Hey coastal girl! So thinking about not drinking ever again gets ya down...how about not thinking about it? Seriously, I don't let myself think about not ever, ever drinking again. It makes me sad, scared, hurt, angry. Seriously, why me? Why not? I'm sure I'll be able to drink one day in the future. Right? Right??
To be honest, pondering my future alcohol exhausts me. It brings about all these negative emotions. It never, ever gives me hope. I find that I suddenly have begun living in my future. Where will I be in 5 years? Will I be able to drink by then? Will I be normal? Will I be sober and miserable? Will I be sober and happy? It's only been a few days, how can I not drink for years when just a few days are so hard? Ohmygosh! Stooooop!
So I choose to not think about never drinking again. I can't handle the enormity of it right now and I don't have to so I won't. All I concentrate on is not drinking today and, if I'm feeling solid, not drinking in my near future. If I find myself getting stuck thinking about forever and getting sad and scared, I do what it takes to stop that. I call someone, do something I enjoy, hit a meeting, read a book. Whatever it takes to get me out of that negative, destructive behavior.
Don't get stuck in negative thoughts that serve no purpose other than to cause harm. Let them go. Send them off to drift in the cosmos. If you don't give them anything to cling to, they cannot stay around you for long. They are banished by us getting out of our own heads and starving our fear. Talk to a friend, help someone else out, eat one of those delicious chocolate chip cookies! Negative thoughts will pass if we don't encourage them to stick around.