Tough Day
 

84 sober. That's wonderful. But today is not. I never drank till evening time but its pull is so strong today, I want to now, it's before noon. Yikes. I feel like, well, yeah. God, I sure hope I don't. What a struggle...

Do you have activities that you can do that will serve as a good distraction or to refocus your mind on something else? Meditation? Reading? Working out at the gym? Going to see a movie with a friend? Lunch with a friend?

I had one of those this week too. Push hard, change your nightly routine, do some busy work...something....just to keep your mind occupied. You can do this!!!

Keep yourself occupied, Chris. Go to a movie theatre that doesn't sell alcohol; enjoy the movie (or two). Don't go near a liquor store, bar, or other establishment that sells alcohol; stay away from drinking friends.

Urges and cravings can be powerful but they can be overcome; they don't last forever.

Stay close to us; lean on us.

Be strong; 90 days is great; you'll feel great going to bed sober and even better waking-up hangover-free.

Hey Chris -- it's hard to believe that it will pass ... But it will, if you don't give in to it. Keep posting, we're here for you.

Thanks all! :) I just saw all these, figuring out the site works and all. I do have activities but today they felt 100% forced, and made think 100% about a solution to that: drink. But that's not THE solution. Yikes. So I joined this instead. Haven't drank, WAAHOO! It sorta passed, or the wise/non-animal part of my brain kicked in. Something. I've avoided talking about all this (besides myself) with pretty much everyone around me, I think this will help being here. Thanks again!

Hi Chris, please don't give in. You've got 84 great days behind you. post here until your fingers hurt or until your cravings pass. You can do it man. You have people here from all over the world that will walk you through this. Rootin for ya.

Hi Chris and welcome to site.

This site helps many to stay sober.
Join us and be a sober one.
If alcoholic such as myself ?
Best to escape the grip of the liquid devil - ASAP.

MM

You can push through- congrats on 84 days!!! Just for today, just for now- don't drink :grouphug:

Chris, I can highly recommend you find a thread that has been going awhile, one of the daily support threads with a history and a future, and dive in.

Read all over, post anywhere you like, but I found I get a lot out of a relatively steady thread that suits my goals (stay stopped and get a life) and provides the supportive comraderie I need.

Also... If you really want to stay stopped...do you have a sober plan? Does it need updating?

I have no plan. I don't really know how this all started. I drank 4-5 days a week, 5-6 beers a night, for 20 years. Out of the blue, 85 days ago, I felt like I can't anymore. Why? Not completely sure. I mean, I've admitted to myself that you shouldn't have to drink to relax and fully enjoy life on its own. I liked drinking and it didn't seem to get that much in the way. But I guess it did because here I am. I think the hardest part is admitting 100% to myself that it's always been a problem. I need to learn how to talk about it in an honest fashion with myself. And with others. Best wishes everyone.

Chris 84 days is fantastic. You obviously have incredible will power. So if you add a Plan you really have a good foundation for long term sobriety. Keep fighting the AV!

At the moment, my plan is holding on for dear life, one day at a time. AHHHHH! Hehehe. It's the first time I've ever tried to not drink for any extended period of time. Do you have a Plan you can recommend? This week/day has been the hardest since I quit. It just has. I guess that's in the cards. Thanks.

Yes, just a sec, will paste links that may be helpful, Chris.

especially check out the SAMHSA link near the bottom of the thread.

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...at-we-did.html

The Next Step...towards a better life

https://store.samhsa.gov/shin/conten...SMA12-4474.pdf

Hello & Welcome Chris

Nice work!! It does get better!! Wishing you the best!!

Chris - definitely checkout the links BB posted. Since you asked, here's my plan. Yours doesn't have to mirror this, but you'll get the idea:


1. Don't drink. EVER.
2. Get up early and exercise. Helps with stress and anxiety.
3. Weekly therapy session to address underlying causes and triggers for drinking.
4. Regular mediation. Nothing fancy, just some alone time so I can reflect on things in private.
5. Eat well: cut out caffeine and sodas.
6. Change nightly drinking routine to include teas (e.g chamomile).
7. Read and post on SR for insights, support, and reaching out to help others.
8. Spend time with family: coaching kids, doing planned actives on the weekends (instead of recovering from hangovers).
9. Know what to say when offered a drink in a social situation.
10. Create exit plans for social situations (for example, attending a work dinner but leaving before everyone decides to continue boozing it up afterwards).
11. Letting my wife know that my moodiness is part of my recovery and not her fault.

Add to your plan as you learn more about recovery. The main idea is to create a roadmap for yourself so that you can successfully stay on the path of sobriety.

Hope this helps!