10 Days and Struggling
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 1
10 Days and Struggling
This is my tenth day without drinking and the first day that I am really struggling. I can't seem to stop thinking about having a glass of wine tonight and it's driving me crazy. Any suggestions for how to get through days like this?
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,471
Hi and Welcome,
Congratulations on your 10 days sober!
What worked for me in the early days, was changing my routines. It helped to break the connection that I had with starting to drink wine right after supper was cleared up. Do something different, play with your pet, listen to music, call someone, whatever it takes to get through the day.
Congratulations on your 10 days sober!
What worked for me in the early days, was changing my routines. It helped to break the connection that I had with starting to drink wine right after supper was cleared up. Do something different, play with your pet, listen to music, call someone, whatever it takes to get through the day.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Scotland
Posts: 143
As soon as I get an urge I tell myself "this feeling will be fleeting and it'll soon pass" and it generally does. Either that or I read a list I've written detailing some of the soul destroying things I did when drunk.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Baltic coast
Posts: 1,371
Congratulations on 10 days.
When I stopped what helped me most was finding the courage to go to an AA meeting. Helpful and friendly people who knew exactly what I was going through. Also exercise - I started with walking and a lot of it and then went rollerblading.
I am almost 3 months sober now. AA and with the cold weather now, going to the gym helps me hugely not to go for that first drink.
When I stopped what helped me most was finding the courage to go to an AA meeting. Helpful and friendly people who knew exactly what I was going through. Also exercise - I started with walking and a lot of it and then went rollerblading.
I am almost 3 months sober now. AA and with the cold weather now, going to the gym helps me hugely not to go for that first drink.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,373
Hi and welcome Corrine - I found this technique useful in my early days
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...e-surfing.html
You'll find a lot of support here as well
D
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...e-surfing.html
You'll find a lot of support here as well
D
Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 207
Don't get discouraged - early on is not easy. My first few weeks/months (I am now at 14 months) I changed up my schedule and planned to go to an AA meeting every day at least for a couple of months - partly because of the support but going to meetings also would break-up my day (even though I work full-time I had a routine of coming home and drinking wine every afternoon/evening and on the weekends being home drinking).
So try to fill-up the time you used to have a routine around drinking with doing something else - anything but drinking. I did this so I was not sitting home thinking about wine. Get out - even if you do something small and mindless and even if you have to push yourself. I would walk the dog to AA meetings and after a couple of months just getting back to walking the dogs was enough to break up the time I felt at risk of drinking. This was usually between 4:00-7:00 or 8:00pm - everyday. Once I got past the "danger time" without drinking my anxiety about drinking went away for the day and I checked off another day sober and knew I was safe to go to bed early if I wanted to. Just think about simply making it to the end of the day sober and then do it again the next day.
These thoughts of wine will gradually fade as you realize you can still have a life without wine.
BTW - I was new to AA and it was very important to making sobriety work (you have to try something different to get different results), however, after several months I gradually filled my time with other activities and didn't continue going to meetings but know AA is there if I need it.
So try to fill-up the time you used to have a routine around drinking with doing something else - anything but drinking. I did this so I was not sitting home thinking about wine. Get out - even if you do something small and mindless and even if you have to push yourself. I would walk the dog to AA meetings and after a couple of months just getting back to walking the dogs was enough to break up the time I felt at risk of drinking. This was usually between 4:00-7:00 or 8:00pm - everyday. Once I got past the "danger time" without drinking my anxiety about drinking went away for the day and I checked off another day sober and knew I was safe to go to bed early if I wanted to. Just think about simply making it to the end of the day sober and then do it again the next day.
These thoughts of wine will gradually fade as you realize you can still have a life without wine.
BTW - I was new to AA and it was very important to making sobriety work (you have to try something different to get different results), however, after several months I gradually filled my time with other activities and didn't continue going to meetings but know AA is there if I need it.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 2,308
Hi Corine
Welcome. Congrats on the 10 days, you are building solid ground. Lots of good advice, distractions, changing routines and as oorwullie suggested a list of all the stupid things you did when you were drunk would help.
I am 5 months sober and still have a desire to drink, the alcoholic brain telling me it will be OK, it will be different this time. No it won't !!!
I am so grateful to wake up in the morning sans alcohol. These thoughts can be strong and overwhelming, they pass.
Hang in there.
CaiHong
Welcome. Congrats on the 10 days, you are building solid ground. Lots of good advice, distractions, changing routines and as oorwullie suggested a list of all the stupid things you did when you were drunk would help.
I am 5 months sober and still have a desire to drink, the alcoholic brain telling me it will be OK, it will be different this time. No it won't !!!
I am so grateful to wake up in the morning sans alcohol. These thoughts can be strong and overwhelming, they pass.
Hang in there.
CaiHong
Community Greeter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 51,526
Great ideas here, Corinne. I hope you'll find a way to distract yourself. That anxious feeling really does pass, and the cravings become much more infrequent as you go along.
Congratulations on your 10 days. I hope you're proud of your accomplishment - you're doing great.
Congratulations on your 10 days. I hope you're proud of your accomplishment - you're doing great.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: North America
Posts: 162
Welcome Corinne. Hang in there and know that the urges will pass. Just give it some time. I find exercise or mostly any distraction is good to get past a craving. I totally agree that changing routines is a big help.
Thanks for sharing. Lots of support here.
Thanks for sharing. Lots of support here.
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