Think back to when you were drinking...and you offered someone a drink. You were just being nice, right? No pressure, or judgement, just an offer.
Believe me, I understand a lot of where you are coming from.
You will feel so good when you can hang around places where peopel are drinking, and not drink, and still have fun. No one cares if you are sober or drunk. And anyone who DOES care is an asshole whose opinion should be disregarded immediately.
I don't mean to minimize your concerns.....but really... if you have a problem with alcohol, you have already proven that you can beat it. Right? So all that is really going on is your own anxiety which refuses to die.
If you could picture those same situations, but without your anxiety, you will see that there is nothing external being put on you. It is just something that other people are doing that they might offer to you. Like people playing a video game. You don't have to play. You can just talk to other people....or even enjoy watching them play if the game is good enough.
Like I said, you have already beaten this. This stress is not actually a threat of relapse....it is just that anxiety reflex refusing to die.
Picture yourself just saying "no thanks" and going back to enjoying yourself. See how easy it is? You just have to believe that that version of you is possible. Of course, that little anxiety will insist that it is "not that easy" and that you "couldn't just relax and enjoy yourself".....but it's wrong. Promise it that you will develop some new and wonderful anxiety to stress over and it will be satisfied and leave you alone
Believe me, I understand a lot of where you are coming from.
You will feel so good when you can hang around places where peopel are drinking, and not drink, and still have fun. No one cares if you are sober or drunk. And anyone who DOES care is an asshole whose opinion should be disregarded immediately.
I don't mean to minimize your concerns.....but really... if you have a problem with alcohol, you have already proven that you can beat it. Right? So all that is really going on is your own anxiety which refuses to die.
If you could picture those same situations, but without your anxiety, you will see that there is nothing external being put on you. It is just something that other people are doing that they might offer to you. Like people playing a video game. You don't have to play. You can just talk to other people....or even enjoy watching them play if the game is good enough.
Like I said, you have already beaten this. This stress is not actually a threat of relapse....it is just that anxiety reflex refusing to die.
Picture yourself just saying "no thanks" and going back to enjoying yourself. See how easy it is? You just have to believe that that version of you is possible. Of course, that little anxiety will insist that it is "not that easy" and that you "couldn't just relax and enjoy yourself".....but it's wrong. Promise it that you will develop some new and wonderful anxiety to stress over and it will be satisfied and leave you alone
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