mistyblue87

Hi everyone.
I am brand new here and I am very much wanting to quit alcohol completely. Ive tried before but its harder than I thought. It has done nothing for me but cause problems...I almost lost the love the love of my life twice from it because of my stupidity.

Im 25 and I work in the restaurant industry so im around it all the time. So when my coworkers want to go out and unwind its very difficult to resist. I always say "ill only have a few" and that plan fails.

Anyway, im done with drama and heartache that causes, so I found this forum and hoping to find more motivation than I can give myself

Misty

FeenixxRising

Hello Misty. Welcome. There seem to be a number of restaurant/food industry workers here who have the same issue. It's understandable as alcohol and food often go together. If you want to stay sober, there is a lot of support, motivation and information here, so look around and use what you can.

Is a career change a possibility? I'm not suggesting quitting your current job right away, but perhaps a different line of work and a different environment would be a good long-term solution? Have you considered AA meetings or SMART Recover Meetings (a secular program that is not as pervasive as AA, so there may not be a meeting in your area)?

insocal

hi misty,

just 25?...before you know it, it's 35, then 45...if you get a grip on this now, the opportunities are endless for you, as alcohol will only get in your way. unfortunately, i have lived this and know this well. i have had some great accomplishments in my life, but i would have had more if i had completely quit when i was 25. i wish this for you, my dear...good luck

mistyblue87

Actually I have done AA several times...I guess it takes a bit to get use to. Also I am petrified of speaking in front of large groups about myself.. and yes..this job will not be forever but it is something that for now pays my bills.
My reason for drinking and I only drink socially. I never have any alcohol in my home and I never drink alone, im a shy person so alcohol would of course loosen me up and I would become more social...but I want to find a way to do that without the poison...

RDBplus3

"I want to find a way to do that without the poison..."

Great insight, and great motivation for being here. Come back often, I would like to hear from you on your path and progress. Sober Recovery will help in many ways, and you will be helping others, all in a non-threatening, encouraging environment.

Thanks for Posting!!

mistyblue87

Thank you RDBplus3 :-)

BuddinK

Hi, Misty,

I also work in the industry, I have found that being honest with and telling my co-workers that I no longer want to drink was actually easy.

If they care about you, you will still be able to unwind after work with them and not drinking will not be a problem.

I also have found that after 1 bottle of water, I am usually unwound enough and want to go home.

Kind of reminds me about a sign I saw in a tattoo shop, it read "The only difference between tattooed people and non tattooed people is, Tattooed people dont mind if your not tattooed"

We should be able to alter that concept to read " The only difference between drinking people and non drinking people is that drinking people don't mind if you don't drink"

Good luck and Stay Strong

Ken

mistyblue87

Thanks ken

Yes my coworkers are very understanding thats no problem..my biggest problem is I love going out and dancing and being social...im hoping I can do that without a drink in my hand..I used to not be able to dance at all unless I did because I was that shy...terrible right?

BuddinK

No that's not terrible. You will become more and more comfortable as time goes on. There's an old saying "Dance as if no one is watching you"

BettyB

Hi I'm 22 and I was exactly in your shoes working in the restaurant industry and i was fine for about 2-3 months then i decided to have 1 drink with the girls I worked with(you know the story) then I started craving cocaine which brought me back exactly to where I was and even worse to the point that i couldn't work anymore. Anyway my point is you can be strong and work in the restaurant industry or be social without drinking but it makes it that much harder when its always around you and sooner or later you might give in like me if you are not ready and stable yet. For myself i think i need to look into another industry i don't think I can handle working around alcohol for too long and I have realized I can't go to places like that anymore, because it really triggers me. I have to avoid it for good 2-3 months at least unforunately.

FamilyMan2153

Misty, it is very tough where you are at right now. All I can say that you may need to change your play grounds, play things and play friends to get and stay sober. It sucks in the beginning don't get me wrong. I thought I could do it by just being strong but it never worked for long. I won't give you advice but I do know this, the people I know that had the most success made the most changes in their life. Good luck