raydawg wrote on 05/14/14 at 17:36:30:I quit cuz I couldn't stop......
Been about 14 years since I woke up nekked stopped at a red light on the freeway

In a serious note, I lost many a drinking buddy after I quit drinking, most because they pulled away from me.
I assure you I was, and am, the same idiot sober, as I was drunk.....
I feel they didn't like seeing me because I was proof (to them) that they might have drinking issues too ( I never chastised them or even talked of it).
A few I lost to death, it killed them.
I wish I could say I was smart, taking all the credit for changing my decent into hell.....but it would not be true. I am the same weak person today, as I was the day I quit.
Just acknowledging that helps keep me away from drinking again, and knowing too the end result if I did.
And one other BIG hurdle is letting people care about, and love me, for who I am....
No more pretending, or pushing away based on my unworthiness.
I am glad to hear of your success. I think... and it has taken quit some time to realize it .. that I have lost a friend due to his drinking. ( and no, he isn't dead that I know of). I drink, but only a little.. like one beer or one glass of wine, or one rita (been about a year on that last one).
Anyway, he would call drunk... and was a mean drunk... he got drunk while at home and for no reason other than he wanted to. I would not join him...i was good for one... not drunk. Finally I needed to retrieve something from his property, and after he put me off for over 2 months and he put me once to many by saying " you were suppose to call after 9 am, but didnt call till 10am so I am going off to get drunk laters". ( this was in a text) I responded with something like. I am extremely dissapointed by your decision and treatment of me after over 30 years of friendship. About month later I got the ( engine) from his place. Its the last time we spoke. Been about 6 months.
Anything that alters the mind, is something that does so on a case by case basis, be it booze or drugs. Not everyone reacts the same. Any expectation to the contrary is baseless. As a control freak.. I guess I am unwilling to give up that control for even a short time.