RobbyRobot

Cool.

I hope you don't wait until you hate to drink to quit drinking. That would really blow. Its way awesome you're looking into quitting.

Red79

Another thing, too...it waxes and wanes...heavy, light, light heavy. however, after so many years, it doesn't matter. any heavy at all is too much.

Misguided

I'm almost to my 2 year sobriety mark and I have to say the cravings are still rearing their ugly head. I'm not sure when they will go away if ever...I pray that they will. I've read some long timers said yes, but also noticed they have a lot more years sobriety than I do.

I also started anti-depressants about 2 weeks ago and I will say that 85% of my alcohol craving thoughts have diminshed. I can't explain how it does that but it seems the day I start taking them, the thoughts differ or are gone completely.

Prior to taking the anti-depressants, the things that got me through the "I want a drink" moments were me repeating to myself one or all of the following:
-You are at sober day # ???, why do you want to start the count over?
-Do you really want to feel like crapola in the morning?
-You know you can't function the next day after drinking
-Quit telling yourself you can have just one because you are already thinking about the 3rd one.
-Everyone has been so proud of the accomplishment and there are people that look up to you, why are you wanting to let them down?

There are periods of time that I was saying the above to myself on a daily basis, and it wasn't that long ago.

Do I miss drinking? I miss the days in the beginning when I had control. Those are the thoughts I have the most..."if only I could have that control again" OR "if only I wouldn't have allowed myself to lose control."

Red79

I have a feeling I will end up there...

Mark75

4 years last week...

YES, the craving truly goes away.

Do I miss it... I don't think so... It is hard sometimes to sort out longing for those happier times of youth and carefree days (I'm 55) and the promise of which that keep me "out there" ... empty promises it turns out... Because, I'm lovin' life these days.

Sobersunshine

Have you gotten all the booze out of the house?

Misguided

You're welcome.

The thing is I don't know if I ever really had control to begin with. As far back as I can remember, I drank to get drunk. Sometimes I was hungover and sometimes I wasn't. Sometimes I just got a little drunk and sometimes I got a lot drunk.

Regardless of what it was when I had my first drink at 12, I ended up in a pretty bad place by age 30, and that is the #1 reason I don't touch it anymore. I don't ever want to end up there again and it may not be the instant I start drinking, but I will more than likely end up in the same path if I were to drink again.

Good luck on your journey. It is a tough one, but when I look at both sides of the coin, the sober one is the better side.

Red79

oh no, honestly. I am tapering, which isn't an excuse to keep going. I mean like, I have am having one every day until they are gone to make sure I have no side effects. this may sound crazy, but it's working so far.

Sobersunshine

Rd, if tapering is working, then great! Whatever works! I couldn't do it, I tapered UP.

Red79

FBL

I'm now over 3 years sober after nearly 30 years of drinking. No cravings and don't miss it one bit...in fact, I'm happier now than at anytime in my entire adult life!

Threshold

This is where I am with it. The cravings for alcohol went away. Didn't take too long. But sometimes I still craved the taste of a drink, wine with dinner etc. But I know it's not worth it and the "craving" is really not a big deal.

I sometimes crave the feeling of a drink. That warm sense of relief. But I am learning how to feel good without turning to alcohol. I am learning how to turn to GOOD things/thoughts/choices in order to feel good. THAT is where my success comes from. If I couldn't find a way to be ok in my own skin, then I think I was doomed to go back. Recovery is me learning to be ok in my own skin, no matter what.

Sasha4

Yes for me it has.

212 days in and the compulsion/desire/craving has almost gone.

I can't imagine sitting around for hours now drinking.
Just an alien concept now.
But it has taken time.

Just fleetingly I get a flashing thought that a cold beer or a wine would be nice.
However, most of the time when I see a glass of wine, I feel fear.
I know what it did to me.
I know the agony it caused me and others.
The feeling that it would be pleasurable is replaced by thoughts of blackouts, shame, tears and hurt feelings.

I also see that glass of wine as a pre-curser to loosing my job, home, family, health, wealth and driving license.

But it does take time and it is so worth well.

Red79

Thank you for opening up, sasha. That takes guts. I know what you mean by fear, truly. So happy you have been able to overcome that. xo.

fluffyflea

Honestly I still crave and I've been sober 14.5 years continuous sobriety. For those who say the cravings go away great for them, but I'd be lying if I said I don/t crave.

So to deal with that it/s alcoholism not alcoholwasm and my disease is always doing push_ups in the parking lot,lots of meetings still, talking to other alcoholics everyday,being innvolved in service work and having asponsor.

Earthworm

ADS20012012

For me, the cravings have not gone away, but after almost 20 months of sobriety, they have gotten less and less.

Do I miss it? No, not at all! The hangover's are motivation enough not to miss it.

One day at a time

tomsteve

Does the craving ever truly go away...do you miss it?

for me, i was willing to do whatever i had to do to get sober. there was some serious fights with the craving, compulsion, and obsession to drink, but i knew if i took another drink i would kill myself. so, i put my trust in the ones who went before me that it would get better and they were right.
i can occasionally get the thought of a drink. give me a hot summer day and a lawn mower and i can have the thought that an ice cold beer would be good. but i can think i through and see just how nuts the thought of"just one" is for me.
do i miss it? why would i miss something that was killing me and doing it with a lot of gloom,dispair, and misery?

heath480

For me the cravings went in early sobriety.

Today I get the odd thought of a drink,I dont act on that thought.The programme of AA keeps me on the right path.

I do not miss Alcohol,I nearly killed myself with the stuff and caused unhappiness to everyone around me.

onlythetruth

Oh yes, the craving definitely goes away. I quit drinking 14 years ago and haven't had a craving since, well sometime in my first year.

And I don't miss alcohol. My God, what's to miss? It wasn't fun for me. Some of you had fun, I know, but not me...I was a sullen, morose, lonely drunk. There is seriously nothing to miss.

Dalek

My recovery method (AVRT) is very precise with language, and I limit the use of the word 'craving' only to the initial physical withdrawal. Once the body is fully detoxed, I generally use the word 'desire' instead of 'craving'.

The cravings did go away, but the desire did not go away, and I consider that desire a permanent, immutable feature. Although that desire appears to grow weaker over time, I don't really believe that it will ever truly go away.

I view all thoughts, feelings, or desires that support drinking or using as coming not from me, but from my Beast. My Beast certainly misses drinking intensely, but I don't give a damn what it misses. It rots inside the body of someone who never drinks or uses, and I smile every time I feel it twitch with desire. I don't want that desire to go away.