Ethos23

I received some wonderful suggestions in response to my last thread. I want this community to become a focal point in my recovery, and I want to be completely transparent in that I may help others along their journey.

Today will be Day 1 for me. That is always the hardest. I just keep thinking, "I'll drink today and then call it quits." This goes on for days, weeks, even months at a time. In January I made it 23 days without a drink. That is my current record. I let my guard down and had a drink one day, then made it another 2 or 3 days sober before diving in head first again.

Most recently, I've been drinking about 2 pints of vodka each day. I get up each morning, workout (I take my Chocolate and Yellow Labradors for a run), go to work, and function like a normal member of our society until around 3 when I go out and grab a cup of coffee and a bottle of Vodka. I will begin to drink that around 5, and be done around 5:15. I will swing by and grab another bottle on the way home and drink that one later. Needless to say, the next morning is not the bright point of may day, but the cycle repeats itself again.

Yesterday an extremely embarrassing event occurred. I was on trip number 2 to the liquor store. I usually rotate my stores, but I guess I was too lazy yesterday. I walked up to the cashier and the only one available was the same one that rung me up maybe 2 hours prior. He looks at me and says in a loud voice, "SECOND BOTTLE THIS AFTERNOON, DID YOU RUN OUT ALREADY?" I was embarrassed beyond belief. I couldn't even make eye contact with the guy. I looked down at the floor and said, "no" and took my change and left the busy store.

Today I am going to break the cycle. I aim to rely on my faith and the good feeling that comes from going through my day judgement-free to get me through the day and begin my journey towards sobriety.

I would love to hear how you got through the early stages of sobriety. Thank you in advance.

ChikkaB

Just keep thinking, "I wont drink today".

That's all. Just don't drink today. Tomorrow will sort itself out, yesterday is gone, and today is all you need to think about right now.

Exercise is great, do more of that. To help you stay sober today, take a different way home, one that doesn't go past your regular boozeterias. Do you have sober friends that can help support you in not drinking today? If not, would you consider just showing up at an AA (or other group) meeting and just quietly listening to people who are not drinking today?

You can do this. Just focus on today.

CarolD

I wish you would check with your doctor about how best to de tox.
It's a wise idea to be both safe and sober...

here is a link with info and some of our experiences

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...at-we-did.html

Please keep posting...someone is always here and we understand

Ethos23

I love how my mind tries to trick me into drinking, telling me that all my problems will magicallly disappear if I drink, when drinking has led to virtually all my problems.

Supercrew

Hi Ethos,

In the beginning when I first started my program the major things I used were,

1. Exercise

2. Education

3. Visualization

4. This website



The first couple of weeks was based on developing a daily action plan, and then sticking with it. I set a workout routine, and had the times I worked out coincide with the times I used to drink. Next in the evening when I used to drink I sat my butt on the computer and either research what was happening in my brain that made me crave alcohol, and I learned as much as I could about alcoholism and recovery in general. Most of the time instead of drinking I was on this website.

I also strted taking natural supplements daily that helped with cravings. Then as far as the visualization, everytime I would have an urge to drink I would focus on my last detox and the pain I went through. I think I could have used any negative outcome from drinking, but that was the worst and the last for me.

Then I stayed on this board and started counting days. As the days went by I was able to notice physical differences that I would post about, or differences in my attitude that I would post about, or reactions for others that I would post about.

I basically wrote the steps that I was going to take daily, and I followed them, and I made sure that no matter what I did not drink that day. Taking it in small step, like hourly or daily was very helpful in the beginning, then when 30 days rolled around my next goal was 60 and so on. Then I realized that the drinking was up to me and I could quit.

After I got to one hundred days I was completely comfortable living a sober life, but I made a mistake and had to switch my plan. If you are interested in what I changed at day 100, pm me or write a post when you get to 100 days and I will give you the final secret to my recovery method.

Feel free to PM me anytime, and I will try to help you with any questions, or post again and I will try to reply. This is going to be the hard part, but you can do it.

ChikkaB

As the great sage Homer Simpson once observed:

"To alcohol! The cause of - and solution to - all of life's problems."


D'oh!


-

artsoul

Hi Ethos - What worked for me was spending a LOT of time here reading and posting, but mainly reading. I decided that if others could do it, why couldn't I?
When I started to entertain the thought of a drink, the posts here not only gave me hope, they showed me the misery of continuing to drink.

I also took it one day, one urge at a time - I didn't have enough confidence in myself to think about long term sobriety, but one thing I did know was that I could get through the next minute or the next hour if I put my mind to it.

I treated myself to whatever I wanted to eat, too, which also helped with the cravings.

If the encounter at the liquor store made you want to quit, it might be the best thing that's ever happened to you........