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Filling the mental void

Old 05-15-2009, 10:44 PM
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Filling the mental void

Hello one and all, this is my first post after lurking for quite some time and getting great advice and help.

My story is I began drinking when I turned 21, and had never touched the stuff prior to that. It all just kind of spiraled downhill, to the point where I was almost killing off a 12 pack every night. Needless to say, this had a very adverse affect on my college career and my personal relationships began to suffer greatly. I had to take time off from school, lost a couple of girlfriends who really cared about me, and my health wasn't really all that great.

Fast forward to today, where at the age of 25 I have finally decided I've put myself through enough. I want to gain control over the bottle, as I now fully admit it has control over me at this point. I've returned to school and my last semester (first one back) I got good grades. However, I found myself struggling at times trying to cope with life without a beer.

Activities that I used to associate with drinking (playing video games, watching my favorite TV shows, going out to a sports bar to catch the game) just seem so... empty now. I've actually found myself battling the urge to go to the store and buy a 6 pack before I watch the week's episode of 24, or while I am about to fire up my favorite XBox game.

My question to all of you is how is it that you dealt with doing activities that you tended to associate with drinking and not have the urge to drink again? I do not want my college career to be affected any more, and I want to take back my life. If any of you could offer some coping mechanisms, that would be great.
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Old 05-15-2009, 11:30 PM
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How long have you been sober? I spent my first 2 or 3 weeks doing nothing but studying addiction and recovery books, and living on this site. I know other people try and go to lots of AA meetings in the beginning to fill time as well.
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Old 05-16-2009, 03:53 AM
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Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
 
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Glad you decided to join us on our Alcoholism Forum
.......Welcome

Yes...early sobriety takes awhile to adjust to.
I found chageing my routine worked well.
For companions...my new AA friends were vital.

Congratulations on chooseing a healthy future
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Old 05-16-2009, 07:06 AM
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Hello Killa
All I can say is it ain't easy. You were drinking about a 12pack a day. (same thing I did for about 30 years).
So you quit drinking that 12 pack and YES there is going to be a huge empty spot for quite some time. This is NORMAL.
Don't do like I did and wake up 30 years later wanting all that time back. Although I managed to eventually make pretty good money, thats all I did, work and drink. I new I had to succeed at work to support my habit. The MAIN thing I missed out on was a family. (it's too late now for me). But I knew all along I could never keep a relationship, or be a good parent, so I stayed married to beer for all that time. I have been divorced from beer for 50 days now and we aren't talking. Hope this somehow helps.
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Old 05-18-2009, 10:11 PM
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Thanks for the great responses guys!!

I have had now a week sober... it isn't a whole lot, but it's a place to start. I've begun my summer semester and I am on track to keep my goal going of not going to any of my classes in anything but the clearest of minds and not hungover. Sleep has still been an issue, but I expected that after reading everything on here. I am extremely lucky in that I had no real other symptoms of withdrawal, just a lack of sleep.

What I have found helps me greatly in terms of replacing the beer: Sunflower seeds. I used to play baseball, so I figured if I substituted sunflower seeds in for drinking beer it would keep me occupied enough to not want to drink. It has been tough at times, but it has worked. I am slowly beginning to lose the urges to drink in certain situations. I only hope I can keep it.

Thank you again for the posts and positive responses.
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