notgonnastoptry

I have some built-in (by default) things to help me keep from being tempted. My husband and I don't really have a social life (neither friends nor family live near us), so we don't go anywhere, except out to eat together once and a while.

Today there is a festival (what weekend isn't there one?). I think I'll go because it has lots of kiddie stuff. I might go with a friend. I was looking over the list of bands (not a big music person, either) and I saw one that we used to listen to over and over when I was cocktail waitressing in the 90s. In my brain, that job (where I didn't drink much, believe it or not, even though it flowed all night long), that music, and that time in my life, made me, for a split second, think "Oh, it'll be nice and hot, X will be playing, and I'll have a margarita and enjoy the summer an sun". Of course, I won't do that, but just another nail in the coffin of knowing that I can't moderate, didn't moderate, and can never have a normal relation to booze.

D122y

Not,

A key to staying quit is to be happy sober.

AA offers that. The steps and fellowship w other drunks. It is a good thing.

Of course, AA is not perfect, but it is a way.

Finding happiness being sober is different for everyone.

For me, it starts waking up and thanking God I am here, healthy, sober, and chance to have a great day.

Then I start sober day rituals....wash up, drink water, take vitmins, eat some healthy stuff, eat some not healthy stuff, watch tv, hit the gym, etc etc...until I go to bed, thanking God I am sober.

That is life. When we were drunk, we did similar things except we were hung over, getting drunk, or being drunk. Basically, in an alcohol induced brain altered state. A fantasy world. It was not dealing w reality.

Sobriety is how we are designed to live. Getting drunk is a life style induced state of addiction.

Breaking the chain and starting a new sober life is the right way.

Stay clean.

dwtbd

Hey great recognizing the AV and telling it to go pound, that you Know it would be a margore-ita and not some seemingly innocent little diversion.
Now tell it thatnot consuming a substance that causes batsh-t craziness and physical damage is "normal". Maybe a 'new' or 'recently learned' normal for "Us", but normal
It's trying to make you feel bad by twisting things around, let it know you're on to Its game.
Next time better weather, some good(because it's bad ) food, music , all the things that make a festival enjoyable , will be just that , normally

january161992

uncorked

Maybe the margarita is out -- they're a calorie bomb anyway! -- but you can grab a sparkling juice or something and still enjoy the rest. I know that probably doesn't sound too appealing right now, but when you lose alcohol as your focus (and you will), you find that the other stuff is what matters and makes memories.

thomas11

If I recall you ended up in the hospital not from a major binge but more like a death by a thousand cuts (an all day nipper, right?). I see where that would make it more difficult, but simple human intelligence would tell us that you simply should not drink again. The consequences far outweigh any perceived benefit. Hang in there.