Bubba09

I find that when I tell myself I can never have something again, it always makes me want it more.
I'm only on day 5 here but whenever I start thinking about the fact that I can't ever drink again, it makes me really nervous.
If I say I can't have chocolate or carbs or pizza I want it and instantly miss it.
So the way I've been thinking lately is "I can drink whenever I want." and in turn that makes me not want to do it.
So that's how I have been approaching my problem this time around and it seems to help me a lot more because I'm not thinking about what I CAN'T have and playing out all the possible events in my life that could happen where drinking would be involved.
Like they all say, "One day at a time."

betterlate

Well said. Kinda parallell to that is how many years it took for me to learn that sometimes I really don't want "what I want".

HeavyJ

It reminds me of something I heard that stuck. A man said, "I've been sober for fourteen years and the longest I've ever gone without a drink is 24 hours".. You can always drink tomorrow..

Thepatman

There is some AV in there speaking inside you bubba09

Have you read a bit on AVRT? Google it and read.

It will explain that "nervous" feeling you get when you say never again ;-)

Good job on 5 days!

ford1967

I agree with heavyj I say to my self I can have one tomarrow and then when tomarrow comes I say I can have one tomarrow.
It seem to help me.
Keep posting we are all in this together.

freshstart57

Interesting approach there, Bubba, I found that trying to outwit my addiction drive was a mug's game. It is us, after all, and has access to our memories, aspirations, hopes and fears, the whole shebang, and it will use whatever it can to put that drink back in your hand.
The good news is that we don't have to do what it tells us. We have the choice of what to do and how to handle this Addictive Voice. Recognizing it for what it is and what it is trying to do enables us to accept it, and not fight it.

CarolD

Hmmm
my drinking had progressed to the point that I was drinking
even when I did not want to.
I was so grateful to have the obcession lifted via God and AA.


Hope everyone finds purpose and joy in their lives...

Threshold

People often acuse me of arguing semantics, and for some people the difference MAY be potato/patata...but for me the way I phrase things makes a real difference.

I could never get with the "I can't drink every again" thing, because, well, of course I can drink anytime I want to.

saying "I WON'T drink ever again"...brings to mind an image of me in sack cloth and ashes beating my breast and wailing.

so for me it's "I don't drink."

That might not be what others say to themselves or what is best for them to say to themselves, but for me it's what works. I can totally get and stay behind it.

The idea of "forever" about anything has always given me the heebi jeebies. Even as a kid, when there was a movie where someone was trying to get some potion that would make them live forever, I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to.

the idea of eternity is one of the things that drove me to drink.

NYCDoglvr

I'm only sober today, it's all I worry about for 21 years of recovery. I'd never dream of thinking "I'll never drink again..." Honestly, how can I know that?