Thank you, the apple juice tasting sounds like a great idea, probably go down well with some nice cheese as well😊
I just arranged a brunch today with a friend instead of dinner which worked really well and therefore no pressure to drink.
I think the fear of being judged by others for not drinking is scary and just being prepared for arkward questions will help.
I guarantee you will get asked “why!” But you don’t have to say “Because I’m an alcoholic”. I would say things like “because I want to be healthier” or “because it just wasn’t making me feel good anymore”. Some people will say “oh, but one won’t hurt you” but most will say “good for you, I wish I could do that too” (while taking a sip on whatever it is they are drinking 
)
But if you’re prepared for it and have your answers ready to go you can get through it. And if they are getting too pushy you can just leave…ITS YOUR BIRTHDAY!! You get to decide how it goes.
YOU CAN DO IT!!
Thank you VSue, i have started to say that i “am sleeping better”, “i feel healthier”, “i hate the hangovers” so i am taking small steps. Society conditioning makes this harder than it should be. When i stopped smoking years ago people were not as judgemental as they are with alcohol!
I have TOTALLY seen that. People encourage and celebrate when someone wants to quit smoking….but alcohol?? That’s something to question. And on top of that people understand how addictive nicotine is…but becoming addicted to alcohol or drugs is a character failing.
ITS SO INFURIATING!!
Just a quick update as celebrated my 60th birthday today quietly by having lunch with a couple of friends and i’ve had a really lovely day. I was anxious but i realise that there was no need to be as friends are fully supportive of my sobriety.
Only one of my five siblings sent me a birthday message so that made me feel rejected and emotional but this has happened before so i shouldn’t be suprised really. Dysfunctional toxic families are really tough and when my dad died last year we all came together but clearly there are a lot of unresolved issues. Have to admit it hurts but deep down i know i need to keep my distance from their drama and concentrate on looking after me.
I check in here regularly and reading about other peoples stories, challenges and successes has helped me in so many ways and i’m grateful for this community. Day 75 for me today and looking forward to another hangover free day tomorrow. Thank you everyone💜
Thank you.
I am not good at asking for help and really struggling with this family situation and my instinct is telling me to them them go and move on.
I’ve searched the posts and i’ll ask and see if anyone else has had to deal with toxic family situations and how they coped?
Happy 60th birthday and a sober one at that!