Originally Posted by
Contella09 
I absolutely want to build a life I don't want to run away from. I need to find my way in life again and my purpose.
I have woken up at 4 am this morning again. I can't sleep lately. My first thought was about the alcohol and how to stay sober. My thought was...what am I going to do once I start to feel better, that is always when I worry about drinking. I had never realised that that was because of the end of the withdrawal period. I guess where we let our guard down after the torture of those initial few days. I have been watching interventions on youtube and peoples stories with alcohol. I wondered to myself what it is that I should do to keep myself on my tip toes about alcohol and decided maybe I should start studying what it does to the human body and mind. I need as much knowledge about it and the dangers I can't see to keep me scared. So Thank you advbike for your message and it really was needed right at that time and I am going to purchase the book. It was almost like a sign to me that yes I do need to study this. I need to learn as much as I can about this. I dont want to lose this fear I have of alcohol at the moment. I want to be reminded daily of its danger. This really is my only plan so far which is not enough so I will come up with a plan for when the urges get strong. What did you guys find really worked for you? Is their a key to success?
You really seem to be on the right track to me. I studied my a** off learning about the negative affects of alcohol....not just on individuals but on society as a whole. Health care systems for example are falling apart and alcohol is among the top offenders. People are sick and trying to escape reality...it's an epidemic far worse than COVID (IMO). I watched all the intervention shows in the early days too. It really helped a lot and gave me a different perspective on alcohol.
If you are feeling lost when thinking about a sober future, don't worry about. It's normal and why many of us never achieve abstinence. All you need to do is focus on the day you are in and TRUST that good things will come into your life as the urge to drink gradually fades.
Two things for dealing with this: 1. your mindset (your moving on that) and 2. physical cravings.
Read up on blood sugar and how abstaining affects that. For me, sugar killed the cravings so I ate tons every day in the first 6 months...whatever it took to stave off the craving. I binge watched TV a lot too. Some people find physical activity works for them too. You just need to find that little recipe that works for YOU.
I had all these goals set up when I quit...organizational stuff because my life was a mess. As it turns out, I accomplished very little in the first year outside of staying sober.
Here in year 2, I'm really moving forward on some important personal goals. Drinking is a thing of the past, I revel in my sobriety.
Some key things for me:
-moderation-trying to moderate is what kept me drinking. I had to realize that moderation was not an option and CUT that cord once and for all.
-Hope-even though I was afraid of what sobriety would be like, I had to muster up HOPE that a life without alcohol would be better (and it is....soooo much better)
-Gratitude-Always on the lookout for things to be grateful for. Always noticing the positive things that happen because I'm not drinking (i could just as easily go in the direct of self-pity because I don't get to drink....but I never allow myself to think that way...the choice is mine).
-It's work-yup....daily work to keep my mind fresh on why I'm sober. But these days it's my labour of love
Sending positive vibes your way