5 Sober Things You Do When You Get The Urge
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: las vegas nv
Posts: 180
5 Sober Things You Do When You Get The Urge
I know another top 5, I'm a dork, but I'm coming up on Day 5, and I am curious what everyone does out there to surpress the urge. AND what do you do when the urge is really strong???
Me so far:
1. Listen to Music
2. Read
3. Smoke a cigarette (another addiction)
4. Use my imagination, in my mind I'm succeeding clean, with money, my daughter is top of her class, and I'm dating some hottie! (Did I mention, I am a dork?)
5. I come on here to read the blogs and posts, or go on the chatline.
Thanks again
Me so far:
1. Listen to Music
2. Read
3. Smoke a cigarette (another addiction)
4. Use my imagination, in my mind I'm succeeding clean, with money, my daughter is top of her class, and I'm dating some hottie! (Did I mention, I am a dork?)
5. I come on here to read the blogs and posts, or go on the chatline.
Thanks again
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Here There & Everywhere
Posts: 153
In the beginning it was this forum that kept me "good". I didn't post a lot, but boy oh boy I read every damn thing on here and even went back a couple of years! I was on here at all times of the day and night.
I am in a good place now. I rarely get the urge, so guess I am one of the lucky ones. I am learning to take care of myself, looking forward, the past is the past.
I am in a good place now. I rarely get the urge, so guess I am one of the lucky ones. I am learning to take care of myself, looking forward, the past is the past.
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,780
I read my list (or old posts) of why I stopped drinking or just read posts of newcomers struggling with their addiction. That helps me focus on my goal of staying sober and for the last seven months, it's worked very well.
I also walk my dogs if I get the urge to drink (or if something upsetting happens) so as to get some sunshine and fresh air and exercise. That helps a lot too.
I also walk my dogs if I get the urge to drink (or if something upsetting happens) so as to get some sunshine and fresh air and exercise. That helps a lot too.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: NJ
Posts: 20,458
(i'm a dork too, lol)
I leave the house ( if it's not the middle of the night)..i tend to have the most trouble between 3-7AM if i can't sleep. i will go out and run errands at stores like Petsmart, grocery, home improvements.
2. I clean because it consumes energy and i can see the results...i have very clean bathrooms and floors.
3. walk my dog, usually by the time we get back, the urge has passed and I've burned a few extra calories, maintained a normal BP
4. read SR to strengthen my resolve, answer work email, watch TV and my pre-recorded programs
5. try to remember all my accomplishments from NOT drinking and remember how badly it affects me with my depression. as a last resort, i take one tylenol PM and a melatonin which will let me sleep a few hours and still function normally the next day.
like i said, i mostly have trouble at night, during the day i have lots to do and not much desire.
I leave the house ( if it's not the middle of the night)..i tend to have the most trouble between 3-7AM if i can't sleep. i will go out and run errands at stores like Petsmart, grocery, home improvements.
2. I clean because it consumes energy and i can see the results...i have very clean bathrooms and floors.
3. walk my dog, usually by the time we get back, the urge has passed and I've burned a few extra calories, maintained a normal BP
4. read SR to strengthen my resolve, answer work email, watch TV and my pre-recorded programs
5. try to remember all my accomplishments from NOT drinking and remember how badly it affects me with my depression. as a last resort, i take one tylenol PM and a melatonin which will let me sleep a few hours and still function normally the next day.
like i said, i mostly have trouble at night, during the day i have lots to do and not much desire.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 44
EASY PEASY.
1) Go play Badminton or Tennis
2) Drink LOADS of water
3) Come HERE
4) Take a shower...(takes loads of time to get all prettied up)
5) Complain about it, to anyone who'll listen, until the liquor store is closed.. REALLY works.. once the store is closed it's like I can finally relax. I love that time of day.
1) Go play Badminton or Tennis
2) Drink LOADS of water
3) Come HERE
4) Take a shower...(takes loads of time to get all prettied up)
5) Complain about it, to anyone who'll listen, until the liquor store is closed.. REALLY works.. once the store is closed it's like I can finally relax. I love that time of day.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 438
Originally Posted by Dinamic 
5) Complain about it, to anyone who'll listen, until the liquor store is closed.. REALLY works.. once the store is closed it's like I can finally relax. I love that time of day.
Guest
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: uk
Posts: 464
ok you got this chaps brain workin overtime here...hehe,
drink xtra strong full caffeine kick a$$ coffee...daytime,
mr hyper here..
hot chilli sauce..
easy tiger..
chocolate,occassional n/a beer, tricky subject here..:rotfxko
down the beach with the dog..
get real busy..wit somethin constructive, jus buildin a big rockery..rocks courtesy of the local beach..under the cover of dawn..an dusk..of course..not that its illegal or anythin..keepin on the move the whole time i guess..
drink xtra strong full caffeine kick a$$ coffee...daytime,
mr hyper here..hot chilli sauce..
easy tiger..chocolate,occassional n/a beer, tricky subject here..:rotfxko
down the beach with the dog..
get real busy..wit somethin constructive, jus buildin a big rockery..rocks courtesy of the local beach..under the cover of dawn..an dusk..of course..not that its illegal or anythin..keepin on the move the whole time i guess..
Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 275
Drink a Pepsi, tastes so much better...read and post here...think of the $$ I'll blow when the drink switch is flicked on after the first beer...knock out some kind of task, even if it's just windexing a few windows...think of the shame/horror/anger of waking up hungover, which requires more beer to get through, which means I'm suddenly no longer sober, which means another detox is coming!!
Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: New England
Posts: 5,285
Boo Steph! You can buy until 2:00 am in NC...that sucks! I live in a state with pretty strict Blue laws thanks to the puritans! We can't buy on Sunday's or after 9:00pm. But I know, even though I haven't had any big cravings that I notice the time and feel better after 9:00.
As I said, I haven't had a lot of urges yet (day 11) but today I hda to drive 5 hours to stay with my parents for a long weekend. This has always been a major trigger for me and both my parents are drinkers. So to prepare myself I spent the whole trip down invisioning taking a drink and the remembering how sick I felt the last time I drank. I nearly made myself throw up on the trip down
Right now, everyone is asleep, I am in the family room watching an MLS game (go Landon!) with the full knowledge that there are two bottles of open wine not 20 feet away and I miraculously have no desire to drink:-)
As I said, I haven't had a lot of urges yet (day 11) but today I hda to drive 5 hours to stay with my parents for a long weekend. This has always been a major trigger for me and both my parents are drinkers. So to prepare myself I spent the whole trip down invisioning taking a drink and the remembering how sick I felt the last time I drank. I nearly made myself throw up on the trip down
Right now, everyone is asleep, I am in the family room watching an MLS game (go Landon!) with the full knowledge that there are two bottles of open wine not 20 feet away and I miraculously have no desire to drink:-)
Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: CA desert
Posts: 1,599
This is a great topic.
1. Go grocery shopping ( my fridge was always empty while I was drinking, now I struggle to fit it all in, lol.)
2. Watch movies, they take up at least 1 1/2 hrs, during which the urge passes most of the time.
3. Check out SR.
4. Call a friend, family member, and just talk about whatever.
5. When the urge is real bad, I call someone in recovery or get to a meeting, whether I want to or not.
And if these all fail, I work out, normally for at least 45 mins to an hour, which really helps curb the urge, and I can fit in my jeans abit better, lol.
1. Go grocery shopping ( my fridge was always empty while I was drinking, now I struggle to fit it all in, lol.)
2. Watch movies, they take up at least 1 1/2 hrs, during which the urge passes most of the time.
3. Check out SR.
4. Call a friend, family member, and just talk about whatever.
5. When the urge is real bad, I call someone in recovery or get to a meeting, whether I want to or not.
And if these all fail, I work out, normally for at least 45 mins to an hour, which really helps curb the urge, and I can fit in my jeans abit better, lol.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: las vegas nv
Posts: 180
Thanks for all of the great ideas! Lucky some of you don't live here in Vegas, 24/7 access. I forgot one: biting my nails errrrrrrr. I'm going to watch a movie now to take up more clean time.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Bali, Indonesia
Posts: 645
1 Clean/reorganise something whether it be clearing messages out of my phone, or rearranging books on a shelf. Theres always SOMETHING to be cleaned/rearranged
2 Tend to my plants
3 Go shopping or just out for a walk
4 sunbathe (i live in the tropics so can do this pretty much 9/12 months a year
5 i watch way too much crap on youtube
2 Tend to my plants
3 Go shopping or just out for a walk
4 sunbathe (i live in the tropics so can do this pretty much 9/12 months a year
5 i watch way too much crap on youtube
Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NY, NY
Posts: 64
1) Write. Either here or just for yourself.
2) Call someone, see someone. Spending time with people (even when you're not feeling social) is a good way to get out of your head and your craving.
3) Sugar. Don't overdo it but a little ice cream, chocolate, soda, whatever can kill the immediate craving.
4) Cry. Don't know about you guys but I NEVER used to cry. It was kinda something I was proud of. In the last 27 days (since I stopped drinking) I find myself overcome with emotion like every day. I'm giving into it and it feels kind of good, like a release.
5) Go for a walk. Get some sun, sit in a park...
2) Call someone, see someone. Spending time with people (even when you're not feeling social) is a good way to get out of your head and your craving.
3) Sugar. Don't overdo it but a little ice cream, chocolate, soda, whatever can kill the immediate craving.
4) Cry. Don't know about you guys but I NEVER used to cry. It was kinda something I was proud of. In the last 27 days (since I stopped drinking) I find myself overcome with emotion like every day. I'm giving into it and it feels kind of good, like a release.
5) Go for a walk. Get some sun, sit in a park...
Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 275
Originally Posted by LaFemme
1. Meditate
2. Remember my worst drinking moments in vivid detail.
3. Yoga stretches.
4. Read self help book.
5. Take dogs to the park.
2. Remember my worst drinking moments in vivid detail.
3. Yoga stretches.
4. Read self help book.
5. Take dogs to the park.
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