snowcrash

Only been a few days now and I am running into the same mind games that made me fail previous times. Get tired or bored and think up plans on how I can “manage” drinking.

Maybe if I only drink on the weekends, or get smaller bottles so I don't drink so much each nite ...see its now nightly not weekends.

Then its a problem because 1 drink doesn't give the effect 2 do. Have 2, watch some tv, look over half bottle gone.

Maybe make my own wine that would be cheaper. Spending time at work trying to learn how to make my own booze....

So far I am on track, ZERO drinks, just need to keep busy.

SC

Peter

Yep, keeping busy worked for me too....

CarolD

Why not list the reasons you don't want to drink?
All my fun bottles were long gone when I decided to quit.

Hope you stay on track...the future is yours to live well and sober...
You don't have to go back to your past 6 years.

least

There are NO good reasons why I can drink. I can't, and won't cause I love my sober life too much to throw it away for misery and sickness and self hatred. Even when I'm not 'busy', I'm busy enjoying my life.

doggonecarl

You are right. Mind games. Games your alcohol-focused mind is playing to get you to drink. This time it will be different, this time you can manage and control the drinking...

Don't listen. Don't let the booze brain override the reasoning mind, the part of you that KNOWS you have to quit drinking.

Any part of your thinking that diverts you away from staying sober is the false reasoning that cares only about alcohol.

Stay strong.

reggiewayne

Hey Snowcrash... For me, it's much easier not to drink than to try and limit my drinking. Good job to you! Keep it up!!!

sunrise1

From AA's Big Book, The Doctor's Opinion- on the behavior of alcoholics:

There is the type of man who is unwilling to admit that he cannot take a drink. He plans various ways of drinking. He changes his brand or his environment. There is the type who always believes that after being entirely free from alcohol for a period of time he can take a drink without danger.

Some of the things you mentioned in your post reminded me of this passage... I'm with the others- maybe take some time to list the reasons you shouldn't drink.

julez

I think I'm gonna make a list of reasons why i can't. Because right now the only thing on my mind is why it might be ok...
I hate myself for thinking this way. I hated myself every morning I woke up hungover. I need to send a better message for my teenagers. I need to beware of increased health risks for women who drink. I need to remember that my mother and my uncle are alcoholics. I take antidepressants, and mixing them with alcohol can be deadly. I lose all reasonable thinking when I drink. I have a high risk, high maintenance teenager who needs me to be available at a moments notice.
I'm bigger than my alcoholic voice. Stronger. I'm too good of a person to let a substance tell me what to do.
Although I'm not 100% in the clear, I do believe that I will stay sober, just for today.

Boleo

I don't know if you are as obsessed as I was, but if you are, those "mind games" will not go away just because of some clock or calendar events.

I had to treat the underlying issues before I was comfortable enough in my own skin to make it through the hard times.

stark6935

I've played this same game for long enough. It doesn't seem to work. I can't stop myself to going back to drinking every day. I did however stop drinking the hard liquor which I'm glad about. I just drink beer all the time now. I haven't drank for 2 days now, but I think I'm done compromising.

Bamboozle

Keeping yourself occupied is the right thing to do. There's a list around here somewhere...

Bamboozle

Here it is:

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ething-do.html

ItsVisible

You can do it! Just dont listen to that innner voice, I know it is hard not too. I find that listening to music helps drown it out. I have been fighting the same problem for 11 days now. I have not given in and you shouldn't either.

DrunkenBasement

It doesn't matter what kind of alcohol it is -- it is still alcohol. I was a beer drinker. Didn't get into the hard stuff much, although it that was the only thing available, then I would've drunk it. But beer was my DOC, up to a case a day. I stopped. You can, too.

Lora2272

Actually, there is no reason I can't drink----I just choose not to drink because one would only be the beginning. I can never ever safely drink again! Not today, not tomorrow not ever! I'm like that cucumber that's been pickled---once pickled I'll never be a cucumber again. So for me, I continue to choose to remember all the reasons I decided to stop drinking to begin with. The suicide attempts never happened when I wasn't drinking, the chances of loosing my daughter never happened when I wasn't drinking. In fact the bad things only happened when I was drinking. Now the good things that happen when I continue to choose not to drink also continue to be the reasons I stay sober. I like myself today. I love life today. I'm that person I used to drink to try to become. And all I have to do is not drink today, have contact with at least one other person in recovery on a daily basis, work the steps. Trust me, for this ole gal, the benefits far far outweigh the consequences of picking up that next drink. Stay busy, meet some people in recovery that you can relate with, and ask God for help not to drink just for today......every day. I wish you only the best, and hope to see you in chat or a meeting soon.