I just say, no thanks, I don't drink anymore. Seems to work and no one's ever questioned me about it.

It depends on who I'm talking to. Many people deserve no explanation so that's what they get. A simple, no thanks. People who know me well already knew the kind of relationship I had with alcohol so when I told them I'd quit they understood. Most of them are happy for me, a few have even asked me how I did it because they have their own issues with drinking. And a few have given me a bit of a hard time, but whatever, it's my life, not theirs and I know my own truth. As far as the in-laws go, my BF told them and at first, they were worried for me but now that some time has passed and they can see there's nothing to worry about it's all blown over.

I hate labels too. I don't go around telling people I'm an alcoholic. Honestly, I don't even call myself an alcoholic. After all, how can I be an alcoholic if I don't drink? Sure it got the better of me, but I turned it around and got better and it's not a problem anymore.

When I go to dinner at friends houses. I just take my own seltzer water and ask for a glass of ice when I get there. No one says a word.

"It gives me wicked heartburn."

The End.

If it's at a public gathering where I barely know anybody then I just say "no thanks." If it's somebody I know slightly well at all, they're going to know I'm an alcoholic. I'm not ashamed of it. Hell, I've even been known to say if I was given a choice to start my life over and not be an alcoholic, I wouldn't. It's impossible for me to even imagine having any self awareness had I not walked the path of destructive alcoholism and then sobriety. It's how I found out who I am.

Great advice above, I ageee that "No thanks," is the perfect response, and also, nobody else was thinking about me not drinknking as much as I was!

I didn't make any big announcements, and didn't say anything to anyone except my husband for a few months. I had failed in the past, and didn't want to tell anyone for fear of that happening again.

As time went on I told people when situations arose. I always say I stopped drinking for health reasons. My closest friends and family know that I had a problem, but I don't feel the need to share that with anyone else.

I don't. Less is more. If someone asks me if I want a drink I just say no thanks. The only person I use the word sober with is my wife. Nobody else needs to know and any normy doesn't understand it anyway. In two years I haven't once had anyone question me

I once stayed sober for almost a year, when i lived with my ex-wife - and, to be honest, I didn't really want to quit drinking at the time, but my ex pushed me to do it, so the situation was a bit different from now, when I try to get sober because I wish to myself.
WHen we went out my ex would tell anybody on the room i was an alcoholic - I think she felt really proud about having made me sober up and wanted to tell everybody. But it really made me feel ashamed and stigmatized, and I'd always end sitting in the corner of the room talking to nobody - or just try to fake a smile when half or full drunk people (including my ex who would get drunk herself) came to tell me how much they supported me. I hated it, and i remember once getting so embarressed I just took my coat and left. (I'll get me coat! any Fast Show fans here? :D)

Sort of a side note here, but do you notice that if you tell people you aren't drinking anymore, that many people will then tell you why the amount they drink is ok, and how they make sure to only drink on weekends... I just want to say - Don't worry! I'm not judging you. You don't have to defend yourself to me!

Funny, because when I talked to my friend, who has no issues with alcohol (maybe 1 drink per week), he didn't defend himself at all. My sobriety didn't threaten him.

Yes - and some drinkers, who I see now are drinking too much for their own good - try to give me advice on how to moderate drinking - or they tell me, surely I wasn't that bad, i should just learn to drink like they do.
I learned to ignore that, i only take advice in recovery from professionals or dry drunks, not anyone still drinking no matter how much they drink.

If offered a drink, I say "no thanks - I don't drink" and I say it with real pride :)

Otherwise I don't talk about it.

That was my EXAGF to a T! It's like she was 'shaming me' while being trashed and being an active multiple addiction 'human' herself(projection)? Always,I was thinking;"WTF!?!?...how can you do this when you admit to me that you have multiple addictions and know what it's like? Are you an addict and also a psycho that booze and drugs were covering up? Maybe you're the reason I started drinking too much...because you are a selfish,controlling,manipulative,money hungry person!"(addict)... and "keep MY business out of streets!" I can only imagine the field day she's out there having with her 'crap' since I left her. and with that thought I just tell myself "Oh well." :headbange BUT...that's out of my control,as was my drinking and I OWN that!

YES!!! This happens a lot.
Recently a girl I told about my quitting jumped into a big explanation about how she had been over-doing her partying lately, how she wanted to slow down and how a big "detox" was in order.
I also thought....whoa! I didn't share this bit of information with you to make you feel like you needed to validate your drinking.

But, as many have pointed out before, its only people that have problematic drinking habits that are at all perturbed by news of others' sobriety.

My friends with no issues with booze don't usually have much to say other than "I'm happy for you" when I tell them I've quit.

It can be tough. I usually keep it to myself. Sometimes at work , where the guys joke about how drunk they got it's really hard. Haven't told anyone at work. I'm only on day 4. Sometimes I think I should just lie and say I'm still drinking. I had no problem lying about being sober before to my wife and family . Good luck to you.