Anoronha

Yesterday night my father had the neigbors over to enjoy wine and beer. I drank some sodas and sat with them and socialized. I didn't really feel like drinking at all no specific cravings but the thought was there that I could sneak liquor. Because that is what I used to do at his parties buy booze before hand drink it in his rooms beforehand and then steal liquor at the parties. I was socially awkward yesterday but I didn't drink at all and didn't want to really. Just the thought was there that I could do it and get away with it. Also when the party was ending the thought was there to sniff the empty wine bottles and maybe sip a little droplet of wine but I resisted it was easy wasn't an overpowering urge at all. Like I said it wasn't a craving at all just thoughts these days. Do these ever go away? Since I have these thoughts sometimes I think I am not working a good program. It was weird watching everyone getting tipsy around me and some were drunk and I thought man they are going to have wicked hangovers in the morning. I have almost 13 months sober so it is easier for me now to be around alcohol doesn't mean I am going to be stupid and go to a bar or put myself in a situation where people are abusing it.

Deckard

I'm coming up on 1.5 years... A few nights ago I got out of work really late. A tough, exhausting day. I thought to myself, "Boy, I could really go for a bowl of ice cream." In the same way I used to think, "I need a drink." Made me laugh out loud.

It does get better!

alphaomega

7 months later and I can attest that yes, they do minimize.

But gone ? Not for me. Not yet.

SoberLeigh

I am at almost 29 months sober. The thoughts don't go away but they have become weaker and weaker; while the thoughts are still there, they are overpowered by the thought and knowledge that, for me, sobriety is so much better and THAT thought keeps getting stronger.

Congrats on almost 13 months!!!

heath480

At almost 11 years the thoughts have lessened to the extent I can't remember the last time I had one.Interestingly I was always thirsty when I did get one.

I am cotinually vigilant,perhaps even more so these days.

Keep going on your sober journey.A day at a time.

IOAA2

If we are alcoholics it's natural to think, and hopefully process the results, of drinking. For how long depends on the person and the strength of their sobriety. Myself I think it diminished to negligible occasional thoughts in about a year.

BE WELL

IOAA2

The old timers used to suggest that when an urge came it might be reasonably be relieved by drinking non alcohol fluids, water to ice cream sodas.

BE WELL

Ghostlight1

Sober three years four months, and I don't want some of thoughts to go away.
Thinking of having a drink has all but left me, but I never want to forget my drinking days.
I tell a lot of people here to remember their drinking days and the days after and how they felt.
I'd be a walking contradiction if didn't do that myself. And I do.
I come to this site often and read and post, so that's thinking of alcohol.

I hope you reach the point where taking that first drink doesn't enter your mind.
With me it's how I was and how I am now with alcohol. It ruined me, beat me. It won.
And I never want to forget that.

GunnyL

Okay, I'll be the stupid one here. I went to the bar. I didn't have to sneak anything. It was right there. It's hard in South Texas to find entertainment on a Friday or Saturday night that doesn't include alcohol. I like the live music and dancing. It's a Texas redneck thing I guess.

The thoughts will probably always be there in one form or another. Nothing conscious, really. I'm a few minutes from a liquor store most any day, and I know where most of them are.

I'm not afraid of the bar, nor others drinking, nor the alcohol. Especially when I KNOW I'm going to be around it. It's that "least expected moment" I'm on constant guard against. I don't have to fear the booze. My enemy is me.

I don't think THAT is going to go away.

yeahgr8

I post this a lot. If you do sufficient tangible work on yourself you will have no cravings/mental obsessions or you can continue having them, the choice is most definitely yours now you are abstaining from alcohol.

karate

And they were RIGHT ! , had the low blood sugar shakes today after work .

Missed a meal today at work .

Had to walk past rows of beer to get my powerade .

And don't get in my way to get it .

I used to relive these with alcohol ,I don't think the powerade is as fast as beer at reliving the shakes .

But I can now get something done on the farm , not sit in my chair sleeping .

least

I used to have thoughts of drinking a lot. Now after four plus years I rarely get them and when I do, they are easily dismissed.

Gottalife

I'd quote it, but it's a bit long. Bob pages 100 bottom paragraph to 102' end of top paragraph.

In summary, if we can't be around alcohol and social drinkers, when we have good reason to be there, we still have an alcoholic mind. The best thing for us to do is go find another alcoholic to work with.

Mountainmanbob

yes, for most all from what I have witnessed

some fairly soon

others such as Dr. Bob of the AA Big Book
struggled for years with these thoughts
yet - never gave in to the liquid devil

MM

note
I would say that for 90 % of the ones I know in AA
they consider themselves recovered
and never entertain anymore the thought of drinking

if I think about drinking for very long (entertaining the thought)
from my past I know
I usually end up with a bottle in my hand



if I think about sex
think about sex
think about sex
I usually have sex (married with wife)

I think you see the point made

courage2

Thanks for this thread and all the responses. I had a year without a drink and was often preoccupied with thoughts of drinking. Now I have less than 3 months but I don't think about it nearly so much.

The thoughts still come out of habit -- for instance the other day, I was visiting someone in their office & asked for water & he opened a mini-fridge I didn't know he had. My kneejerk reaction was to wonder if he had any vodka in there. I don't worry about that kind of thought because habits will fade.

What's absent now is toying with the thoughts, playing with the idea of drinking in my imagination. I'm not doing that, and I'm really really grateful that I don't want to indulge in those dangerous games.

waynetheking

Great thread everyone. For me after 14 months of sobriety when a slight urge hits me, I use logic to nip it. Drinking again will only mean certain death for me. So what's the point of trying it. I can never have another drink. I just keep moving forward. No reason to look back anymore. Its a dead end.

karate

I agree ,But at the same time I don't want to let my guard down and return .

With the foolish idea ( in my mind ) that's its okay to get a beer on the way home from work.

yeahgr8

If you do the work you won't want a beer, going without a beer will mean as much to you as going without the most horrible food substance you can think of! What are you doing to recover?

karate

Im keeping a good attitude , and just going on about life .

Its not bothering me very much ,really .