Congrats! You made it through one very tempting day and that's all that matters. Your sister should be more understanding of your recovery. Maybe some day she will understand. But good for you; I probably would have caved.

Thanks yes I cant believe I stayed sober. I doubled up on meetings the week before and even went to meetings in the town of the wedding and called my sponsor as much as I needed and PRAYED. My sister will forgive me she supports me just doesn't understand the temptation cause she's not an alcoholic. Anyways thank you I hope you are doing well. God bless.

Amen....and good for you.
Ignorant "normal"people don't know how addiction and sobriety works.

Sounds like ya know Bill W. I have almost 30 years now, by the grace of God. To Him be the glory.

About the program....it works if ya work it. And God has and is doing for you what ya cant do for yourself, as He has for me. God is so good! A day at a time, right?

Congrats on making a very tough decision, and you did well to trust your instincts on this one. Sorry sis, but she'll get over it. Shouldn't be too hard on her though, as no one knows our battle except for the alcoholic themselves. They really don't. Eventually you might be able to share more with her so she'll understand, but until then, you can be at peace with yourself that you did the right thing.

Good stuff. I think you stayed just the right amount of time and everyone else stayed too long. One thing I've decided is that this type of "celebration" is too long. Perhaps it's a way of justifying 3-day benders for everyone. I can tolerate an hour or two, but I really cherish the time afterward. I'm so grateful that I'm able to carry on with my day following a party rather than being imprisoned by the drink. To me, the post-party is really the celebration now. I'll bet most others wish they wouldn't have stayed as long and wouldn't have drank. Keep making the right choice for your sobriety and you'll be doing what's best for those who you love too....including your sister.

You did the right thing. '

God Bless

Woot woot! Congrats. Definitely worth celebrating about this :) Continue on the good work. And yes, To God be the glory, praise and honor. I wish more people will see this that without Him we cannot overcome these addiction, as ultimately it’s a sin issue in our lives. We need to be saved by a Redeemer.

If we are sick, we need a doctor and not a medical book. If we are being sued, we need a lawyer and not a law book. Likewise, when we face our last enemy - death - we need not the Bible, but Savior of the world,.

Praying for you! Continue on the good work with His grace ;)

Next time you're in a situation like that, say the serenity prayer, or at least consider it. I think it shows you are serious about not drinking by leaving. We have to make tough decision sometimes regarding not drinking, and taking a stand towards those who either don't understand or persist that we do. People who drink around me are tired of asking anymore, you'd think after one or two "no thank you" responses they would either understand or get the point, but it's not about them asking, it about me consistently knowing I, not them, don't have a body or a mind that was meant to incorporate alcohol into it's being.

Most people who offer me alcohol aren't wanting me so much to drink, than they are wanting to have fun with me and get closer, they still believe getting closer to others can't be done without drinking first. If you look at it like that, they haven't been given the guidance or knowledge that the spirit can be "drunk" or feel "euphoria" without liquor, this human spirit we have is more powerful than liquor, but our egos and minds have convinced us we can't have fun unless we have some man made liquid helping out spirit, it is complete bullshit.

What sense would it make for God to create beings, but then give the products those beings create more powerful than the beings themselves spiritually?

What I try to do at weddings, or social events, after being asked if I want a drink, and replying that I do not drink, is I engage with the people even more, but specifically with a purpose to let them talk and to show them I am interested in them, and not that they are drinking. Does that make sense? I used to drink with people I wouldn't have been able to stomach or have a conversation with if the alcohol wasn't present, so I was more interested that they were drinkers rather than in who they were, what they were saying, or if I even wanted to be around them or talk with them.

It isn't uncommon for one family member to get sober, and find the other family member to not, and both family members change their views of the other. I sponsored a guy once who would have fought someone over the fact that he and his sibling were "best friends", however after he consistently stayed sober and put recovering a priority in his life, he found his brother could have cared less about if he recovered or was happy, and they were everything other than best friends in reality, they were just people who had drinking in common and used each other.

When one person stops using the other, and the other continues to want to use, as a way of doing business, it is inevitable both will distance themselves from each other for the right reasons, the person doing the wrong will do more wrongs, meet the wrong people even more, and separate themselves from not being a problem. The person doing the right thing will do the right things, but more importantly start meeting people who aren't interested in using others, or helping themselves over all, or insisting they share in the misery they are not working hard enough to mitigate.

It all takes time though, and I know that must have been hard, but staying and drinking, would have been harder, and the people you gave into aren't going to care. It's blunt, but true, and ok.

You made a hard decision to leave and I bet you were torn between staying and pleasing your sister and leaving to protect yourself.

What is important is that you made the RIGHT decision to put your own health and well being first and be proud that you did! Not everyone riding this journey feels comfortable being around alcohol or attending celebrations where alcohol is present and had you made the other choice to stay, your post could have been a completely different story.

Hold your head up high, be proud and congratulations on 11 months,

Much love xx

I'm curious, does your sister know you are an alcoholic and fairly newly sober?

What a smart choice. If your sister can't forgive you now, she will someday.

Hopefully she knows about your sobriety fight.

You made the right choice.You did this for your sister,Hopefully,one day she'll realize this.

I have an ass out of myself at countless weddings - seriously notorious. Weddings I've been in, weddings with families, and with best friends.

Your sister could be mad at your for much more unforgivable reason. One day she will realize you left to allow her to have her day.

Know that your choice wasn't just about you but subconsciously about her well being. If you were AA, I'd say that's a miracle of the program.

Yep as a fellow friend of Bill W., I learned soon after gettin sober, to go to any lengths to live life on lifes terms. And expend the same amount of energy and time that I did for my drinking in loving others, God, and living life. Go to the same lengths as I did for the "drink".. Congrats to you. But by the grace of God, you too may get to 26 yrs sober. God bless you.

12 months?