betterlate

After seeing my therapist, who is part of my recovery plan, I had to deal with very strong urges to get a six-pack and drink it in the baseball bleachers in an out-of-the-way park nearby.

I kept telling myself "I don't want to drink today", which is certainly true, but the other voice was saying..."f**k it, I can't deal with these feelings, I'm gonna get some beer." Finally after about half an hour of riding around on my bike, arguing with myself, I finally resolved that I will drink tomorrow if I still feel like this. Just not today.

I'm back home now, feeling better, especially about not giving in today, maybe will see about attending a meeting tomorrow. There's one near my house Wednesdays in a hospital in which most of the attendees are inpatient, but the meeting is open to people from outside too. It's therapeutic to be around the inpatients because I loathe hospitals, and not drinking is one way to ensure I don't end up in the hospital like they have had the misfortune to do. That doesn't mean I look down on them though. We are all alkies.

Dee74

Feelings are tough betterlate - but we can get through them sober.
You proved that.

Sticking to your commitment not to drink today was exactly the right thing to do - well done

and tomorrow if things persist...well, you know where to find us

D

Kmber2010

Sometimes those urges come but like Dee said....we do handle them sober. Drinking won't solve anything except drag you back into the hole and who knows how long if ever you will get back out again.

You overcame the initial withdrawals and have 15 days SOBER. Stick with it and know that the ugly urge to booze will pass. The more you get through, the more confidence you will have.

Relapsing is no fun as I just went through it but since this one almost did land me in the hospital......yeah that was it for me. Drink or die.....I choose. I want to live so I grateful every day that I am here because at 36 I shouldn't be.

Don't go down the road I did. Hang in there and come and post away.....we are all here following your journey.

tallcactus

Good job!
You did well for such a short amount of time, being sober. You should be so proud of yourself. Use this again, when the craving come. Love to hear the success stories.

Dream2bClean

ALL OF THESE posts REALLY just helped my, i am having STRONG urges here and there today onm day 4 of no alcohol for me, but (not trying to hijack thread just commiserating and giving thanks) I prayed through them and kept busy, but had a REALLY sore back for all the activity after a feew days of laying around tired as all hell...so now my body is sore but I think its more b.c its screaming out for a couple Somas and a (thousand) beers, but its not getting it, I somehow got throguh it too but i think that, betterlate, if I am having the same cravings i may not be riding a bike but I will work try making the same type of "deal" with myself.
I can drink, I am just not choosing not to, but I will if I want to and I can. If my body wants to play games with my by using this pain and playing games with it, I can do the same thing and use my mind to in essence "trick: my brain.
Betterlate, your method and the way you dealtt with you cravings seems like a great "trick" for me to use on my body and this very real pain so I am so borrowing your idea....hope you dont mind <3 Dream

DayTrader

Sounds like you're in dire need of a spiritual experience that comes from working the steps .....(or if you're extreeeeemly lucky, a lightening bolt from God) or you're likely to drink again.

The biggest part of recovery (so far as I know) is being willing to do the work of the program. I'll promise you if you do that, feelings like this don't occur in the first place. Now THAT'S freedom.....and it's the beginning of the coolest life ever.

least

Good for you for resisting the addict voice!

SparklingSeven

Well done. That's what you've got to do and you DID IT! If it happens again you do the same until it passes.

After 2 and a half months I had over a week of wanting it every day - brought tears to my eyes at times. I really thought I would drink again but decided just not today, not today, not today - it worked and the feelings passed and I'm doing great again. So glad like you that I didn't cave in.

Thanks for sharing.

Stu.

NEOMARXIST

Hi betterlate. You did good mate. You used the 'just for today' philosophy and reaped the benefit.

Always put off drinking/using for the future and make sure it's never today. The cravings will lessen in time and you will gain strength in realising that you don't have to act on your alcoholic mind, untill drinking doesn't even register as an option for coping anymore.

I think in very early sobriety regardless of what programme, then if very difficult/painful emotions are felt then thoughts of drinking/using will enter your mind. I don't believe there to be an instant quick-fix. There ain't no magic bullet as far as I'm concerned. Not in the first couple of weeks. Your brain is gonna look for it's emotional crutch to numb those difficult emotions. Just my imo, you did good. You didn't drink, that's the most important thing to remember. If you're praying to God or whatever then ultimately you're just doing that so that you don't pick up. So you're still thinking of drinking/using but using a 'tool' to not pick up. So it's the same thing really, you just reached the same conclusion by a different means.

keep posting.

Norther

Yep. Every so often I decide in a flash that I'm gonna drink, then it passes rather quickly. When I was drinking I couldn't resist these decisions and they persisted: now they pass. That's a huge difference, knowing I can outwait the urge. I hope I always do. I have so far on day nine.

betterlate

Thanks, everyone for the encouragement. I didn't drink on day 15 and now I'm at the end of day 16 without drinking and feeling very much like continuing the trend. I'm sleeping better already and feeling much less anxiety and depression as compared to my last series of binges.

The "wait 'til tomorrow to drink" idea isn't my invention actually. I saw someone else describe this technique as to how they made it through some difficult days right here on this board. It was some time ago that I read that person's post and unfortunately didn't bookmark it or anything. But the idea stuck with me.

Just another example of how SR can be very helpful to those of us trying to stop drinking!