MsHyde

Yep, for me the music scene is very important too, I'm into goth and punk rock.
I quit illegal drugs in that scene and now everyone knows I don't take them anymore. And if someone offers, I just decline.

There are lots of straight edge kids there too, so I don't see why I couldn't be one. I'm planning to get a straight edge tatto when I reach 1 year of non drinking btw.

And I have at least one close friend who quit drinking 5 years ago and is still part of the fun (the concerts, the festivals, the parties...). It's not all about drinking or drugs it's also about the music, people gathering and having fun.
So no I don't want to change that part of my life, I just want to change the drinking part.

I'm gonna be sex and coke zero and rock and roll girl.

DarkDays

Exactly . You are giving up drug plain and simple. Feels like your constantly mourning something if you can't go here can't go there because you are surrounded by alcohol. Love going out and socialising, it's cool to be sober. Think reading the Jason Vale book has reconditioned my thinking , I am not giving up nothing and am gaining everything. Yes we all have different methods of stopping , just that some methods to me seem to keep alive the thought process that I am missing something. I feel sorry for people that have to drink and I mean any amount of drink.

I will agree though that some things I will avoid, not that I am scared of drinking or anything it's just that I do not want to be surrounded by loud intoxicated people, so boring and sheepish.

Zencat

Socializing around a bunch of highly intoxicated friends or family has null attraction to me in sobriety. I still enjoy, concerts, pick-nicks, BBQ's, restaurants...yada-yada where others in my circle drink or what not, yet I feel no pull to indulge. But yes, those "party accouterment friend(s)" of my past or in likewise social circles, are dead to me now.

I understand my personal development and further well-being do depend on learning and practicing "a better way to live",sober, no matter what. I'm willing to give back help as I have gratitude to receive.

Gottalife

[QUOTE=TrixMixer;3740406]I have been reading here for a month or so and I cannot believe the amount of people who want to quit drinking, but wonder how they will make it through the Holidays and all the party's.

To me that was a no brainer! One of the reasons I finally wanted to quit drinking was that people had stopped inviting me to anything. If I turned up at something, I would be asked to leave. If I held a party myself , like my
21st birthday, no one came. Along with everything else my drinking completely destroyed my social life.