RecklessEric

I drank yesterday.
I was feeling weighed down with a headache and work stress.
Of course I feel worse today.
My wife is clearly annoyed with me and I absolutely don't blame her.
So this is another day one.
I suppose I really didn't manage my stress at all well.
I have a habit of just putting up with it and not verbalising it.

tomsteve

gonna get a plan/program into action?

ChloeRose63

Stress management is sometimes hard to do especially if you want relief to be immediate. Alcohol can pretend to do that but, as you know, there is a more stressful price to pay. So, we have to find another way. Hope you feel better today. It is a new day so make it a good day, too!

RecklessEric

I fell into my old habit of not visiting this site regularly. Not paying attention to my addiction never works for me.

ScottFromWI

It never works for anyone really. That's probably the most common reason people return to drinking - straying away from whatever they do as a sobriety plan, be it meetings, therapy, SR, AVRT, etc.

Welcome back, hope you can stick around. Have you considered maybe adding something to your plan besides SR?

RecklessEric

Well, I thought of maybe making my wife part of my plan. As in providing reminders to check myself (and visit here).

I was also considering a diary thread.

Briansy

How long had you abstained?

RecklessEric

Not sure.
Pretty long - I don't keep track.
I'm really angry with myself for ending up like this again.

NYCDoglvr

My first sponsor said: "if you continue to do what you've always done you'll get what you always got" I couldn't stay sober on my own and crawled to AA totally defeated. I wish you the best!

tomsteve

this is your recovery and your responsibility.what it reads like you want your wife to do is babysit ya. not too fair to her.

take a visit over to the F&F of alcoholics forum here and read from the hundreds upon hundreds of women and men that had their alcoholic spouse want the same.

Forward12

I think you may need something more solid like regular AA meetings or an addiction therapist. Having your wife remind you to visit this site isn't much of a plan.
You have to be the one to do the groundwork to get clean.

RecklessEric

I hear you.
Tried AA numerous times and it didn't work for me.
CBT was very helpful though.
And just saying that, I have CBT exercises that I haven't done in years.

RecklessEric

I've spent the evening reading about AVRT.
Wow.
It seems very sensible.

Stayingsassy

I'm sober today because of my workout program. Exercise is the icing on my sobriety cake, without it, sobriety would probably feel like one mundane, stressful day after another. I'd still be sober but I would not be thriving. Exercise is the only way to get the good brain chemicals flowing for me. Its used as treatment for patients by psychiatrists and therapists, as a prescription for coping with all sorts of problems such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, dysthymia, you name it.

After work when you are stressed, instead of drinking, you can work out.

JustTony

A strict exercise regime is at the centre of my recovery programme too.