208 days and not a single drop of alcohol. Getting the “I can drink like anyone else” “I can have just one or two” but I know deep down that one is going to spiral me down a hole that I don’t want to go down.
Have my block party this Saturday and I know there is going to be TONS of drinking. I have been around drinking before the past six months without issue. I was thinking of picking up some non-alcoholic beer just to at least have something (beer was never my problem, its straight up scotch). But I don’t want to have a few fake beers and think ehhh I can just have one regular one.
I keep rationalizing in my head that its been 208 days and I can have one or two but when I sit down and think it through I know its not the right move.
The mind of an addict… just never seems to make sense.
That’s your mental obsession at work in my opinion, we’ve all been there. Why would you put it all at risk now?
A few beers always seemed fine to me, when I stuck to beer I fooled myself into thinking I could stay under control, inevitably I always moved on to whisky, gin,vodka, rum, tequila etc and then the explosion . Blackouts, drama, going awol, sleep walking, arguments, collapsing and the rest.
You know sobriety makes sense for you, think how peaceful you have become, do you really want to piss all over the life you are creating for a few beers which if you are an alcoholic will most likely lead to some of my experiences above.
Stay strong and stay sober and don’t even think about the alcohol free beers, they taste horrible, find something else to sip on.
Try making virgin cocktails then you can still feel a part of the party and be sober doing so im positive you will have more fun sober than you will have drinking
Play the tape through til the next day, how you will feel, what regrets you will have. The near beers are torture to me I wouldn’t recommend them, they are just a tease. Would rather enjoy a decent tasting n/a beverage like la Croix or chai tea. Always keep a drink in your hand, when I’m at parties now I drink tons of water lol just keep on doing what you have been doing don’t let the addict brain inside you trick you into trying moderation, I’m sure most of us have been there and it never ends well
Thanks for sharing
Its great to share the thoughts of “missing” drinking, you make it easier for your self to make good decisions, instead of having to deal with your thoughts all by your self. For me it’s like if I don’t share when I have those thoughts I will have a relapse at some point.
I have found in no mater what social situation there is always non alcoholic beverage alternatives available. Especially if there are kids around. Drink whatever is available, try not to be too picky… soda, water, juice, etc. You shouldn’t feel pressured into drinking alcohol or fitting in by holding a look a like beer. Just do what you do, enjoy yourself, and act like its no big deal.
My particular favourite analogy: If I turn a stereo up to 11, really blast the music, then unplug it, the music will stop. But the stereo will always be at 11. I could leave it unplugged for fifty years, but the next time I plugged it in, it would still be at 11 and that music would still blast just as loud as when I turned it off fifty years ago. For addicts, we have turned our addictions “up to 11” and no amount of time can turn them back down. We cannot play the music of addiction more quietly, we can only choose not to plug that stereo in.
Clever voices, don’t listen to them! I wouldn’t bother with NA beer either, drink what you normally drink - soda, water, coffee…you will feel better for it!
I celebrated being able to go two weeks by taking a trip to Chicago. Decided I could drink there and ended up at a bar alone guzzling it down and not sleeping until 6am. Burned an entire day feeling like shit. And depressed over it.
. Blackouts, drama, going awol, sleep walking, arguments, collapsing and the rest.
