So I just posted this in the One Year & Under thread, but wanted to share with the Febbers too. So sorry for those of you reading both threads and seeing this twice, but it was a very close call for me.
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Day 21 for me and still just 1 night of drinking since Feb 18th. I had a SERIOUS craving last night. I went as far as to buy chasers at the grocery store once I got off the subway after class. Then I was headed to the liquor store and kept thinking of HALT and realized I was extremely hungry (didn't have dinner and it was after 9pm), very tired (I've been getting up super early and working out) and somewhat lonely (being single really eats at me and then I don't have a roommate, so I was going home once again to an empty apartment). I was missing the angry component, but 3 of 4 for HALT. I took a few deep breaths while standing across the street from one of the several liquor stores in my neighborhood and just put my head down and walked to my apartment.
That wasn't the end of it though. I know one of the liquor stores in walking distance to my apartment is open until 11 and I just stood around in my kitchen debating what to do.
My AV was convincing me that I'm not an alcohol since I've only drank once since Feb 18th and that night nothing bad happened. Then I knew I didn't need to be at work early today and that I'd worked out 5 mornings in a row and didn't need to get in a workout today. Then with the bachelor party coming up, I was thinking "well, I don't want to get drunk at that and make an arse of myself, so I might as well get drunk tonight when nobody will see it."
I'm not quite sure why I didn't leave my apt and go buy vodka, but I didn't. I guess it's cuz I kept thinking it was just a HALT craving and that even though I didn't need to be in to work early today, working at all while hungover sux. Basically, just played the tape forward.
So, it's now about 8:30 and I've done some laundry and vacuuming and gotten in a morning workout for the 6th day in a row. Extremely happy I didn't listen to my AV and give in to that craving. Today will be a much better day because of that decision I made last night.