James18

I know it's not a massive achievement, but I'm 6 days in and have survived my first Friday! Other than some odd cravings, weird dreams and foul moods I've been O.K. Lets see if I can make it through the weekend!

I've only had one cigarette too - I can't stop smoking while I'm drinking, so this is a bonus.

Washi

Congratulations James18. That is no small achievement

sassu78

That's a great achievement James!!

Good job

least

Keep on keepin' on. It gets better.

bexxed

That's excellent! And quitting smoking at the same time is no small achievement! One foot in front of the other....

Black Bird

Congratulations! Smoking is next for me. Doesn't the freedom feel good!

1newcreation

Awesome dude! 6 days is no small feat if alc has always been you're solution to evthg. 1 day @ a time & b4 u know it, twill be a mth
Good 4 u

Westpark707

Good job that's some inspiration for me starting over today. Thanks for sharing.

James18

I feel off the wagon yesterday. Although, somehow, I managed to catch myself in time and only had two beers. Even though I'm disappointed in drinking, I think this is a good sign; I've never stopped at two beers before. This is a new development...I had some self control and managed to exert some damage limitation.

GracieLou

Yes it is!

Do you think you drank because you did not feel you made a major milestone?

soberclover

Your achievement was huge! So is getting back on board and back on the wagon! Learn to celebrate your achievements without alcohol....you will need to learn how to do this for a successful recovery.

James18

I don't know. I just went into auto mode. The sun was out and my girlfriend decided she wanted to go for a drink, so I thought what the hell. I suppose I just don't want to come across as a killjoy whenever someone else wants a drink. I know that's a stupid/unhelpful way to think.

Mizzuno

When i read this, I am hearing that you are thinking you can control your drinking. I know that for me, I needed to experiment for years until the reality of my situation hit me like a ton of bricks. This does not happen to everyone, but most people that have alcohol issues have experienced this sort of catastrophe. What are your plans?

sassu78

James, I felt exactly the same way. I didn't want to "let my boyfriend down"...

With this disease you need to be selfish and think what's best for you. My bf can have two and stop. After I get two I can't stop.
Now when I go out with him I keep thinking: when I get another dui or something even worse happens, he won't be in jail with me. I can't blame him on anything. If I drink I will be my responsibility.
And that thought keeps me sober. It's still not easy to be the "boring" one but when time goes by he and my other friends get used to me being sober and I can be the one waking up early making them breakfast when they're all having a hangover...

solesman

I'm just starting my path to sobriety myself and this is the exact situation I can't seem to be able find a solution for. What do we do when our friends and neighbors want to get together for drinks next Fri/Sat night?

James18

Good question.


I don't know, but if I was left on my own I would be able to quit. This is not realistic or what I want, but the social aspect is the big issue for me. People drink. I drink too much. If I could only manage to cut down and learn how to regulate myself I'd be O.K. I can't see this happening anytime soon, although I did manage it the other day.

I'm getting to the point where I just don't want to be drunk or hung over, maybe this will make me drink less while I'm out. I really don't know how to get past this issue at the moment. I can't just avoid everybody.

solesman

Glad you got through the past weekend okay, James. I've been trying for months to "cut it back." Some nights I would be fine. I'd drink 3-4 beers and be good, especially if I had to work the next morning.

James18

Thanks. This is a problem for me; I'm not working at the moment and one of the reasons I'm drinking so much is boredom. Couple that with a habit for binge drinking I've had for some years (partly) since a family illness/tragedy, my drinking habits are terrible. I'm beginning to realize why I drink which is beginning to shed some light on *how* I drink. This is at least a start. Good luck with trying to figure out how to avoid the social drink issue. For me, it's the hard one.