Jules

Hi,

Having a really bad day - Worst so far. I am on day 16.

I have been in fairly good form for the past 16 days but today I am in very down form and I am not too sure for what reason.

The only thing I can put it down to is it is Friday, the start of the weekend !!

All my girl friends are meeting up tonight as one of them has just returned from honeymoon. They will all be drinking and winding down after the weeks work and I just so want to be able to wind down and have a laugh with them too. I know this probably sounds stupid but I am jealous.

One part of my mind says - This will pass. The other is saying - just have two. I know if I do drink, I will be very disappointed in myself and do not want to have to go back to day one again as I have been doing so well.

If I stay in , I will be thinking of all the fun they are having and catching up togther and will feel left out.

What will I do - Any suggestions woulf be much appreciated.

Thanks

Julie Xo

3legacy

((((((Jules))))))))
Sounds pretty HUMAN to me. Care to join me in the chatroom for a bit right now?

I think your doing great and talking about it shows some tenacity.

(((((((Jules)))))))
Three Legs
:tri

quercusalba

Hi Jules... I've been following your recovery here and I'm so happy you're at day 16.

My advice would be not to go out... I think it's too early in your recovery to put yourself that close to temptation. Also, if you're anything like me, if you go you *will* be jealous of those who are able to drink a few and then walk away from it. That won't make the night very much fun at all, feeling jealous and probably spending most of the evening wishing you could drink. Is there any way you could convince the group to go somewhere else that isn't a pub or a bar? Like a restaurant or a coffee house? Maybe they could at least start out somewhere non-pub & you can hang out with them for awhile there, then they could hit the pub later & you could say your goodbyes and head home.

If you end up staying home, do something good for yourself - enjoy the evening and be glad you're not spending it drunk! Kicking the drink is so hard... and you've accumulated over two weeks - don't give in to it now. Keep piling up those days and soon you'll be talking months of sobriety instead of days.

Good luck to you, and have a good weekend.

Dan

The dreaded Friday Blues...
This is crunch time yes? Missing the companionship of your girlfriends versus putting yourself in a touchy and perhaps dangerous situation...

And that thought... I'll have only two.

Could you stop at two pints? Honestly?

Do something completely different. Something you've never done.
A restaurant or bookstore you've never visited.
Call someone you haven't spoken with in a long time.
Move your furniture around!

There's a thread in the Alcoholism Forum...
Friday Affirmations.
Scroll to the beginning and see what others have done in these moments.

There's always a meeting...

This is when it gets interesting Julie.
When the forces that brought us to the edge revisit us.
Honesty will see you through.

Jules

Thanks guys you all make perfect sense with you advice.

Boy this is hard and difficult, can't believe this has hit me so bad and 16 days later !

I wasn't too good last Friday either but I definitely was not as bad as this.

Unfortunately I can't change the destination where they are going as it was pre-arranged and there are 12 of us meeting up.

I can't say I am sick as this was the excuse I always used when I was drinking alone.

Don't worry guys, you have all been so good to me that I will try my level best not to let you or myself down. You are all great to me and I appreciate it.

Think I will go for an hour and just have coffee so as not to be the only one missing once again. I will get out by saying I have a headache - I actually do so this will not be lying.

I will post later to let you know how I got on.

Thanks

Love ya's

Julie Xo

dixielove

Take care of yourself Julie. Don't give in, no matter what. Day one is somewhere you don't want to go again.

ohconnie

Jules,
What is it about day 15/16? I made it to day 15, then had a drink. It was soooo not worth it. Do your friends know you have stopped drinking? Will they support you in this? If you do go, can you really just have 2? I know I couldn't. If i have even one sip, the bottle will be gone before i know it.

Good Luck, Jules. And there's always the movies. That takes up a few hours.

degadar

Hi Jules, Just thinking out loud... Now might be a very good time to start telling those about you that you don't drink any more... They're going to find out eventually.

Deg.

Chy

Hang in there Jules, I found the first 3 weeks to be the hardest, and after that it started to get better, I had confidence to make it past the weekends, had to start looking for new avenues for fun in addition to this is about the time the emotional rollercoaster starts, fortunatly it shouldn't last long. It's a time of acceptance, and courage. A time to realize how committed you are. A time to realize there are feelings your going to begin to experience that you haven't felt in a long time because it was alway's masked by our drink of choice. You remain determined and courageous k? *hugs*

Kylie

Good Luck Jules,
I know how hard it is, all my friends are also drinkers and I'm already worried about a birthday party coming up in november and how i'm going to go not drinking. But seriously theres been many gatherings in the past where we've all got blotto and i've felt absolutely shocking the next day and embarrist at how drunk I got. Try and remember those times Its not worth it True friends will want whats best for you. Wishing you all the best from Downunder Kylie