Pressmetilihurt

I'm in Sweden visiting family. I have 149 days. My brother and his wife both drink. There's beer and fun being had everywhere. I have thought several times of sneaking away from my partner and pounding a beer. Then my mind remembers that I never wanna stop at one and then I'll spend the rest of the trip sneaking and arguing. There's meetings here but haven't had time to go. Please send suggestions. Support. Anything.

nova84

Well done Pressmetilihurt on playing the tape forward 👍I am sure that you will want to return from your trip with feelings of success, rather than feelings of guilt and untruthfulness. Stay strong. Wishing you well x

doggonecarl

Look at your mindset...

It is one thing for a normal drinker to associate beer and drinking with fun. It's another thing for the alcoholic to do so. We have to get away from the idea that beer = fun. It doesn't, not for us. Not anymore. But we harken back to the days when it was.

Don't romantize drinking. Have fun, enjoy your family. And congrats on 149 days.

Anna

Can you come up with an idea or activity that doesn't involve alcohol? Congratulations on 149 days!

entropy1964

Oh man Stockholm in the summer. Been there, done that.

I think you said it yourself....if you drink, the obsession returns, the lying, sneaking, fighting. The trip will be ruined. You won't have to look back on it with shame and regret if you don't pick up that first beer.

Wastinglife

I ruined a few vacations with my drinking. What's the point in spending a couple thousand dollars to just get drunk in a foreign country when I can just get drunk on my sofa? One holiday I went on, I just sat on the beach and drank all day for a week. No activities, no sight seeing, didn't even bother taking any pictures.

Don't ruin a good trip by letting alcohol take over.

Ruby2

I understand the pressure you're feeling. My suggestion is to make time for meetings if you've been to meetings. If your mind is thinking you can slip away to pound a beer or several then you can certainly slip away to find support at a meeting

least

Whatever you do, don't blow those 149 days sober! Don't look at it as missing out, rather see it as being free from hangovers and bad behavior. I sometimes get thoughts of drinking, even after six years, but I want to be sober more than I could ever want to drink, so I never worry about giving in to temptation.

uncorked

Is there any good N/A beer around? (I know that's off the table for some people but it works for me.) As far as alcohol content, there's more in orange juice. I'm sure you've exhausted club soda/lime and all that. Can you get away from the city and do something that doesn't involve alcohol?

Gottalife

Make time. Your life may depend on it.

As a longer term suggestion, live the AA program. The freedom for alcohol that brings will remove all the concerns in your post.

Hawkeye13

Don't throw away 149 days. . . the obsession comes back,
and who knows where you stop since we don't have off switches when drinking.

Very bad idea.

Lots to do that's fun anywhere without alcohol. . .

GnikNus

Don't pick up that first drink. The 149 days you have are hard won, and a little "fun" is nowhere near as valuable as that sober time. It's not worth it.
But you already knew that, since you posted here.

Meraviglioso

I second what wasting life said, I have ruined several vacations by drinking. I've been to some amazing places with amazing things to see and I pretty much stayed drunk the whole time, how pathetic and sad. Drinking does not equal fun. You can't drink, but you can have fun- try it!

littlefish

We have a nice International group meeting in Stockholm. Three meetings a week at the Karlsbergsvägen address. I haven't been for ages since I generally hang around in Swedish AA. We have something called Svenglish, too. That is both Swedish and English. There's a great sober community here.
Karlbergsvägen 32 B, Stockholm: Monday 19:30, Wednesday 19, Friday 19.
Stockholm does indeed have a huge amount of outdoor serving places and everywhere you look there's people sipping beers. We talk about that a lot in the rooms!
Have you discussed with your partner and your brother and his wife your sobriety? Having them know of your situation may decrease the amount of invitations to drinking events.

Soberwolf

Get to a meeting if they have them & use things like playing the mental tape of yourself drinking at its worst don't sugarcoat it also try things like urgesurfing and D's other cravings link il supply below also stay accountable coming here to say how your day has been don't let your AV convince you 1 won't hurt it only takes 1 for a thousand to be not enough

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...e-surfing.html

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-cravings.html

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-recovery.html

DarkDays

Grind it out ! Pouring a drug down your throat to alter ones thoughts for a couple of hours before it goes downhill very fast.
I myself have ruined countless holidays in the past ,spent days in a hangover state , miserable and touchy for what ?
Let's face it , we are not craving the taste of beer or wine we are craving the effect , the drugged up effect .
Being totally stone cold sober now as all around you imbibe is true character and is so cool , don't be a sheep , be cool ,stay sober .
149 is still early days , your beast brain is trying to get you to start drugging agin for its needs .
Search out AVRT bullets on Google , read them .

Simplicity .

Pressmetilihurt

I loved this. Grind it out. Yes. Be cool. Yes! I totally get that days of hangover state blues. Yup. I don't wanna trash my sobriety for nothing.