Glamourizing Alcohol
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: East
Posts: 165
Glamourizing Alcohol
Hi all- I'm 32 days clean and feeling good. But I catch myself having thoughts maybe a couple times a day that glamorizes alcohol. I shut it down pretty well, but I'd like any advice you have or mental strategies you've used to stomp these out. Thanks SR friends.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,095
I get these thoughts too.
The other day I was watching a movie and the characters were drinking vodka and feeling no pain - it made me want to do the same.
The thoughts always pass - we can't act on them.
If I get these thoughts I usually switch to thinking how bad I will feel about myself if I drank and how I would most likely keep drinking after that first drink and then how awful I will feel with a bad hangover. It works every time.
If all else fails I then eat some candy or something sweet. It helps.
Good luck.
The other day I was watching a movie and the characters were drinking vodka and feeling no pain - it made me want to do the same.
The thoughts always pass - we can't act on them.
If I get these thoughts I usually switch to thinking how bad I will feel about myself if I drank and how I would most likely keep drinking after that first drink and then how awful I will feel with a bad hangover. It works every time.
If all else fails I then eat some candy or something sweet. It helps.
Good luck.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 77
Hey Clas, good work on 32 days sober. The not so glamorous results of my 45 years of drinking are the regrets. Regrets that I could have been a better father, a better husband, a better brother, a better son . Basically a better human being. Stay strong nothing good comes from drinking.
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 8,674
Great job on passing a month!!
I haven't had urges to drink however when I see people having "fun" I take a third party observer perspective. I do this a lot because I work in a restaurant- I think about what they're doing, how they seem to be drinking (need? enjoyment? casual dismissal?) and see how some will likely feel pretty bad tomorrow. For me, drinking is death so the play the tape through method (what would happen if I drank) that many recommend has become auto-pilot. It pops up in dreams and when I wake up - whew! so glad it was just a dream.
Distraction- books, movies, puzzles, whatever- is a technique I used heavily in the beginning to aid with ANY kind of discomfort in mind or body. I still use that stuff- plus naps!- when I am emotionally disturbed.
Time makes everything better. Promise.
I haven't had urges to drink however when I see people having "fun" I take a third party observer perspective. I do this a lot because I work in a restaurant- I think about what they're doing, how they seem to be drinking (need? enjoyment? casual dismissal?) and see how some will likely feel pretty bad tomorrow. For me, drinking is death so the play the tape through method (what would happen if I drank) that many recommend has become auto-pilot. It pops up in dreams and when I wake up - whew! so glad it was just a dream.
Distraction- books, movies, puzzles, whatever- is a technique I used heavily in the beginning to aid with ANY kind of discomfort in mind or body. I still use that stuff- plus naps!- when I am emotionally disturbed.
Time makes everything better. Promise.
Guest
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Northwest
Posts: 4,215
I remind myself that every glamour shot of drinking I see is driven by corporate interests that don't care a whit whether my life and health are ruined by addiction to a toxic chemical, as long as the money rolls in. The alcoholic beverage industry and the restaurant industry make huge margins on alcohol and the more they can associate booze and happiness, the more they make.
I believe it's equivalent to smoking in the 1950s. Every celebrity and every television show and movie showed the main characters smoking. Smoking was even touted as being healthy, by popular singers, no less.
Statistics show that alcohol abuse is a rapidly growing health crisis, particularly in women. Nothing glamorous about esophageal cancer, liver failure, diabetes, reflux, pancreatitis, gallstones, suicide, or any of the 60+ diseases and conditions that alcohol is implicated in.
(Hops down off soapbox.) In short, I hate being played for a fool and that's one of the many reasons I am now on day 395.
You can do this.
I believe it's equivalent to smoking in the 1950s. Every celebrity and every television show and movie showed the main characters smoking. Smoking was even touted as being healthy, by popular singers, no less.
Statistics show that alcohol abuse is a rapidly growing health crisis, particularly in women. Nothing glamorous about esophageal cancer, liver failure, diabetes, reflux, pancreatitis, gallstones, suicide, or any of the 60+ diseases and conditions that alcohol is implicated in.
