beads

I'm still new to recovery and have recently been having some difficulty with cravings. I am not active in AA and am not sure that I want to be. I was previously involved in a different town a few years back and that didn't turn out so well. Not sure if I want to try again or just go about this on my own with the support of my family and friends, none of which use alcohol around me. I think the weather combined with the smell of campfires has just been a major trigger for me. Just wanting some advice on how to deal. Thanks.

Dee74

Hi and welcome beads

Personally I've found a great deal of support here and it really made a difference - I hope it will for you too.

If you find you need more support tho, there's many different approaches and methods of recovery around - here's some links to some of the main players (including AA but not limited to that):

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...formation.html

I recommend you visit the Secular Connections forum if you think you may benefit from a non 12 step approach.

good to have you with us

D

macknacat

with friends and family who don't use, sounds like you already have a great support group. Myself, i do the AA/NA thing . groups around here have several campouts every spring and summer. After 16 years, the smell of a campfire has come to be associated with folk speaking from their hearts about the reality of life. I like that.

beads

Thanks!!! I do have an amazing support system. I will check out some alternative methods too. Already, just being on here reading posts for a half hour has gotten me through this night. Amazing!

ReadyAndAble

Welcome to SR, beads. This place has been an invaluable source of information and support for me—hope it serves you well, too.

One key for me was to recognize and refuse to buy into idealized, romanticized notions of alcohol. Whenever I start to get a thought about how relaxing or enjoyable a drink might be, I attack that image with a blast of unvarnished truth. I force myself to remember all the stress and pain and self-loathing that alcohol actually brought me. The hangovers, the vomit, the puffy eyes—in other words, the reality of my drinking.

And the biggest turning point came when I realized recovery is not about giving up stuff. It's about getting back stuff... with freedom, self-respect, and peace of mind at the top of the list. I stopped feeling like it was a sacrifice to forgo alcohol, and the cravings pretty much disappeared. Occasionally the thought of drinking still crosses my mind, but it's just a faint echo of my addiction, and can be swatted away like a mosquito. I'm never going to drink again, so there's no point wasting my time thinking about it. I recommend checking out the AVRT discussion threads in the secular connections forums Dee mentioned.

Congrats on quitting. That is a huge step—every successful recovery begins with that!