champ1

I've been sober for 4 months and just "slipped" if you will. My room mate left a trigger in the fridge for 3 days and today, I just was obsessing way to much. In the past the obsessions have passed but after a couple of days, it's just too much. I realize, that I should have thrown that trigger out on day one. Nothing should be in this house that triggers me. I also realize that had I been working the steps and going to meetings, I might have had somewhere safe to go to get me through this. 4 months is a baby. I have a lot of work to do.

Dee74

Hi Champ

I have over 2 years sobriety and I wouldn't like to be in that situation - I live alone so my home is an alcohol free zone. Three days would have likely driven me mad - I would have dumped it first thing.

I think you're right about having somewhere to go, or someone to talk to as well, whether you choose AA or not.

Joining SR is another tool in the toolbox. Welcome
D

Taking5

You might consider changing roommates to someone also committed to sobriety.

champ1

Thank you!!!!!

tommyk

Keep coming back.

smacked

That is exactly why my home is an alcohol free zone. That sucks to be in that situation, sucks that you drank.. but you can only move on. Tomorrow makes a good day for a fresh day 1, fresh start. What's the plan for next time?

Dime

Sounds like you already realize what you need to do. Don't beat yourself up you didn't lose the benefit of being sober for those four months. Just reengage your recovery program and move on.

I have been sober a while and do not ever have cravings or desires. However tomorrow one could pop up, especially if I am in my house alone with nothing to do and alcohol is present. I will not risk having that temptation around.

rerun

my obsession lies in the form of , "should i or not" when i am not around my significant other,, who is working hard to stay sober.....if i know i will be in a situation where i can drink, without him knowing..i think it over weeks before the actual day and time when i will be alone, and obsess about whether or not it is ok to drink,, , without hurting him..but, is all that obseesing normal, no, not at all, but,i worry , what it means to my drinking behavior...am i an alcoholic, i know, i am the only one to make that call...just wondering what other people 's opinions are on this..

Anna

Hi Rerun,

I think it's good to be considerate about drinking around your SR.

But, if you are obsessing about alcohol, then you're right, you need to figure out where that comes from. I don't really understand why he shouldn't know that you are drinking when you're not around him?

ElegantlyWasted

You may want to do some "sober living house". They seem to be springing up in a lot of metro areas. My girlfriend drinks and sometimes her leaving a half finished bottle of wine around is almost too much. The only thing I can think of is that you should figure out what works best for you.

shaun00

im glad you talked about your obsession....that knawing little bast@rd that filled my head..day in..day out..
this is what would happen when i didnt drink....god that was miserable.

lots of us here use different programs of recovery......i found the 12 steps worked for me...and god removed that obsession.

funny how we tend to think once we put the drink down are problems are history.........only to be blind sided by it all over again.

i asked my wife if she would mine removing any left over wine after she finished...she only drinks wine...bottle a weekish...i know weird aint it..lol

she was good enough to do that for about a year....then i was ok with it.

these days i dont have any problem with her drinking or her booze.......

im the alkie.......i have the allergy......

she has a drink and goes to bed........i have a drink and disappear for a week.

glad you got back.

keithj

Hmmm. I have a very different take on this.

I'm a chronic alcoholic who recovered by taking the 12 steps of AA's suggested program. At 4 months sober, the 10th step promises were a reality for me. Those promises say that, regarding alcohol, "We feel as though we had been placed in a position of neutrality safe and protected. We have not even sworn off. Instead, the problem has been removed. It does not exist for us."

Maybe you slipped. Or maybe the problem has not been removed for you. It wasn't the fault of a trigger. You still have an alcoholic mind.

In my sobriety, I've picked up friends from the bar, had them spill drinks on me, gone places where everyone is drinking, had a bottle of my favorite booze in the house, had active alcoholics live with me getting drunk every night. None of those things brought on any obsession and none of them acted as triggers.

It may be tempting to think that I'm being arrogant. I'm just stating the facts, and I'm as surprised as anyone that this reaction to alcohol was possible. I was stunned, in fact. But there it is. The problem has been removed. And all it took was doing taking a few simple steps.

I would certainly not recommend being around booze if it's a problem for you. But something much better is possible. Absolute freedom from booze is possible. It's not about hiding from alcohol; it's about being free from the obsession.

Tazman53

Welcome to SR Champ, I quoted the above, because going to meetings and taking the steps and also applying them daily for me has not only resulted in the obsession to drink to be lifted from me, but has also put me on a whole new way of living.

In early sobriety before I had taken the steps there was no booze in my house and I avoided any place where a drink may be easily available, but today as a result of taking and applying the steps in my daily life, I go where I want to freely, I no longer fight the urge to drink, it is gone, I go to wedding receptions and could care less about the drinking going on there. Funny thing I discovered in sobriety, most people who go to wedding receptions have one drink and quite a few have none. I was blind to that when I was drinking because I was right where the booze was.

BTW as long as there is an AA meeting you will always have a safe place to go where you feel like you belong among people who have been there and done that.

ChameleonBoy

I agree with kiethj and Taz on this one. AA, that is to say the BB (first edition) is very clear on this. I went over a year without drinking or obsessing over alcohol even though I had a family member who always had hard liquor in his room and I went to a Super Bowl party where I sat with 3 other guys all getting drunk, the only thing that bothered me was that the Cardinals lost etc.

Personally I know I relapsed because I was not maintaining my spiritual fitness. That's the way it has worked for me.

luckedog

I think TAZ makes a great point. A change of life is what at the core of sobriety. Alcohol is not me biggest problem! I AM. The way I think has to be changed. I have A plan and A purpose for making that hapten!