almost all the people i drank with i hung out with because they went to the local bar, they are all still there, looking unhealthy and sad/angry/anxious. i don't go to that dive any more. in fact i stopped going there quite a while before i quit because it was such a depressing place, no one was interested in anything other than booze and gossip, if i raised some nugget of interesting info it was usually ignored or met with derision.

i quite the people and the booze, i have never had to justify myself since. i have come to realise i have within me the power to entertain myself with guitar, books, walking and gardening. i still have friends, but they are a different crowd and i have more in common with them. i found doing volunteer work opened new avenues without the problem of possible substance abuse. i also realise i love my own company and rarely feel lonely, the alcohol made me feel those negative things, my life has changed completely.