Great for you. I too do the Club soda and lime. in a glass. Nobody really cares... but its just somewhat of a help to have a mock tail. I will say I dont find any help in getting things that are too close to drinks. I failed many a time when I would drink near beer ( that NA stuff, because I would say this is just not doing it and eventually drink real beer. Also I steer clear of virgin margs and the like because its just too close. I have ordered a virg pina colada if we are at a resort and it was ok...) Thing is my mind gets triggerd pretty easily and I have to be careful.

Also the real killer for many of my attempts at sobriety was going back into the 'Devils Den" I would try to go to the bar and be normal and just drink coke or whatever. I was able to handle the drinking part but the part that killed me was seeing others drink and having fun and loud and laughing and I wanted SO badly to have that again. See the drinking was my escape. I found I needed to just stay clear of the dive bars and loud scene b/c it was just too close to a drink.

1is2many

Hello Beth1975,

Good job, well done.

Just be careful about going to places where alcohol is served in the early days of sobriety. There is a saying in AA that goes: “If you stay long enough in the barber shop, you will get a haircut”.

Good for you but remember as PJ said, those kinds of places are triggers and fairly dangerous in early sobriety.

Last time I went to a place like that was a wedding reception and I asked for a coke. I told the bartender I was driving and he said, "Thank God someone is!"

God Bless!

As the years go by I no longer need that mock tail. No one asks me, why I am not drinking alcohol. It has to do, with me, changing the people that I hang around with. I didn't change friends to avoid drinkers. I was interested in many things that I did not have time for, when I was drinking. The new friends came with my endeavors. The mock tails are a great start. Alcoholism has a social stigma and it is best not to let anyone know, except those ,who need to know, like doctor, mate and children.

Good on you, Beth, but I have to say I staryed off, down another path, and just don't "go out" anymore. Well, I don't go to bars, but I do go to restaurants, coffee shops, etc. I think I understand what imperanence is saying, and I think that's similar to my case, except, I don't feel any stigma and I really don't give a shit what people think, so I think keeping secrets is stupid. I'm out there, love me or leave me.

Try the resources at SMART Recovery's website. You'll need a plan. Determination can get you on the path but eventually something will come along and blindside you as life often does and automatic behaviors can take over.
http://www.smartrecovery.org/