dbillyd

Any ideas? Without resorting to getting rid of them.

PurpleKnight

The only thing is to be blunt with them, that your not drinking, and if they can't respect that then unfortunately they're not great friends and your sobriety is more important than having them around!

Skye2

If you were diabetic and they pressured you to eat loads of sugary cakes - what would you think? No difference really.

IOAA2

Hi. Over the years we notice when we stop drinking our drinking "friends" are gone from our live for various reasons. Most times they are replaced with genuine friends that respect each other.

A simple "no thanks" should be enough.

BE WELL

ScottFromWI

If they know you are serious about sobriety and continue to pressure you, they are not your friends...pretty simple really.

MIRecovery

Sobriety is about change. Friends that want you to drink are not friends. Building a network of people that supported me was key

Nonsensical

"No thank you."

Anna

It's absolutely clear to me. If they pressure you to drink when you don't want to, they are not your friends.

least

I agree with all the above. They are not friends if they press you to drink.

ReadyAtLast

If 'friends' pressure you to drink then do get rid of them. You soon realize who your real friends are when you get sober

Carlotta

Dump them. Real friends would be happy you are taking care of your health whether they are still drinking or not. Also real friends accept you for who you are and accept your choices, they do not "pressure" or bully you and they will be supportive of any positive decision/life change you are making.
A real friend has your best interest at heart.

mfanch

None of my REAL friends do that. "No, thank you" is enough. The others just fell away when I quit drinking. I didn't have to "get rid" of anyone. They did it on their own.

dbillyd

Ok. Thanks everyone. Thought that would be the general response.

I still think they're generally good people and just because they want to spend time drinking with other drinkers doesn't mean they're not decent folks.

That said, for my own sake I'll stay way from them.

bigsombrero

Stay away from them. Don't go out with them. Tell them you've committed to a new lifestyle and that doesn't involve alcohol. Sounds like you need new friends. Pour your energy into that pursuit. Good luck.

FeenixxRising

What Scott said. If you tell them that not drinking is important to you and they still pressure you, they are people you shouldn't want in your life. When we change we often find out who are real friends are. Frankly, that's a good thing.

Carlotta

My best friend is an alcoholic and my BFF is a normie who enjoys a glass of wine here and there both of them are very happy I am sober. I did not say to dump them because they drink, I said dump them because you mentioned they pressured you.

KateL

Totally agree.

neferkamichael

It would be a good idea to believe that some of your friends are going to be jealous of you.

Dee74

I had to get rid of them.
sad but true...real friends don't pressure you to drink.

D

SoberCynic

I had this problem with some of my friends. They would try to tempt me occasionally. In many ways, it helped me. It showed me that refusing meant I was serious about it. I had a golden ticket excuse to get drunk but I didn't.

If they're good friends it should be easy to tell them to stop. If they aren't then they don't know you that well. I found that when I got sober my circle of friends changed gradually over the course of a year. Friends I hadn't been in touch with in a while began to support me and the ones I drank with slowly faded away.

Don't get me wrong there's no animosity between us but socially you find a balance after a while. Things kind of happen by themselves as you go through recovery.