When do the cravings stop?
Nov.23, 2012
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 21
When do the cravings stop?
It's day 9.
The good: I am sleeping better, eating better, do not feel as much anxiety or depression and most of all I am not wasting mental energy thinking about all the things related to drinking and the guilt. The days seem crisper and sharper and even music that I had not listened to in a while sounds better. It is like a filter that used to numb everything is gone. I wake up in the morning feeling proud of myself, not ashamed.
The bad: "It", my beast used to drink at night during the week. From 5 on the way home till around 11pm so large volume in short period of time. At around 5 I start to feel very anxious, thinking about a drink till the time I get home make dinner when I would drink and then sit down to eat when I would also drink...Monday to Friday is hardest and on weekends it would normally just drink during the whole day to keep a buzz on from noon till 11pm. Last night it was telling me, well you have proven to yourself you can do it for 8 days, time for 4 beer to celebrate, then the holidays are coming and that will be tough so why dont you make this a new years resolution. (i know that if i do that, the holidays will be a disaster because i would go even harder till the resolution) In the morning, I am still waking up feeling like I have a bit of a hangover despite drinking tons of water.
Question: When do the cravings stop? In asking this I know it is likely different for everyone but I ask it anyways.
Thanks for the support, this forum is amazing and I don't know how I would have made it to day nine without it.
The good: I am sleeping better, eating better, do not feel as much anxiety or depression and most of all I am not wasting mental energy thinking about all the things related to drinking and the guilt. The days seem crisper and sharper and even music that I had not listened to in a while sounds better. It is like a filter that used to numb everything is gone. I wake up in the morning feeling proud of myself, not ashamed.
The bad: "It", my beast used to drink at night during the week. From 5 on the way home till around 11pm so large volume in short period of time. At around 5 I start to feel very anxious, thinking about a drink till the time I get home make dinner when I would drink and then sit down to eat when I would also drink...Monday to Friday is hardest and on weekends it would normally just drink during the whole day to keep a buzz on from noon till 11pm. Last night it was telling me, well you have proven to yourself you can do it for 8 days, time for 4 beer to celebrate, then the holidays are coming and that will be tough so why dont you make this a new years resolution. (i know that if i do that, the holidays will be a disaster because i would go even harder till the resolution) In the morning, I am still waking up feeling like I have a bit of a hangover despite drinking tons of water.
Question: When do the cravings stop? In asking this I know it is likely different for everyone but I ask it anyways.
Thanks for the support, this forum is amazing and I don't know how I would have made it to day nine without it.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: London
Posts: 1,384
Day 323 here 
. Still get cravings, but less often and much much easier to deal with. Cravings wont harm you, its just the monster trying to trick you. Grind it out, push through it. Give yourself time. Life is so lovely being free from alcoHell.
. Still get cravings, but less often and much much easier to deal with. Cravings wont harm you, its just the monster trying to trick you. Grind it out, push through it. Give yourself time. Life is so lovely being free from alcoHell.
Sober since 10th April 2012
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 6,047
Hi Wosco; amazing effort so far. 9 days is a long time when you had an entrenched habit.
You're correct to say everyone is different as to when the cravings stop, but they were the main challenge for me when I stopped (33 weeks). The first thing I would think about when leaving work was my first glass of wine. If fact, even typing now, I feel the onset of craving, but I know I can handle it.
Think about when your worst time occurs. Let say for instance that the trip home from work is hardest because of previous habits. Try to break up the routine at these high need moments. I went to the juice shop and ordered a freshly made apple, carrot and ginger and that became my 'reward'. I walked part of the way home to work out tension physically. I wasn't afraid to eat some chocolate. You can see I'm the type that uses eating and drinking for comfort. When driving, I take deep conscious breaths when the cravings hit, and they quickly disappear. Only you know what suits you best, but it has helped me to cultivate replacement habits. Oh, and use SR regularly.
If you are like me breaking up your habits should see the cravings decrease over time. Maybe they are still there but not so strong?
You're correct to say everyone is different as to when the cravings stop, but they were the main challenge for me when I stopped (33 weeks). The first thing I would think about when leaving work was my first glass of wine. If fact, even typing now, I feel the onset of craving, but I know I can handle it.
Think about when your worst time occurs. Let say for instance that the trip home from work is hardest because of previous habits. Try to break up the routine at these high need moments. I went to the juice shop and ordered a freshly made apple, carrot and ginger and that became my 'reward'. I walked part of the way home to work out tension physically. I wasn't afraid to eat some chocolate. You can see I'm the type that uses eating and drinking for comfort. When driving, I take deep conscious breaths when the cravings hit, and they quickly disappear. Only you know what suits you best, but it has helped me to cultivate replacement habits. Oh, and use SR regularly.
If you are like me breaking up your habits should see the cravings decrease over time. Maybe they are still there but not so strong?
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,780
My cravings to drink started to get less and less intense by six months and now at three years I rarely think of it at all. Give yourself time and good treatment and it'll pass.
Give yourself time and good treatment and it'll pass. Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,442
My cravings - that gnawing in your gut - lasted a month or two - the obsessive thoughts took a little longer to go away.
It got progressively easier to deal with tho - it's not like this for the next two years or anything - stick with it wocso
D
It got progressively easier to deal with tho - it's not like this for the next two years or anything - stick with it wocso
D
That bell or bike person
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: london
Posts: 4,978
I put myself under a work - supermarket - home lock down for the first month and the cravings had mostly subsided by the end of it .
I still had some mental stuff going on for about three months, before i felt confident enough to go down the supermarket aisle with drink in it .
At 6 months i was fine going in a pub to sit with others drinking and to have a soft drink and not feel too uncomfortable .
At about 11 months i had a bit of a yearning for a week or so for sitting in a country pub beer garden with a beer "just the one" untill i thought about doing it with a lemonade and realized it was just the AV trying to do a number on me .
I remain vigilant but it hasn't botherd me for months now . I used to smoke and gave it up 6 years ago it is now an anathema to me , i believe i feel the same about alcohol now .
Other people do it and good luck to them , i fully support their freedom to do what they want , after a lot of working out and a long deliberation it certainly isn't for me and never will be, it's toxic to me .
If you think day 9 feels good stick with it as you'll see great changes .
Bestwishes , M
I still had some mental stuff going on for about three months, before i felt confident enough to go down the supermarket aisle with drink in it .
At 6 months i was fine going in a pub to sit with others drinking and to have a soft drink and not feel too uncomfortable .
At about 11 months i had a bit of a yearning for a week or so for sitting in a country pub beer garden with a beer "just the one" untill i thought about doing it with a lemonade and realized it was just the AV trying to do a number on me .
I remain vigilant but it hasn't botherd me for months now . I used to smoke and gave it up 6 years ago it is now an anathema to me , i believe i feel the same about alcohol now .
Other people do it and good luck to them , i fully support their freedom to do what they want , after a lot of working out and a long deliberation it certainly isn't for me and never will be, it's toxic to me .
If you think day 9 feels good stick with it as you'll see great changes .
Bestwishes , M
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