states I used to get myself into.

I don't mess about with it as i know how insidious and cunning alcoholism is. I make no excuses as to why i don't drink if I'm pushed on the matter. I ain;t got nothing to be ashamed of and admitting and accepting my alcoholism allowed me to be able to start a fresh life 'one day at a time'.

Nice one.

Isaiah

To me coming out is easy, the bugger is answering all the follow-up questions and concerns. Like people apologizing for using the word "beer" in my presence.

VeeTee

Hi Carrie, thanks for the post. I too, am not sure how to tell friends and family, dreading Christmas already (how's that for one day at a time)... Your post and the replies are encouraging. Thank you.
vee

Lilly03

Yeah going home for Christmas is scaring me. Usually my trip homes include family events - where they drink...And going to bars with old high school friends.

What I want is for people to treat me normally, but accept that I don't drink. They can drink around me but I don't want to be asked if I want a drink - and I don't want to go out to bars unless it's for a lunch or something like that. No going to bars to hang out.... Not a good idea for me. Maybe I should tell people what I need from them right now? Not something I would have thought of doing when I was drinking.

Carrie36

Some awesome replies here ..thanks so much everyone!! You always give me a new way to look at things, hope and encouragement.

Thank you my SR family!!!!

readythistime

Definitely not easy when it is a family member that you drank with. My dad and his best friend (now deceased) were my best drinking buddies. My dad is still going strong with drinking. There is only one thing that will ever get him to quit.
As crazy as it sounds, I am almost ashamed to tell him that I am not drinking (absolutely crazy! I know!).

God bless you! Keep on keepin on.