Overwhelmed and struggling on Day 9...
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 10
Overwhelmed and struggling on Day 9...
Hi.
I'm doing everything I can think of to avoid drinking red wine today.
It's been 9 days which isn't that long but feels like forever.
I'm trying to quiet my AV, but I just get so lonely that I want to drink.
I suffer from anxiety and in the moment, alcohol makes everything more manageable. My brain knows that in the end, the wine will just complicate things, but it's so hard to care about that when I'm craving a bottle.
How do you guys calm the cravings?
I'm doing everything I can think of to avoid drinking red wine today.
It's been 9 days which isn't that long but feels like forever.
I'm trying to quiet my AV, but I just get so lonely that I want to drink.
I suffer from anxiety and in the moment, alcohol makes everything more manageable. My brain knows that in the end, the wine will just complicate things, but it's so hard to care about that when I'm craving a bottle.
How do you guys calm the cravings?
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,778
I used to walk my dogs whenever I had a craving to drink. They got a lot of walks, which they love, and I stayed sober. 
But the other thing I do that helps me in all areas of my life, is practice gratitude. When I give thanks for my blessings, I realize just how fortunate I am. It puts my focus on the positive, not the negative. It's been helping me stay sober for over six years now.
But the other thing I do that helps me in all areas of my life, is practice gratitude. When I give thanks for my blessings, I realize just how fortunate I am.
It puts my focus on the positive, not the negative. It's been helping me stay sober for over six years now. 
Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 1,601
Do you have a recovery plan? AA? Smart Recovery?
AA really helped me.
Talking about it helped. I knew I wasn't alone...that other people had these insane cravings and did not drink.
A walk
A warm blanket and Netflix
Hot shower and a mug of tea
A good book
Calling a friend
Going to the gym
A 1/2 gallon of ice cream (flavor of your choice) - this saved me early on. I put on about 15 lbs but hey. If you eat enough ice cream you get so full you could not possibly fit any drinks down your gullet!
When all else fails - get out of the house. Go do something nice for someone else. Go buy a bag of groceries and donate to the food pantry. Sweep a friend's kitchen floor etc.
9 months in now and I rarely have cravings. An occasional thought, but no more brutal cravings. They DO pass.
Just breathe. You can get through this!
AA really helped me.
Talking about it helped. I knew I wasn't alone...that other people had these insane cravings and did not drink.
A walk
A warm blanket and Netflix
Hot shower and a mug of tea
A good book
Calling a friend
Going to the gym
A 1/2 gallon of ice cream (flavor of your choice) - this saved me early on. I put on about 15 lbs but hey. If you eat enough ice cream you get so full you could not possibly fit any drinks down your gullet!
When all else fails - get out of the house. Go do something nice for someone else. Go buy a bag of groceries and donate to the food pantry. Sweep a friend's kitchen floor etc.
9 months in now and I rarely have cravings. An occasional thought, but no more brutal cravings. They DO pass.
Just breathe. You can get through this!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 46
I am struggling on Day 1 so I know what you are going through. Right now you feel sober and lonely. If you drink right now, you will feel drunk and lonely. The AV Is a liar.
I have been listening to sober podcasts all day to quiet the AV and feel less lonely. I went shopping and talked to the sales girl about soap for a long time-- distracted from thinking about drinking.
Keep it up! You will get through today!
I have been listening to sober podcasts all day to quiet the AV and feel less lonely. I went shopping and talked to the sales girl about soap for a long time-- distracted from thinking about drinking.
Keep it up! You will get through today!
Alive in the Superunknown
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: 30.47ºN, 98.15ºW
Posts: 1,460
I too do gratitude thoughts. I have a mantra I repeat to myself. I play my guitar, I log in here, or in dire emergencies I call my buddy Radar and he will talk some sense into me from his decades of sobriety.
Community Greeter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 51,564
Hi Crystalina. Well done on your 9 days sober.
These challenging times are normal in the early days of recovery. Your anxiety will lessen. I posted and read here a lot in the first few months. It helped me to not feel alone. Things are going to get better.
These challenging times are normal in the early days of recovery. Your anxiety will lessen. I posted and read here a lot in the first few months. It helped me to not feel alone. Things are going to get better.
You can have reasons, or you can have results, but you can't have both.
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Syracuse, NY
Posts: 1,232
Good move to post here before caving in! Here are my recommendations:
1) GET BUSY doing something. Anything. Clean out every closet. Fill the time between now and bed. Doing anything.
2) Eat ice cream. For various reasons, ice cream really helps calm alcohol cravings.
3) Get as much delicious, filling food as you can and eat until you're so stuffed that you don't want anything else in your stomach (not even wine) and you know you couldn't catch a buzz anyway.
4) Go to sleep. Take an OTC sleep aid and go to bed early.
If you can ride this out, you'll feel stronger and more triumphant tomorrow. Super-important to not give in!
1) GET BUSY doing something. Anything. Clean out every closet. Fill the time between now and bed. Doing anything.
2) Eat ice cream. For various reasons, ice cream really helps calm alcohol cravings.
3) Get as much delicious, filling food as you can and eat until you're so stuffed that you don't want anything else in your stomach (not even wine) and you know you couldn't catch a buzz anyway.
4) Go to sleep. Take an OTC sleep aid and go to bed early.
If you can ride this out, you'll feel stronger and more triumphant tomorrow. Super-important to not give in!
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 10
Thank you to all of you for replying.
I took your advice and got out of the house.
Went to the coffee shop, ran errands at the drugstore and Walmart.
I went to the hair salon and picked up a nice shampoo, conditioner and other goodies that I would never have purchased before so I could buy wine.
Came home and did laundry, watched Netflix and then polished all my silver Jewellery.
It's 9 pm here do I'm past my craving time, and tomorrow will be okay bc I'll be busy at work.
Here's heading into day 10, almost.
Thank you for your support!💛
I took your advice and got out of the house.
Went to the coffee shop, ran errands at the drugstore and Walmart.
I went to the hair salon and picked up a nice shampoo, conditioner and other goodies that I would never have purchased before so I could buy wine.
Came home and did laundry, watched Netflix and then polished all my silver Jewellery.
It's 9 pm here do I'm past my craving time, and tomorrow will be okay bc I'll be busy at work.
Here's heading into day 10, almost.
Thank you for your support!💛
Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 214
I got involved with life. After I was successful for a spell,similar to you , I stepped back and started to seriously change what I did with free time. After work I would walk a couple of miles. Help kids with homework. Then read a book before bed. On weekends I would do something outdoors. More than anything I would remember to just breath and live life for real. Not like when I was living for the next drunk. I was actually participating in my own life and not a spectator anymore. It made everyday cool. I laugh like an idiot most days and do not care anymore what anyone thinks about me or my approach to life. I gradually earned the respect of my family and that is what counts. God bless you and good luck!
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