Recovery is hard, drinking is harder
Hi Smudge,
If you think about it. All the horrible feelings you have while drinking can be solved by a few sucky days getting sober. Then you have to just suck up a lot of stuff you don't like.
The thing about mind altering substances is you feel nothing. (Except of course the fear, selfloathing, physical sickness etc.)
When we sober up, we have to face ALL the emotions and everything is magnified x 10000! It scares the bejesus out of us!
This is what I have learned.
1. It sucks, suffer through it. I can do this TODAY.
2. Stop any thoughts of drink. change the subject. It (Thought) will grow and become inevitable.
3. Avoid being alone or idle at trigger times. (evening for me).
4. If you are heading out the door to buy, STOP and wait an hour. Repeat.
5. Avoid people who trigger cravings. Family?
6. Do not get Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.
HALT
7. Eat sweets or savory, be really generous to yourself with everything besides drink.
8.Go to AA or similar face to face and talk to someone. SR site is great for wisdom, advice and easy company.
9. For me, I got caught up in the day count thing and it was not good. The temptation to "reward" after x amount of days is strong. Now, I just keep it in the day. I can tell you my sober date but not the day count.
10. Go easy on yourself and put the stick down!
:day6