"First you take a drink...."
 

".... then the drink takes a drink, and then the drink takes you!"

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Ever since Sunday I've been really suffering here. I have times I want a taste of bourbon so bad. Most other times I am okay. I intentionally keep my wallet empty, no cash. Avoid driving near the liquor store by myself. Not sure whats up.

I went for a run this evening for the first time in a while. Feel a lot more in control now. I've been saving up my "drinking money" and thought I'd reward myself with some cool new gear this week.

I guess its just a rough patch. Not sure what brought this on.

Ideas? Suggestions?

do you have any other support besides SR Steve?
Maybe you could boost that up?

D

go for another run or walk when the cravings come on? I went for lots of walks in early sobriety lol. neighbors prolly thougt i was nuts nope just a drunk trying to keep sober and trying not to loose my **** lol.

find some distractions something to get involved in some project or new hobby. at one point i started polishing things whatever it was if it could be polished there i was. then i went through a gun cleaning phase cleaning the same ones over and over and over very meticulously.

reoganize a closet clean out the garage change the oil in the mower just because. etc.. thats about how it was for me.

reminds me of a joke a friend of mine said about being unemployed its great and all but theres only so many times you can wash your car sooner or later you need a job lol. But sobering up can be kinda like that too its like gee i know i'll wash the car again lol.

Not beyond my wife. There are AA meetings twice a week not too far from my house but I'm in bed early and it won't work. I think I just need to get out and exercise more.

.
Just a suggestion that works for me:

I try to take the time to take a nap after work
before I go to an evening AA meeting.

Sleep is important to me.
So is AA.

Try and keep busy. When I quick drinking, I took up walking. Whenever I felt like a beer, I went for a walk instead.

Now sounds time for a real plan. Exercise is a good part of a real plan. But it's not a plan for staying sober by itself.

I will say, 20 minutes of running seems to go a long way!! I gotta start training for my 50k sometime!

Exercise is fabulous, also, don't forget HALT,= Hungry Angry Lonely Tired. Sometimes just having something to eat is all that is needed.

Ain't that the truth. I try to keep some healthy snacks squirreled away in my file cabinet, both at home and at work. Mixed nuts, dried dates, raisins, dark chocolate... all are favorites.

And coffee. Always have a pot of coffee on. Decaff after work, though.

Well I found substitution helped in early recovery. Find something you really enjoy and cultivate it. For example, I love San Pellegrino.. especially the Limonata and other flavors.. they are tasty and intense.. and give a bit of a sugar hit. I found that a few nice restaurants near me served those and that's all I needed - something tasty to look forward to instead of a beer or a glass of wine with my meal.. Didn't have to be alcohol. Seriously - half the alcohol craving in early sobriety is simply a need for sugar.

That's why I've been hammerin' the fruit and dark chocolate so hard. In fact, I have a piece of dark chocolate at bedtime!