Hello all! Hope everyone is doing well today.
Today is my 16th day in my journey, though to me, in my drinking, it feels like week 2. You see, I wasn’t a daily drinker. I was a binger. I would only binge badly (enough to be noticed) about every week.
So that being said, week one was pretty easy, as I was still coming off my rock bottom binge. This week has been okay, but I feel like I’m finally actually feeling the results of my decision to stop. I’m a little devastated- though I know I shouldn’t be. I have several gatherings and anniversaries coming up and I’m ashamed to show up to them as the new me. I shouldn’t be. I should be excited not to get so drunk I piss myself and make a fool of myself, but mostly I just feel like I’m going to be left out of regular celebration. I want to drink again… I guess that’s the problem.
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I overheard my captain with 26 years of sobriety say that if he could drink 3-4 beers a night he would. But he knows he can’t. So he doesnt.
I know I cant control my drinking. So I quit. Its not always easy to stay quit. Its worth it. I haven’t blacked out, made an ass out of myself. Or any of the other things i did that was way out of my character when I was drunk.
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Hello ! Congrats on the 16th day of your journey, it’s really a beautiful one to take 
I had the same thoughts and can feel exactly how you are feeling now. I’m still pretty early in my journey - 17 months removed from alcohol. I binge drank like crazy until it crept into every day of my life and made for a lot of really unpleasant times / years for me.
As or the events you have coming up- What really are you going to be missing out on? Most likely you wouldn’t remember much or would have a blurry version of the evenings you seem to be truly looking forward to.
I try to think about how being sober gives me and you the possibility to actually attend the events and be present and 100% you! You will be so much happier leaving knowing you stuck to your guns and didn’t drink. Also , you will wake up the next day feeling GOOD , and possibly energized from genuine social connection instead of being hungover and pissed off at yourself for overdoing it again and again.
That being said - It will totally be uncomfy for a while and if it is uncomfy to the point you don’t know if you will be able to not drink if you go - many people would say to cancel or not go if that’s a possibility. Eventually if you keep at it by practicing and building the tools you need to build self control and to heal - You will light up a room and glow and best of all , enjoy yourself in your truest form.
in no way should you feel ashamed for recognizing that you need and want to do better for yourself. 
it’s so possible and I really wish you the best of luck on your journey 
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