Flyersfan

Hi everyone,

I have not posted on here in a while. I quit drinking but during Covid my drinking ramped up for some reason because im an idiot. I now will quit for a month and then drink on a weekend (1 day) and then I start getting panic attacks (reason I drink, to stop severe anxiety). So I decided I am just done but today its day 8 and I woke up with a huge urge to drink, this normally does not happen to me during my quitting cycles. Has anyone else experienced this?

Thank you in advance

biminiblue

Yes, very common.

You don't drink.

Stay busy, remember the reasons you quit. I had to push past those urges - they do pass.

Sit on your hands if you have to. Eat something, take a hot shower, go outside and walk for an hour. Whatever it takes.

Scd619x

Drink Quit Drink Quit most of my life! It's common, if you've never experienced it before in one of your quitting cycles then you may have unknowingly taken a step towards addiction?

Flyersfan

Yeah the craving went away. That was so weird!

Flyersfan

Yeah maybe I am , I hope not. Feeling has passed

Briansy

Amazing. Stay vigilant mate - it's really tough going but when you get through it with a clear head and wake up the next day with the sun shining and the whole day ahead it is so worth it.

I just had a very intense and uncomfortable craving which lasted several hours. I eventually said: enough is enough. Stop entertaining this crap. Are you gonna move on with making your life better and getting past this sh!t or are you gonna stay stuck in this spirit crushing cycle? What's it to be? Really had to give myself a good shake. Kinda got mad at myself. OK, I also had a Ben and Jerry's - not exactly stellar coping skills. Screw it. I'm going to go for a long walk now to burn half of it off and have a light late dinner.

Best wishes for the coming days.

advbike

Maybe try posting here more often. It really helps. We all need some type of structured support to get through the early days and hold us accountable, otherwise it's just too easy to slip back into it.

Dee74

Welcome back FF

I'm glad the feeling passed - advbikes suggestion of posting here more regularly is not a bad one though?
D

Patcha

Everything passes. Cravings pass. Periods of no cravings pass. Our job is to just observe what is happening. We don't have to act on cravings. They are like ocean tides. They come in, and they go out. Eventually, the period of time between the tides grows longer, and you don't even notice the tides anymore. You just live your life without thinking about alcohol. It's worth waiting out the cravings rather than giving into them. Because they WILL pass. There is nothing surer.

Evoo

Are you doing anything to address the anxiety? A lot of my cycle of alcohol abuse started with severe health anxiety (which turned out to be justified — I needed treatment for autoimmune disease). Tackling those root issues head on has helped tremendously. Have you talked to a doc or psychologist?