Fly N Buy

Early in sobriety my primary drinking buddy sat across from me at my shop. He had gotten a dui - the first between us - and had an interlock device installed as ordered by the judge.

I told him I was done, can't drink anymore. He smiled at me his enormous stomach looking like he's carrying twins and said - we have to learn all things in moderation.

He recently choose booze over family and moved out of his home and marriage of 25 + years.........

I am so very grateful to be sober, today......

FormerWineGirl

Had an RN tell me, "just don't drink right before your liver panel (blood test).

"Do you go out to your car during the work day and take nips from a stashed bottle? No? Then you're not an alcoholic"! Apparently that's a sure-fire litmus test in case you didn't know 😕

thomas11

This is a bit different but my mother was always up my butt about drinking, I mean she never let an opportunity go by to tell me that I drank too much. Yet the first thing she said to me after "Hi" when I walk through the door to visit is "do you want a drink". What the hell.

gettingsmarter

Ah just take some time off and get it out of your system. You will be able to drink again.

For smoking: Wait till you have a year and smoke one just to see how nasty it is.

freshstart57

I just love this one.
I reply - I know! You were a lot more fun when I was drinking too!

SarahB60

I can relate to the "You weren't THAT bad" comment.

My personal fav: "Why don't you just cut back?"

blueberry2015

Ha ha! Brilliant come back!

Nic233

ive just had a conversation with a girlfriend this morning who wants me to go to her pool party tonight and I'll be ok to just stick to cocktails, as it's not wine!!! ��
Umm nope!!!

Jsbodhi

This is what I tell myself!!!
Like I need any extra encouragement!

Fabat50

My Mum said " Well, if that's how you feel why don't you just stop"

Thanks Mum, easier said than done.

And where I live in France "Je vais arrêter de boire" ( I have decided to stop drinking) French person "Laughs. Meme du vin???!! (Even wine?)

freshstart57

I think your mama is on to something, Fabat50. If you remove one word from her question and rephrase, it becomes, 'If that's how you feel, why don't you stop?'. It seems to be a perfectly reasonable question.

What if she were to say, 'If that's how you feel, why don't you stop, no matter how hard it might be?'. This gets a lot closer to the reality of our experience, I think. Something to ponder, peut-etre.

Once I made that decision, I was surprised it was much easier than I had feared. On the other hand, until I made that choice to quit no matter what, it was impossible to quit.

Ileana

No thanks I don't drink
[stares]
Really, I'm fine
[stares stupidly]
Really, I'm good. What's up with you?
[slowly walks away]

Not saying anything is sometimes worse.

Steely

All of the above......... "just drink more slowly". Now that's a relative term.

Maybe we should start a thread on all of the rotten things SOME people do when they KNOW you have stopped drinking. I used to go to the bike races every year with my boyfriend. Used to go with Dad too as a kid. We could camp and it was good. Sitting around the campfire (it was Bathurst NSW) a man handed me a Coke knowing that I wasn't drinking and unbeknown to me he had laced it with bourbon. I spat it out spontaneously but have never forgotten that incident.

Steely

That was really funny Freshstart. You nailed it.

Melina

My best friend said to me: man, I really want to get wasted tonight. Let's get wasted. Can't you just tie one on with me but not like get to that point where you cry and sit on my lap weirdly and then sob and then get mean? Like let's get wasted but you stop before that point.

MelindaFlowers

I have a real zinger to shut 'em down when they say "you weren't that bad!"

Tell them you were diagnosed with alcoholic liver damage and that's why you stopped.

It really brings the house down!

blueberry2015

Ha ha when I told my friends the truth about my drinking, they were like OMG Id be on the floor if I drank that much, I said of course you would be your not an alcoholic!

The other thing I find quite irritating is other people trying to convince me THEY don't have a problem themselves, Im like who are you trying to convince me or yourself?

And its them hardened drinkers who try and convince me that I don't have a problem lol - I shoot them down in flames. My liver enzymes were 4 times higher than they should be, I think that would suggest there is a definite problem, not to mention the withdrawals.

Its funny because its like they are trying to convince me that i cant be an alcoholic because they want to convince themselves they aren't too, I don't put up with any of that nonsense, I stick to my guns I AM an alcoholic end of, if that makes them question their own drinking then so be it, my admission of alcoholism to them is about ME! Lol x

Dropsie

Change is hard, on everyone.

I love the "you were a lot more fun when I was drinking too."

It has not been an issue for me, maybe with one group of friends, but even there no pressure.

I guess I am lucky, or I was so bad everyone knew I had to stop.

I am going with lucky...

Change4good

Want to go to a wine tasting with me?
Here's a bottle of wine I brought you for dinner.
Can I pour you a glass?
It's New Years, you can't do it without champagne.
You walked here, take advantage of it and have one!
Tough day, sounds like you need a drink!
Let's celebrate! Drinks on me.
They won! Let's toast to it!
Kid parties are rough, so I have bloody mary bar for the parents.

The list goes on, and on, and on. . .

Meraviglioso

This is awesome, I will definitely file this away and pull it out next time I need it! Thank you!