Often times we are asked "what is different this time? For me, this time I've reached out for help from other alcoholics. The most pivotal thing I learned early on is that it has nothing to do with being weak or strong. If you're an alcoholic like me, you'll be strong for a while but will always return to the drink. No one should be surprised, disappointed or ashamed by this. What else can be expected from an alcoholic? That's what we do. That's untreated alcoholism. It will kill me. I've given up the fight against alcohol. It beats me down every time. I practice acceptance and surrender everyday and try to recognize and do His/Her will everyday. I meet with other alcoholics everyday. I try to think more of others everyday. I make mistakes everyday. I fall short of a perfect spiritual connection everyday but I keep trying. Today, at least for today, I have been relieved of the obsession and struggle with alcohol. Quit fighting alcohol.

For me, being around others who were drinking was a huge trigger for me and many times I would drink with them and then blame them for drinking in front of me, so I wouldn't have to take responsibility for my actions. After I went through outpatient treatment, I learned exactly how my ego and my addictive mind operates and I began to leave situations where others were drinking in front of me. If they did not understand how important my sobriety was to me then ts. After a while they understood and would hide the beer so I could not see it. They would wait until I left before popping open a can.

It took a few years before I could be around others who were drinking and not have it bother me. By then I was healed, in my soul and in my mind.

God Bless

All you can do is learn from these situations. I like your attitude. "Oh well, one day at a time." That's so true and hopefully you'll keep these situations and triggers in mind the next time. It takes failing a few times before we usually get it right. Guess sobriety requires practice like anything else! You can do this, I know it...

yes for me I could handle sober on a day to day basis when I was in my routine. But the visual of seeing others drink and knowing I was different just was about too much for me. I finally found that I needed to learn how to live and couldnt just hide in my bedroom. I was able to learn from other alcoholics that were recovered.

See I drank to escape from me. I was ashamed of me. Today I try to be a good person and dont need to drink. It is a drug and must be recognized as one. a very addictive drug. they say that it is worse than heroin. i would agree with that statment. It is very sneeky and the real change happens when I chose to not start.

I typically will call another alcoholic when I am going to a big family thing I call another alcoholic and let them know I will call when I leave. The other thing is that I would bust a big old resentment towards those members that would have too much and get too loud.,. but I just tell myself that I am better without all that liquid drugging. Because I am

1is2many

Hello tinydancer02,

What you are experiencing first hand is the obsession for alcohol that every active alcoholic suffers from. In order to recover from alcoholism, you need to find some means of removing that obsession.

You are pitting your willpower against the obsession and that is one hell of a hard and unnecessary fight. There is a better and easier way but you will need help if you are to follow that stress-free path. There is more than one way to get there but AA offers an easily accessible and free solution, with any amount of face to face support.

Swapping vodka for beer makes no real difference to an alcoholic. There are many tricks that people have tried down through the years but they were doomed to failure until they were prepared to take real action. Once you do what needs to be done, you can be around any number of drinking family members and alcohol won’t bother you in the least.

I went from drinking a huge amount every day just over nine years ago to today where I can go into a shop and buy alcohol for my wife or other people without getting any thoughts of drinking. It is not your family that needs to change – it is you.

You can do it, but every great journey starts with one step forward.

It's not called powerlessness for nothing.

My friend we really have to completely understand and accept that we are powerless and have no ability to not drink if we are alcoholics, both mentally and physically.

1. Setting a goal of not drinking, then with the same mind doing the opposite by drinking, I cannot say is manageability. It is ok to admit or start off not being able to manage the outcomes of your decisions and commitments.

2. No human power could have relieved our alcoholism. Not wanting to have my family drink around me, and not getting that demand, or want, is me making them a higher power, that is human, and also has a control factor that I honestly have no control over. I have wanted to drink, because my family was not drinking because of me, and I could tell it made them restricted, unhappy, and held hostage in a light hearted way.

3. Learn from this, now you have proof you can't control your drinking, I would suggest or am going to suggest investing more in recovery, going to more meetings, reading the literature more, praying more, talking to us or a sponsor more, and then being useful and unselfish all the time for others.

People and More importantly, alcohol will always be around you at all times.

The decision to drink or not drink can striker at a second's notice.

An alcoholic needs tools to survive these situations. I found these tools in AA. I can be around whenever and wherever with whomever and I'm never tempted for a second.

Alcohol makes me try to sleep with women who aren't mine, do things that can land me behind bars, and say things that can ruin life/long relationships.

Alcohol to.me is like shrimp to someone allergic to shellfish. They aren't saying, "I'll try one and see what happens."

They know if they eat one, they will have hives, breathing problems and their throats could close up, potentially killing them.

With that mindset I always avoid alcohol. Thankfully I learned that in AA.

You don't say whether the gathering was pre-planned or spur of the moment and only you would know whether it was likely that alcohol would form part of that gathering before you decided to attend. Either way you are free to choose but you are not free from the consequences of your choice.

Your family may know about your struggle with alcohol but unless they are educated to the addiction they would probably not understand the affects that being around alcohol will have on you so early in your recovery. Some people never feel comfortable around alcohol but its what tools you have in place to deal with those occasions that will get you through them. You won't learn those tools on your own but you will learn them being around other alcoholics as their experience is usually our teaching.

xxx