(Hops down off soapbox.) In short, I hate being played for a fool and that's one of the many reasons I am now on day 395.
You can do this.
Forum Leader
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
I remind myself that I'm an alcoholic when I have those thoughts and that it's just a mirage that my addiction is trying to show me. We all know what will actually happen if we drink. That's why for me having a community like SR to participate in daily is so important. If we only try and deal with the inner voices ourselves, sometimes it wins and we drink.
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: "I'm not lost for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost ..."
Posts: 5,273
Originally Posted by CLAS
but I'd like any advice you have or mental strategies you've used to stomp these out.
It's all about recognition and separation.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 334
Originally Posted by Ariesagain 
I remind myself that every glamour shot of drinking I see is driven by corporate interests that don't care a whit whether my life and health are ruined by addiction to a toxic chemical, as long as the money rolls in. The alcoholic beverage industry and the restaurant industry make huge margins on alcohol and the more they can associate booze and happiness, the more they make.
I believe it's equivalent to smoking in the 1950s. Every celebrity and every television show and movie showed the main characters smoking. Smoking was even touted as being healthy, by popular singers, no less.
Statistics show that alcohol abuse is a rapidly growing health crisis, particularly in women. Nothing glamorous about esophageal cancer, liver failure, diabetes, reflux, pancreatitis, gallstones, suicide, or any of the 60+ diseases and conditions that alcohol is implicated in.
(Hops down off soapbox.) In short, I hate being played for a fool and that's one of the many reasons I am now on day 395.
You can do this.
I believe it's equivalent to smoking in the 1950s. Every celebrity and every television show and movie showed the main characters smoking. Smoking was even touted as being healthy, by popular singers, no less.
Statistics show that alcohol abuse is a rapidly growing health crisis, particularly in women. Nothing glamorous about esophageal cancer, liver failure, diabetes, reflux, pancreatitis, gallstones, suicide, or any of the 60+ diseases and conditions that alcohol is implicated in.
(Hops down off soapbox.) In short, I hate being played for a fool and that's one of the many reasons I am now on day 395.
You can do this.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: northern michigan. not the U.P.
Posts: 15,281
give me a warm summer day and I can think about how nice a couple ice cold beers would tatse- doesn't happen every time, but it happens sometimes.
my past reminds me a "couple" turns into a drunk.
the thoughts used to drive me bonkers. was talkin to a friend about it when he asked,"think about your favorite meal."
well, that was a weird question to throw out in the middle of the conversation, but ok.
a bit later, he asked,"so whats on your mind?"
"my favorite meal."
" that's rather common. the great thing is you don't have to act on that thought. the thoughts of drinking and how good it would be will subside the longer youre sober."
my past reminds me a "couple" turns into a drunk.
the thoughts used to drive me bonkers. was talkin to a friend about it when he asked,"think about your favorite meal."
well, that was a weird question to throw out in the middle of the conversation, but ok.
a bit later, he asked,"so whats on your mind?"
"my favorite meal."
" that's rather common. the great thing is you don't have to act on that thought. the thoughts of drinking and how good it would be will subside the longer youre sober."
2/2016
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Texas
Posts: 582
I just play the tape through and see the results of my glamourous drinking.
Not showering, hungover, feeling like crap, not sleeping well, being less present for my friends and family, feeling suicidal, being over weight, and miserable.
Not showering, hungover, feeling like crap, not sleeping well, being less present for my friends and family, feeling suicidal, being over weight, and miserable.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Glen Allen, Va
Posts: 2,589
Originally Posted by HTown
I just play the tape through and see the results of my glamourous drinking.
Not showering, hungover, feeling like crap, not sleeping well, being less present for my friends and family, feeling suicidal, being over weight, and miserable.
Not showering, hungover, feeling like crap, not sleeping well, being less present for my friends and family, feeling suicidal, being over weight, and miserable.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Midwest U.S.
