KMC2008

It's what I call the "Thursday night itch". This was the day in which I started my binge drinking. I started today and didn't stop until Sunday. I am growing more confident and that scares me. I need to begin to start humbling myself and remember that I am weak and cannot control my life when I drink. I need to come back down to earth. This is a really scary part of the week for me. Any suggestions?

oinobares

If you are using AA as part of your recovery, then a good answer might be: go to a meeting. I won't assume you are, though, so maybe get out of the house and go see a movie? Change up the context somehow. Distract yourself with a project. Don't give the urge "rent free space" in your head. Hang out on SR

I've been there, and know how strong those patterned cravings/thoughts come on. Usually my wife and kids have something planned, and when I was actively boozing, I would bail out of whatever they were doing. Now I try to be game for whatever excursions or plans they make and join in. Chilling out by myself with those urges is always dangerous for me.

Stay with it!

wonderfullife

Thursday night was the first real beginning of active addiction for me. It was when the weekend became four days. it was only a matter of time until the weekend became my life. best of luck. stay strong. remember how good it feels to wake up sober. As others have said before....I have never woken up wishing that I had drank the night before. that has helped me greatly. oh, and if you still want to drink, do 30 minutes of intense exercise, down a glass of milk, and check back in with your thoughts. your addiction might have shut up by then. best.

MalkavianEmily

For me, it was Friday when I have the house to myself, that I'd really let my hair down. Which is tomorrow. Still it's also when I have an AA meeting, so...

Zebra1275

Getting complacent in your recovery is very dangerous. I once was sober for 5+ years and thought I could handle it again. Once I drank I struggled for a year to stop again, never stringing more than a few weeks together. I finally got desperate enough to try AA and the fellowship of other people fighting the same battle really helped.

OneLessLonely

Wow, I just posted in my class forum, Thursdays are tough because they were the day I'd say, "Ah, heck, I only have one more day of work left in the week, I can make it through hungover tomorrow, let's drink!" So I feel your pain.
Based on some recommendations from people here I have watched some disturbing documentaries and read some disturbing articles about alcoholism ("Rain in my heart" and the lady who started moderation management, if you wanna google them).. It could have gone the route of "Oh I'm not that bad, I can have a drink." But luckily it went the route of "Holy crap, I'm not that bad but alcoholism is a progressive disease and one day I will wake up in these people's shoes. Not worth it." But again very disturbing.
Other than that, I've invested in lots of loose leaf tea, and make numerous types of iced teas all night, and stay on SR all night.

hypochondriac

You've recognised it as a vulnerable time, which is half the battle. Now you need to find something else to do, preferably away from anywhere where you might slip. AA meeting, spend all weekend here on SR, cook extravagant meals which take up all your time, do some exercise, read a book. Have a little circuit training like cycle of things to do so you don't get bored. Let us know how you get on... minute by minute if necessary x

OklaBH

Thanks for the reminder. Thursday night used to turn into a Blue Monday for me. Id get loaded on Thursday and go through the motions to get through Friday. Afterwork is when the real drinking would start. Monday AWFUL, Tuesday coming around, Wednesday downhill slide, by Thursday none if it felt that bad so it was time to do it ALLLLL over again.


Im so glad I dont have to deal with that crap anymore.

Sapling

Do something completely different....Make it a night you work on your recovery...Find a good seven o'clock meeting and make that what you do Thursday night. Meet some sober friends...Maybe make some sober plans for the weekend. It's all about changing what you do. You can't make a better change than that.

Anna

I don't believe you're weak. Alcoholism isn't an issue of character, it's a disease.

And, I agree with Sapling. Shake up your routine. That worked really well for me in the early days, because I was a creature of habit. It will help!

KMC2008

Thank you all for your support on this very hard day. I took the advice and went to a little shop that just opened up that I had never been to before. I spent about two hours there looking at all that was to be seen. It was calming and took away the anxiety I had from not drinking or wanting to drink...still haven't figured out which one. It's ten 'til midnight and I am at home cuddled in bed ready to hit the sack. I think this is the longest (a whole week) I have gone without drinking since I was sixteen. So grateful to have found soberrecovery.com. Ready to tackle FRIDAY!!!!

epskie

Well done :-))) Thursdays are tough for me too and always have been - it's the beginning of the weekend, Friday tomorrow blah blah blah. AND (and this was lethal for me) every bugger on Facebook status updates about how they're having a 'cheeky drink!'
I realise now that they probably only have one, not 8 like me.
Good luck with the rest of the weekend, I'm coming up 70 days and it's getting easier :-) x

KMC2008

This is my new Facebook! Congratulations on that milestone. And thank you for the support. : ) woohoo!

artsoul

Congrats on a whole week KMC - that's awesome!

MalkavianEmily

Congrats KMC, a week's a really good milestone

FBL

I was a daily drinker, but weekends were when I really let it rip. When I first got sober I never thought I'd make it through a whole weekend. I figured I had to fill my time, so I started picking up a few hobbies that I didn't have time for when I was drinking. Now, my days are so busy that I don't have time to think about drinking!