Klp9999

I'm not keeping track but I think I'm going on 5 months, and still at night think I sure would like a drink. I don't give in but wish the thought would leave me alone.
Is the thought there because hubby drinks all night long? It so hard not to drink last night because he was making bloody Mary's. I guess he was finishing up the vodka that had been sitting in the cabinet since I quit drinking.

One reason I didn't drink is because I knew I would have to come here and tell you all. Strange a bunch of strangers on the Internet keep me sober. Thanks so much for being here even if Im not very active here.

LDT

In my first year of sobriety I found it extrememly difficult to be around people that were drinking. It was doubly difficult when my sweet DH had a cocktail ( he's not an alcoholic ). Sometimes the pressure of being around drinkers would actually make me cry ( in my closet, believe it or not ). So my DH decided to support me by not drinking around me, and drinking "very" little when out with his friends. ( one or two is all he ever occasionally drinks.... I never understood how he could do that).

I've been sober 21 out of 24 months ( 18 consecutively ) and it's much easier these days for me. I'll have a bad day of thinking about booze every now and then, but I now have the tools to work through it.

Be patient with yourself. 5 months is really fantastic.

hypochondriac

For me the thoughts became a lot less frequent but they still haven't gone away completely (11 months now), and I don't expect them to. It's okay to have thoughts of drinking every now and then as long as we don't act on them or get wistful about it. Do you do stuff like 'think the drink through' when you get those thoughts?

Oh. and this place is fab for keeping us accountable. Well done on 5 months too, that's an awesome achievement, don't let those drinking thoughts get you down x

freshstart57

For me, I think I have trained my own brain to just not 'go there' anymore. It's not that sobriety is a struggle for me now at all, it's more of a relief and a release from enslavement. If you do those things that are suggested here, like practicing gratitude, congratulating yourself, separating your wishes from those of your addiction, urge surfing and so on, I believe that you actually create new pathways in your brain that support your new lifestyle.

tehmazzyland

I saw the thread title and was going to reply with a simple (and joyous) "yes".

But read your post and wow - you are so amazingly strong to stay sober in those circumstances. I know for a fact it would have been beyond me after five months. Good for you for not giving in.

I'm really glad (and constantly uplifted) by the brilliant and genuine support people get from this site.

All the best to you Klp9999 (and yes, the thoughts of drink do go away.)

zjw

I'm over a year sober and 99% of the time I dont have an interest. But I'll admit today I sat down and thought if only I could have a smoke and a beer in moderation and have it be good for me even oh well I said and moved on. It is what it is I simply cant have that stuff anymore and its ok life goes on.

SparklingSeven

It eventually does. Sounds like hard going though where you are at!

Good on you for sticking at it. The day WILL come when it won't bother you. Hang in there!

Stu.

TheEnd

Drinking never crosses my mind at this point and I'm not sure when this occurred, but I have felt like this for a long time now. One day I was like, I'm not even thinking about drinking anymore and have no desire to. It will feel like an over night event, but believe me it was not.

least

Yes, those thoughts do go away after some time. For me it was around a year or so that I remember noticing that I hadn't thought of drinking in a while. It also helps me to practice gratitude every day which gives me reasons not to drink - all the things that are dear to me which I could lose if I drank...

Hevyn

It does get better. I was angry & resentful in the beginning, but then I began to feel joy and happiness in my life again. I realized I would never want to risk that great new feeling by drinking - and thoughts of drinking just sort of faded away.

I agree with tehmazzyland - I think you're amazing for handling the challenge of a drinking husband. Congratulations for staying on track with that going on.

mytime66

Zjw nailed it for me aswell. I to have to tell myself its not ok for me to have alcohol anymore. It works so that's what I do. And yep life does go on.

Gravel

You will always ask yourself if it's okay to go back to the drunkard lifestyle. Years and months don't matter. What matters is the answer you answer to that question.

And just like when you get over a lover who left you so it will be like alcohol. It fades; but be diligent because you will be tempted in times of weakness.

instant

Your situation is different than mind and I am not around drinking much. I come to SR everyday and that reminds me of drinking. I often think about being thankful for my sobriety. I occasionally think about drinking but usually in the context of how to approach an event where people will be drinking.

In short by embracing sobriety wholeheartedly despite the challenges of life , in time it gets easier

jennikate

Yes and no. I no longer have the obsession to drink ever. It simply disappeared (spiritual awakening). However, it does occasionally come to mind. I simply play the tape through and the thought goes away. That being said, I am not surrounded by alcohol every day. That would have been a major challenge. My husband does drink but very moderately and only occasionally. He is not an alcoholic.