Posts: 142
Congrats on 32 days! I am on day 29 myself.
I'm with HTown and NYCDoglvr. I think of the times when I made myself so sick that I couldn't keep down water. I think of the times when one sip of booze made me vomit and then I would keep trying to drink until I finally succeeded and the nausea went away, only to return later when I was in severe withdrawals. I think of making promises to not be hungover, but doing it anyway and having the shame of my kids bringing me get-well notes because I had "the flu". I think of the times when I told myself, I'm pretty sure I'm going to die from this.
Go back to all of that? Thanks but no thanks!
ABW1
I'm with HTown and NYCDoglvr. I think of the times when I made myself so sick that I couldn't keep down water. I think of the times when one sip of booze made me vomit and then I would keep trying to drink until I finally succeeded and the nausea went away, only to return later when I was in severe withdrawals. I think of making promises to not be hungover, but doing it anyway and having the shame of my kids bringing me get-well notes because I had "the flu". I think of the times when I told myself, I'm pretty sure I'm going to die from this.
Go back to all of that? Thanks but no thanks!
ABW1
Self recovered Self discovered
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Toronto Canada
Posts: 5,148
AVRT fits the bill perfectly. If you decide to learn about it, you will see that these thoughts which glamorize your alcohol consumption are simply understood as nothing more than our addictive drive expressing itself with the sole purpose of continuing its rule over our actions. Developing the ability to recognize the source of these thoughts, and then separating yourself from them, is an extremely powerful sobriety tool.
The Secular Conmections forum has a lot of discussion of this technique. http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/secular-connections/260412-avrt-explained-long.html is a link you might find helpful. You can do it!
The Secular Conmections forum has a lot of discussion of this technique. http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/secular-connections/260412-avrt-explained-long.html is a link you might find helpful. You can do it!
Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 732
Hopefully I will never forget sitting in my own sick with blood pouring out of my nose still trying to drink, and throwing it up again. When I see people with a glass of wine on telly looking glamorous I make myself think of how it would end for me.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 13
Originally Posted by Ariesagain
I remind myself that every glamour shot of drinking I see is driven by corporate interests that don't care a whit whether my life and health are ruined by addiction to a toxic chemical, as long as the money rolls in. The alcoholic beverage industry and the restaurant industry make huge margins on alcohol and the more they can associate booze and happiness, the more they make.
I believe it's equivalent to smoking in the 1950s. Every celebrity and every television show and movie showed the main characters smoking. Smoking was even touted as being healthy, by popular singers, no less.
Statistics show that alcohol abuse is a rapidly growing health crisis, particularly in women. Nothing glamorous about esophageal cancer, liver failure, diabetes, reflux, pancreatitis, gallstones, suicide, or any of the 60+ diseases and conditions that alcohol is implicated in.
(Hops down off soapbox.) In short, I hate being played for a fool and that's one of the many reasons I am now on day 395.
You can do this.
I believe it's equivalent to smoking in the 1950s. Every celebrity and every television show and movie showed the main characters smoking. Smoking was even touted as being healthy, by popular singers, no less.
Statistics show that alcohol abuse is a rapidly growing health crisis, particularly in women. Nothing glamorous about esophageal cancer, liver failure, diabetes, reflux, pancreatitis, gallstones, suicide, or any of the 60+ diseases and conditions that alcohol is implicated in.
(Hops down off soapbox.) In short, I hate being played for a fool and that's one of the many reasons I am now on day 395.
You can do this.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Dublin
Posts: 75
I remind myself that I wasn't a glamorous drinker! I play the tape and remember that I was a sit-at-home-on-my-own drink-until-the-stupor-hit kind of a drinker. I was a sick-from-hangover-hiding-at-work kind of a drinker. Nothing glamorous about any of that.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 59
Ariesagain has it exactly right. Government is also complicit because of the lucrative tax stream it represents. Remember that for many years in the early history of our country our federal government existed primarily on the alcohol excise tax.
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