29a

Just thought of something that helped when I was getting sober that I still use today.

When I felt like drinking, I would of course pray first. But then I would step back for a moment and ask myself am I hungry, angry, lonely, or tired...

Hungry
Angry
Lonely
Tired

HALT for short. Chances are if I wanted to drink I would answer yes to at least one of them.

If your hungry...eat(shocking I know)
if your angry.....pray(even if you don't know what your praying to)
if your lonely....call someone, especially another drunk
if your tired.....sleep


It seems simple. And that's because it is. But that's why it works.

Hope this helps.

Tazman53

Yep simplicity can help the most complex of us!

SF69

I remembered HALT yesterday during a bad craving, and it turns out I was hungry and tired. Took care of those and the craving started to fade.

Rowan

H.A.L.T. is a great diagnostic tool and I use it often too.

29a

My big ones tired. If i'm discontent, i can almost guarantee I haven't slept enough.

Rowan

I'm sitting here yawning and nodding. Fatigue is a big one for me too.

Dean62

Tired is my favorite. My mind gets all messed up when deprived of sleep. I have traded sobriety for a good drink to oblivion passed out night of sleep more then once.

Rob B

Hi folks, I am going to share my experienc on HALT, this is not an attack on anyone, if it works for you, great.

I have gotten drunk when I was well fed, in a great mood, surrounded by friends and well rested. The danger in this slogan "FOR ME" is that it conveys the false message that if I somehow manage my world just right I won't be "triggered" well, my trigger is being awake. I suffered from a spiritual malady that only a complete psychic change could conquer.

I am what the Big Book referrs to as a "real alcoholic" my experience makes this abundantly clear, and again, I am not saying any of you aren't, don't start a debate, that's not the point of this post.

My sobriety is God given plain and simple, it is this power that keep me sober, that is the great fact for me and many others, my job is to maintain spiritual fitness, I do this through the disciplines steps 10-11- and 12 provide. As a result I am safe and protected. Yeah, at times I get hungry, angry, lonely and tired, and when I do I address it as any normal human would, It is not a drink waiting to happen.

Rowan

Hungry, angry, lonely or tired is not a drink waiting to happen for me, Rob, but it is an effective tool FOR ME when I feel out of balance. This is no way implies that if I manage my world just right, I won't be triggered. Especially for those in early sobriety who have yet to develop spiritual fitness or to work beyond Step 1, its a way to practice good self-care and to become aware of our reactions and responses.

Dean62

Rob your right being hungry angry lonely or tired aren't the only reasons I drink. Being awake is a good one, breathing , money in my pocket, thinking to much, not thinking enough, having the day off from work, having to work all day, etc.

I also very much agree with you about spiritual fitness. I am sober today and that is a gift, everything I have, everything I am is a gift from God.

I can't wait to do steps 10 - 11 and 12 but my sponsor says I need to do step 1 first.

It takes what it takes.

bugsworth

Fortunately I don't suffer from a "spiritual malady" I am just an alcoholic.

H.A.L.T. is very useful in early sobriety.

Hungry use to be a huge trigger for me because when I drank I didn't eat. I got use to starving myself during the day so when I had that first drink it would do its job! I had to learn how to eat properly again.

Thanks for the post!

sebastianm78

I will put it to work! I think is an awsome idea. the more tools I have, the more hope I have.
Thanks

Tommyh

HALT was widely used in early AA.I was taught HALT too.
After years of not eating right,sleeping enough,after years of screwy emotions and isolation,we are in bad shape.I was out of balence.
We need to get back to getting the proper sleep,food,and companionship.
Sometimes,it is easy to forget how bad we felt,and how those new folks feel.
I believe many new folks return to drinking if they don`t find some physical relief in the early days of soberiety.
Now HALT will not keep/get me sober,but it sure does help me feel better since I got sober.

wjw1970

[QUOTE=bballdad;1681855]
Sometimes,it is easy to forget how bad we felt,and how those new folks feel.
I believe many new folks return to drinking if they don`t find some physical relief in the early days of soberiety.
QUOTE]



Right now, I'm dealing with the physical, so any relief that doesn't include picking up a drink is helpful.

Thanks to all for sharing in this post!

Dee74

:rof
not being a 'real alcoholic' like some here, I find HALT useful

D

nogard

HALTS - add the S for not too serious.

I check this often

Emimily

when i was working at DHL (delivering packages, what a glorious way to keep your humility), i was hungry and tired almost all the time. now, when i got sober, i got to add angry to those qualities as well. i called my AA pal one day, on the verge of tears from being SO ANGRY, and she said "HALT, emily."

i said "what the **** am i supposed to do with that, holly?"

she said "are you hungry? eat something. are you angry? pray. are you lonely? you're on the phone with me, you better not be lonely. are you tired? try to take a break to rest for a minute."

i said "i'm angry." and i prayed. and in that moment, it worked. i stopped feeling so overwhelmed, and i got some serenity. more often than not, my biggest obsessions loom over me when i'm one of those four things. i know today that i have more than just HALT to rely on, but i am so grateful that i had someone tell me that early in sobriety. it saved my ass on more than one occasion.

great post. thank you.

jimhere

I pause when agitated or doubtful.

scaredykat

Thanks for posting this. Being new in recovery i use this tool myself along with some others.

Barb

SF69

Thanks Emimily. I forgot what to do when angry, like at work yesterday afternoon.