Clementina

I'm curious to hear ideas about what people have done or steps you've taken to protect your sobriety, especially at difficult stages of recovery.

I know it's individual and depends on your specific triggers. For example, I know I mostly need to avoid bars, or situations where drinking is the only activity.

Practicing gratitude is important for everyone and is already a habit but I'm sure will help.....

Diet? When I'm drinking, a lot of my calories come from alcohol.

Anything else? I think stress and anxiety management are huge factors too.......

silentrun

Find people who know what you are going through. I use SR some us AA. Whatever you choose use the heck out of it. The one thing I wish I would have done is join a "class of thread" on here.

Nonsensical

The best tool I currently have in my toolkit is that I broke free of the addiction. I know what it's like to NOT obsess about alcohol, and I really like it. I do not want to lose that feeling.

Between my last drink and now I avoided being around alcohol to the greatest extent possible. I found things to do. When I wasn't craving I planned my strategy for my next craving. I knew it would come, but knowing what I was going to do about it in advance made me feel like I was being proactive - playing offense, not defense.

I also kept my eyes on the prize. People who understand what this is like assured me it would get better. They were right. A happy sober life is possible if you go out and find it.

Good Luck!

Cathryn2001

Honestly, in the beginning, there were nights when I would just go to bed early.

We also greatly reduced "eating out," as I knew that seated in a restaurant, I would want to order that tall beer. I've gotten much better as time has rolled forward--at about 6 months, I was able to go to restaurants without obsessing about drinks.

One other thing, though I'm not sure if it backfired in the long run--in order to address cravings, I would eat a bowl of ice cream each night, not worrying about how it would impact my waistline. Although I still ended up losing weight (beer goes straight to the belly), I'm now battling a massive sweet tooth. Ugh.

LBrain

I committed to never drink again.

And in the very beginning I stayed home and watched too much TV and ate too much chocolate and junk. Now after six months I do neither. Chocolate took over as my addiction for a short period of time. Now I eat healthy again.

matt4x4

Concrete Steps to Protect Your Sobriety

Fly to the moon, or live in Antartica. Less a Eskimo or Alien comes around with a bottle of Sour Whiskey Jack that you never drank before and you think it might taste wonderful.

Croissant

This might sound small, and everyone is different, but I found a HUGE turning point for me was keeping a daily journal. I write in it any time of the day, it might be a random quote (I like some of Women for Sobriety's messages)....how I'm feeling that day, or simply my list of things to do.

Something poignant on tv or here that resonates, I write it down.

It helps me to see the shape of my journey. Some days are great, some are tough, many, many now are hopeful. And that to me, keeps me going.

Gottalife

I worked the 12 steps of AA and continue to try and practice them as a way of life. My alcohol problem was removed and has never come back. I don't hide from triggers, I can go anywhere free men can go. I don't walk on eggshells thinking today is the day I might replapse. I dont' think about drinking at all. The problem no longer exists.

I try to help newcomers because it's a pleasure, not because I need to use them as some sort of reference point about my drinking. AA activity forms an important part of my life but is not my life. I participate in all aspects of community and family without fear.

LadyBlue0527

The only true protection I ever really needed was from myself. By making sobriety unconditional, with no acceptable plausible excuse, that's what worked for me. All the rest of the things that I did were tools in my toolkit to make the cravings and the voice of the AV manageable. Unconditional was the trick.

gardendiva

I am committed to sobriety 100%

I don't take the first drink, no matter what

I read about and research alcoholism

I check in with SR every day

I read the AA Agnostica website and visit their chat room

I fully accept the fact that I will never be able to drink like a normal person

IOAA2

From the day of my last drink, many years ago, my guide is accepting I can’t drink alcohol in safety, staying honest about MY drinking, going to meetings, trying to help others, and especially not toying in my mind with the “pleasures” of drinking.
I’m grateful I haven’t had a desire to drink for many years even through not nice situations happen in life.

BE WELL

Ken33xx

Make sure I regularly attend AA meetings.


Airports and when I visit my home town I've got to be careful around old friends who still like to get high.


I think this is very important and I am fortunate to have someone (non-AA but is familiar with my business) who I can share my troubles.

Boleo

After seeing hundreds in Recovery come and go. After talking to dozens of good old-timers and bad-old timers. After reading thousands of posts on a recovery Web sites... The one thing that all who get well (not just dry) seem to have in common is:

Those who follow suggestions get well. Those who don't - don't.

Croissant

Actually another thing comes to mind...identifying people / situations in my life that were stressful, taking up way too much air time in my head, or just plain frustrating me.

Not that some of them would have driven me to drink necessarily, I just saw a lot of draining people in my life that I probably didn't notice their potential life sapping impact before.

That is a biggie....redundant relationships. Or dynamics that need huge changes.

ElleDee

These are excellent tips! The first one is something I plan to do. Whenever I've relapsed it was usually because I was craving and obsessing and sitting around doing nothing about it.

Thanks Nonsensical!

Ken33xx

While it`s true we`re often powerless of people, places and things we aren`t powerless over our reaction.

Toxic people? I drop the rope and refuse to play.

My biggest stress-related concerns are usually work-related. I often find myself needing to make a decision with limited knowledge which can be frustrating.

However, I recognize such frustration and do my best to avoid taking it out on my wife or co-workers. Then I get on the phone and speak with those who can help with solving the problem.

At meetings I often share that feelings of discomfort/frustration are part of life. And how I deal with such emotions is to take action: change what I can, accept what I can`t and if I don`t have the wisdom to know the difference ask for help.

I also make it a point to say that while life might not always be a bed of roses sobriety has given me a full plate and my problems today are of a quality nature.

Imo, as long you appreciate your sobriety you`re in a good place. The day I forget or take sobrieity for granted is the day I`m headed for trouble.

Deangrant

. I hate alcohol I'm 6 days sober and I realise I hate what it does to my body and mind. I think it's worse than smoking and I look at alcohol like cigarettes. A slow killer marketed as your best friend.

SoberCAH

This sums things up for me pretty well.

I have a fairly normal life.

Sanantoniosober

I've seen it on here, and it worked for me. Change can't to don't.

Just the thought that I don't drink instead of I can't drink helps me. I'm too stubborn to accept I can't do something, but by saying I don't drink, I can use that stubbornness for me, it's easier for me.

I can do anything I want. I choose not to.

MIRecovery

I go to AA 4X a week and work a daily program of recovery