goose333

Although I got through yesterday, it was a very tough day. I knew it would be, but I didn't really understand what a challenge it would be.
The wife & I started our vacation yesterday. A 13 hour drive to Myrtle Beach. Usually the night before we leave I have a couple of drinks to insure I sleep well. Didn't do that this time and although I didn't sleep as well, it was good enough.
During the drive I was more alert than I've ever been. Normally when we arrive, I go grocery shopping and then go to the local pizza joint to pick up a pie. This place recently added a nice little bar and it was always wonderful to sit down and have a few while you wait for your pie. Usually I would do that and then go back to the condo and have the pie with my wife and we would share a bottle of wine. It always felt great to do that after the exhausting drive. Of course, I would be asleep in an hour.
Kept thinking of this during the drive. I'm gonna do it. One wouldn't hurt. One would make you want more. I won't drink, I'll pre-order and just pick up. Around and around I go for 13 hours along with a lot of other thoughts.
Well, I went shopping and called for the pie on my cell. Dumped the groceries in the car and drove to the pizza place. Pie wasn't ready! Had to stand there looking at the bar and envying those sitting around it. Very Very Difficult! But I did it. I took that pie, and walked out. Had club soda with limes. Stayed awake and went to bed the same time as my wife.
First challenge under my belt. Next one will be dinner tonight. I don't know how the heck I'm going to do this.
Thanks for listening
Goose

Hawks

Would you strip completely naked & do the chicken dance in front of the entire restaurant or bar before allowing yourself to have a drink???

Gilmer

You did well to resist in the pizza situation. Think of that as momentum you've got going now. Maybe for the time being you could ask your wife to go without drinking as a show of solidarity. Just till you get through the first couple of weeks and are familiar with the mechanics of resisting.

sprout50

You did fantastic! You took a situation that is associated with drinking and you didn't drink. Can you change up your vacation a bit? Change things so your usual vacation now becomes associated with non drinking events?

Stay strong. You can do this!

goose333

My wife and I went out to dinner last night. Strangely, her having a glass of wine did not bother me in the least. It was very weird however. I looked around the restaurant and saw so many people enjoying wine. I thought, I'll never be able to do that again. How sad. I will miss that. Then I thought... Yeah, but if you did that right now, it would just be torture. Two glasses of wine wouldn't cut it. I'd want the whole bottle. That's not good so I don't need to have any now. It wouldn't be any fun, because I drank to get drunk. I had club soda with a Lime. Free refills too! Dinner bill seemed almost free in comparison to the usual.

Goose

Soberwolf

Done good well done

FeelingGreat

Goose, congratulation on resisting so far. Watch your thinking carefully because at this stage with old habits still in place, the way you think is going to make or break you. You collect the pizza and you think about how lovely it would be to have a drink.....instead you could go for a 5 minute walk, or even order a lime and soda so you have something in your hand. Don't tolerate your AV - send it packing with whatever means at your disposal. If you start thinking about how it used to be you'll be dependent on will power, rather than embracing the positive life you've chosen. It will get easier.