sickofthiscrap

Staying sober, I can relate. I'm one month in and feeling quite lonely. I miss my old friends but don't want to be around them because they drink. I'm not sure how to make new friends...I'm sure it will come in time but maybe I don't feel ready. Without alcohol it seems I am morbidly introverted and want to hide from people. I've just spent the long weekend alone. I've been spending a fair bit of time with my family and that helps.

least

Congrats on ten days sober! I always drank alone so was always 'lonely'. Now that I'm sober I am still alone but don't feel lonely anymore.

Stayingsober72

Hey sickofthiscrap,

I was in Sydney for a month last year and what an awesome place! But alcohol is so prevalent in Aus I can imagine it's tough to be sober there. Aus makes it easy to be drunk with free rides home from the RSLs and bars every where you turn! In fact the only AA meeting I saw was in the basement of a pub in the Rocks. I'm sorry you are alone and you are doing a very brave thing. Big hugs from San Francisco

sickofthiscrap

Oh Stayingsober, how right you are about Sydney! Every weekend the city streets are awash in blood and vomit, everyone drinking themselves into insanity and oblivion. Drinking is very normalised here. Being teetotal really looks weird and stands out. I'm being a hermit until I can figure out how to deal with humans while sober.

PS I've visited San Francisco, loved it. It's a little like Sydney, from a physical point of view... the harbour reminded me of home. Thanks for your words.

Dee74

It takes time to build a sober like stayingsober - I think you're doing ok

Try to think of things to do that don't involve alcohol, if all your social circle drink like you do, try to think of ways to meet people who don't have that kind of connection with alcohol?

and...even tho it may not seem like a gift right now..try and treasure this time with yourself.

I was never comfortable in my own company, mainly because I hated myself. The more time I spent on improving myself, and the more time I faced myself, the less I hated who I was

I'm really glad I had that me time., It's one of the reasons why I never went back to drinking

D

Dee74

Hey sick,

In a town the size of Sydney there must be other teetotalers. Like I said to Trying2, can you think of ways to meet them?

D

sickofthiscrap

Hi Dee, yeah I can... I feel like I'm not really ready to get out there at the moment though, you know? Even though I'm a bit lonely I feel like being a hermit? It's probably part of the whole process... I don't feel interested or interesting, don't want to connect. Maybe I'm depressed.