So I made it through my first two weeks as a "non-drinker". I've given up drinking before, but never taken it this seriously. I've never taken the steps of getting supports like this, and of making commitments both to myself and to my husband. It's the first time I've taken the step of labeling myself a "non-drinker" - I've always been afraid of just shutting the door completely - but having done so, the label really seems to help - at least in the way I approach situations personally - when I'm faced with an urge, I remind myself I'm a non-drinker, and ask myself how a non-drinker would deal with whatever is triggering the urge (seems to be a lot of walks, herbal tea, distracting movies and books, and meditating - though not as often as I should). I haven't dragged out the "non-drinker" label in front of anyone in public yet - it will be a long while before I'm ready to do that. Eventually I'm sure having others think of me as a non-drinker will make the whole thing easier, I'm just not there yet, because alcohol is pretty central to a lot of my important friend / family relationships, and I know at first they'll find this just weird and I don't want people to be awkward around me. Until then I'm just making up excuses why I can't drink with people and avoiding situations where it would be an issue. At any rate, does 14 days count as a success story? Seems like nothing when I read about people reaching 11 months. I'm not going to think that far ahead at this point. My goal now is to just remain a non-drinker through the holiday season - My first Christmas in 25 years as a non-drinker. This should be interesting...
