DisplacedGRITS

As much as I enjoy the festivals around Milwaukee, I always see people with a beer in hand and wish I could do the same. That being said, I went to a concert last week at a small venue and was sober stuck behind a rip roain' drunk. I was glad that it wasn't me making a fool of myself.

How do y'all deal with going out and seeing everyone around you drinking? I feel so ostracized.

Supercrew

I don't want to drink anymore...I like being sober and rid of the crutch of alcohol. I don't feel ostracised, I feel free.

Before I quit I needed to have a drink in my hand or I was uncomfortable and normally pretty pissed. I never enjoyed the concert or the fair for what it was, I enjoyed it because I could get drunk.

This new life without alcohol has shown me how much I missed the real things in life for 27 years because I was so worried about getting my buzz on.

Dee74

I used to be swayed very easily by others - even just seeing people drinking would set me off, so I stayed away from those kinds of events until I was sure sobriety was really what I wanted.

It took a few months but I still consider it a wise investment.

I found when I want to stay sober, when I like myself sober, and I like the life I have sober- when sober is *really* what I want to be - it's immaterial to me now what other people are doing.

If you keep working at it, you'll get there dG

D

sugarbear1

I stay present in the moment.

I don't care what others are doing.

MsJax

Hi Displaced, that's kind of how it is around here too. Lots of events & I'm involved in hosting & organizing some events myself. Everyone's drinking. During my first about 5 months of sobriety I didn't go to any of these types of things. I did go to a few charity walks but that's it. I did go to one bbq at about the 5 month mark, stayed only 1 hour. Then last weekend I hosted a large event finally at my work. It went great & I was very comfortable in my own sober skin. As Supercrew said above, it was freeing without the booze. Nice to be completely in control of myself and no need to worry about where's the next drink coming from, getting too drunk, does anyone realize just how loaded I am, none of that. What a relief. It was stressful but ok.

I really think it helped me a lot in my sobriety at first to just avoid this stuff. It gets better and there are always more events in the future when sobriety is more rock solid.

Congratulations on your sobriety.

Mark75

You are not ostracized... You just think you are. I know that feeling. Like Dee said, once we know that sobriety is the right path and we are comfortable there, that whole sense of being different or ostracized goes away.

MycoolFitz

I think it's a mind set, with our thoughts we make our world. I went to an outdoor concert last week surrounded by drinkers. My thought was I was glad I was sober and not missing any enjoyment. If I'd filled my mind with thoughts of "I wish I was drinking", I'd just made myself miserable. I focus on what I'm gaining in sobriety, not what I'm losing, because I'm losing nothing positive.

DisplacedGRITS

I am finding that being around people who are drinking in a social setting is more frustrating than tempting. I remember (or half remember) those times I made a fool of myself while drunk. I never want to repeat that. My most difficult times are when i'm at the house by myself. I am sobering up for work tomorrow and will have to come clean to my boss. I enjoy my job but it's very, very part time so if he fires me I won't worry.