juliea

this is my first time getting sober. I'm 22 years old. im 24 days sober today. my drugs of choice were alcohol marijuana and pain pills. i put myself in a detox, stayed the whole 10 days and did really well.
lately though, really over the past 2 days I've been having really intense cravings. i know this is normal, i just don't know how to deal with it. I'm thinking about it all the time and i feel like I'm going crazy because i feel like how i did in my first days of detox. my mind is in a fog and i can't get certain thoughts out of my head. i also am sweating and my heart is racing.
i know that if i go out and use I'm going to regret it the second it happens. i just can't help wanting too.

4mykids723

Drink water. Try some basic breathing such as in through the nose, hold for 4 counts and then breathe out through your mouth for 8 counts. Go for a walk but don't take any money or credit cards with you. These all work for me when I have cravings.

Dee74

Sorry you're struggling Julie.

You'll find a lot of support here - I sat on SR for days in the beginning, reading and posting...

This technique helped me too:
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...e-surfing.html

Its all about recognising that we don't need to act on our feelings/cravings...

Do you have any real life support as well - people you can talk to?

Sometimes face to face support can help - I can give you links to things like AA/NA or non 12 step programmes if you like

the important thing is hang in there - cravings pass
D

CaiHong

Juliea,
Good for you on your 24 days, yesyou are right you will be disappointed with yourself if you pickup or pop in. These feelings will pass you have to hang in there good advice is given from above posters.
You can do. Stay strong.
Love
caiHong

tomsteve

them were my DOC in that order,too. 24 days was/is an eternity. i personally am a member of AA and went to a lot of meetings early on. i needed to be around people that had been in my shoes and had the solution.
one thing that helped me tremendously was knowing in my heart that alcohol never helped and it wasnt gonna help if i caved in to the cravings. i put my trust in them people that were there that got sober before me. they said it would get better and easier. if i wanted it to, i just had to give it time. they also said it could get worse if i wanted it to, but i didnt want it to get any worse than it was after my last druunk.
they were right! it did get better and easier!!
the 1st full day i made it through without even thinking about alcohol, i didnt even realize it until the next day, but it was awesome!!
gettin sobers a fight. stayin sober is pretty easy, one day at a time.

prayers yer way for strength and courage to keep it up.

IndaMiricale

You will get great idea here, plus the ones already said above. Congrats on you sober time and decision to be that way.

I did and do many things still when craving come about..

Walks(long or short)
Gym
Pool
Library
Hot Shower
Serenity Prayer
Play with my dogs
and the two most popular
Come here to SR and read or go to the chat room
And for me Meetings they always make me feel better. I still go almost everyday to a meeting.

You can live free, Keep going strong.

juliea

thanks guys. today is better because i opened up to a few sober people and told them how i was feeling, I've also been trying to keep myself busy. again, thank you.