Honestly, when I got sober… pretty much everyone dropped out around me. I am a musician and alcohol was rife where I worked. The snide comments about how I was boring and no fun anymore used to irritate me, but I knew it was because they had deep issues with alcohol. It was a challenge, as I had some people offering me drinks even when they knew I was sober. Luckily, I’ve distanced myself or removed myself from said people. I spend a lot of time alone now with a few select friends. I realise through healing that most of the relationships I had around me were unhealthy/based on a shared addiction, rather than true connection. Going sober isn’t easy and some people will try to sabotage you as they feel threatened by losing a drinking buddy. Keep on keeping on, you will find your people who support you.
6 weeks sober today and I have to be honest it has been tough but I am starting to really feel some benefits such as sleep I don't think I have ever slept as well as I am now.. your videos have really helped so thank you 😊
Needed to hear this 😔 very true and I believe is also apart of the grieving process you mentioned in an earlier video. Almost 5 months sober and I've been feeling the boredom a lot lately, which has always been a feeling I desperately try to avoid. During the last 5 months I've avoided a lot of my old friends because I feel so much better not drinking alcohol and that was the absolute center of our hangouts. That in itself requires a pause for reflection, was I spending time with them or just the alcohol? One of my longest running friends reached out and I want to fall into old ways and catch up and reminisce. But I can't think of one drink I miss enough that can compete with the happiness and fulfillment I've felt lately without alcohol. If I drink one drink it will turn into more without question. This friend has also never been encouraging toward slowing down drinking or cutting back, in the past we operated like fire and gasoline by enabling each other to drink more and more. Ultimately I will give it more time before we hangout again. Thank you so much for your videos and providing this platform!
Yes so true, unfortunately it's time to get new friends if your long time drinking clique reject you, or tease you, or make you feel like a freak/loser for not boozing heavily with them as normal. "If anyone comes and sits next to me at the pub and drinks water, they can **** off home now" is what my mate said to me when I attempted to get a non alcoholic drink a while back!. However there's light at the end of the tunnel as alcohol free drinks are becoming more fashionable and popular now, so you dont stand out so much amongst the drinkers. But it is very hard to divorce your ol time mates who, like you said are sooo stuck in their ways.
They might hate your behavior while drinking but your drinking allows then to have control over you. And of course the people who you drink with dont want you to quit.
Seemed impossible, but it’s been over 2 years and I don’t crave a drop of alcohol, the key difference was that I didn’t suffer withdrawal, not even within the first 30 days, just happened after go’ogling Steffon Barkload's latest and genuinely quitting because I was a mess.
Honestly, when I got sober… pretty much everyone dropped out around me.
I am a musician and alcohol was rife where I worked. The snide comments about how I was boring and no fun anymore used to irritate me, but I knew it was because they had deep issues with alcohol. It was a challenge, as I had some people offering me drinks even when they knew I was sober. Luckily, I’ve distanced myself or removed myself from said people.
I spend a lot of time alone now with a few select friends. I realise through healing that most of the relationships I had around me were unhealthy/based on a shared addiction, rather than true connection.
Going sober isn’t easy and some people will try to sabotage you as they feel threatened by losing a drinking buddy. Keep on keeping on, you will find your people who support you.
6 weeks sober today and I have to be honest it has been tough but I am starting to really feel some benefits such as sleep I don't think I have ever slept as well as I am now.. your videos have really helped so thank you 😊
Needed to hear this 😔 very true and I believe is also apart of the grieving process you mentioned in an earlier video. Almost 5 months sober and I've been feeling the boredom a lot lately, which has always been a feeling I desperately try to avoid. During the last 5 months I've avoided a lot of my old friends because I feel so much better not drinking alcohol and that was the absolute center of our hangouts. That in itself requires a pause for reflection, was I spending time with them or just the alcohol? One of my longest running friends reached out and I want to fall into old ways and catch up and reminisce. But I can't think of one drink I miss enough that can compete with the happiness and fulfillment I've felt lately without alcohol. If I drink one drink it will turn into more without question. This friend has also never been encouraging toward slowing down drinking or cutting back, in the past we operated like fire and gasoline by enabling each other to drink more and more. Ultimately I will give it more time before we hangout again. Thank you so much for your videos and providing this platform!
Yes so true, unfortunately it's time to get new friends if your long time drinking clique reject you, or tease you, or make you feel like a freak/loser for not boozing heavily with them as normal. "If anyone comes and sits next to me at the pub and drinks water, they can **** off home now" is what my mate said to me when I attempted to get a non alcoholic drink a while back!. However there's light at the end of the tunnel as alcohol free drinks are becoming more fashionable and popular now, so you dont stand out so much amongst the drinkers. But it is very hard to divorce your ol time mates who, like you said are sooo stuck in their ways.
They might hate your behavior while drinking but your drinking allows then to have control over you. And of course the people who you drink with dont want you to quit.
Seemed impossible, but it’s been over 2 years and I don’t crave a drop of alcohol, the key difference was that I didn’t suffer withdrawal, not even within the first 30 days, just happened after go’ogling Steffon Barkload's latest and genuinely quitting because I was a mess.