Alcohol Cravings
 

I am losing my mind. I have been sober for quite a few months. Since January 1st, I have not had any caffeine or any sugar in anything. Doing de-caf coffee, sugar-free candy, s-f ice cream, s-f oatmeal..you name it...its sugar free. I read a book entitled "Beyond of the Influence" and it talked about avoiding these foods so eventually my cravings will subside. But I am craving like a lunatic. Its not a mental craving, its pure physical. Help! Any suggestions?

Thanks

:c002:

:c021:

Maybe what you read doesn't work for everybody. No ?

If eating something containing sugar, would stop me craving alcohol, I would go for it , my sobriety is too precious to lose , just for the sake of eating sugar

HUGX
Lee

Never read that book,but I myself love my sugar treats and my caffiene.But if it works for some,thats cool.

Well good luck with that one.. ( smile ).. If that worked I guess we would not need this forum, we would not need AA or anything else to help us out.. Just simply eat the right foods...

You have been sober to long to be having physical withdrawals of any real substance..

I am an alcoholic.. I had not only a mental obsession but a physical addiction to alcohol.. The last few years of my drinking was not just wanting it but I needed it.. Long after the physical addiction was gone the mental obsession continued. It told me over and other I NEEDED to drink.

I can only share my own experience here - I went through detox and then treatment. Some have a harder time than others with a variety of withdrawals.. Sometimes we need medical help. Other times we just need help from others like ourselves to tell us and show us how they did it.. For me that was AA. I had to take action.

I hope you find whatever it is that will work for you.

Linda C.

I think you need a Ho Ho. Is a little sugar really all that bad? I think that when we go to extremes, it is likely to backfire on us. Moderation is the key!! (Then again, if we all knew moderation, none of us would be here). Best wishes!

I think what you have achieved is awesome...really wonderful!!!

And sugar is really a terrible substance...however, I agree with Lee above - if sugar/caffeine helps with sobriety, go for it.

What about just having *some* sugar...i know for me, having those treats like sugar and caffeine are just essential to me not feeling too DEPRIVED, lol! :)

Good luck - and you've done great by the way. But if you're not feeling top of the world by now...well...re-evaluate?

Well done again,

Cathy31
x

Think you guys missed the point
 

Think you guys missed the point. Alcohol = sugar. sugar = alcohol. That's what us alcoholics crave genetically. Its a proven fact.

The MORE sugar and caffiene an alcoholic consumes makes the cravings even worse. Once a person crashes from the high of sugar and caffiene, the body goes into reserves and cranks more sugar into your blood stream...hence the craving for alcohol.

The point of going without, sugar and caffiiene, over time, the body finds where it should be naturally...it finds its natural chemical balance.

Maybe its too soon to go without the sugar?

I know the correlation between alcohol and sugar. Maybe your body is just different, and needs the sugar for a wee bit longer?

I did not misss your point On recoveryroad and I am well aware of the abovementioned theory. However what I was implying is that I (and perhaps others) have achieved sobriety without taking the drastic steps you described. That is merely my "suggestion".

Too much at one.
All or nothing.
Typical addict and alcoholic behavior, if you ask me.
I know this, because I've done it. And I almost went mad.
The overused slogan Easy Does It has a purpose.

That statement should have come with a warning. I was drinking milk and spewed it all over my laptop!

Yes, CORRELATION not causation. It isn't a fact. Does anyone have the r value for this?

Nevermind
 

All I asked for was some simple suggestions for help with cravings.

Nevermind.

are those the things that are identical to ding dongs but come in different packaging? have a best before date of 2025?

Because those things are unnatural!

And some of us gave you one.
I gave you a general suggestion based on my lived experience.
It's all I can do.
I can't talk about things I don't know.

Removing alcohol from the metabolism is a huge deal.
There needs to be balance in recovery.
A tipping scale only makes things harder.

Yes!!! They are my new addiction!! I have one every night before bed. They probably have a shelf life of ten years!! LOL

Cravings suck... What I do when I get the rage to urge feelings is I eat some protein. It fills me up and hangs around inside my stomach. I do drink coffee but I don't use sugar - I use splenda. Using that stuff didn't seem for me to increase my desire to drink. Ohter things is go for a walk... go to coffee (decaf or whatever) with a good friend you can talk to about your urges, call a friend, take a hot bath with some scent in the water (I find my sense of smell is supercharged now and if I inhale something soothing - herbal oils or lavendar it helps!). I also clean like a fiend... I mean really... my house has never been so clean in my life. lol Sometimes I wonder if it's cuz the cleaning stuff I use smells powerful. Oh well, I won't worry about it as long as it isn't triggering me - which it isn't.

Anyway... those are the things I do. Oh... and hot cocoa! It's quick becoming my favorite self-love hug.

Hang in here... you really sound frustrated and on edge. Wish you had a gym you could go to and punch one of those bags for a half an hour... that would probably do you some good!

**{hugs}}

Suga

I'm sure they were invented as a retaliation to the cold war. nukes might go off and contaminate crops but we can all survive on ding dongs and ho hos

Craving Management
 

ORR:

I recommend as an alternative that you talk to your doctor about Naltrexone and Acamprosate. Both work effectively to block cravings for alcohol. If you do not have a doctor that is well educated on alcohol addiction, you can get a referral at www.asam.org .

If you have questions, please PM me and I will answer them in detail.

While Naltrexone is not a "magic pill" and while it does not eliminate the need for us to focus on the psychological part of our recovery, there is no doubt that it saved my life.

Kab