Amelia99

28 days down!

Today is President's Day and I have the day off work. I'm home alone. I feel confident I won't drink but the temptation is strong. How easy it would be to have a few shots when I know no one is watching. :-/

Any suggestions for what to do when you find you have too much time by yourself?

Received

Take a walk
Clean the house
Stay logged on to SR reading and posting
Visit a friend who doesn't drink
Read a book
etc.

You can do all these things and more today! How incredible is that?

There are so many things one can do when they no longer drink.

forabetterlife

Playing the tape to the end..think about that first sip, the first shot or drink, how you will feel, but that you will want and have more more, then how you will feel tomorrow when you wake up, not just physically, but the self-hatred, guilt and regret. My addiction often tells me that I can drink and get away with it when I'm alone because no one will know, I'm not hurting anyone. Squash that voice and remind yourself that YOU will know, and you deserve better from life.

elderine

Hi Amelia. Congratulations on 28 days! I hear you re: time alone. I live alone and work at home, and that has made drinking far too easy. For me it helps to remind myself that I'm quitting for me, not for anyone else; I'm the only person I'm really accountable to. But in the moment I know it can be tempting when you're alone. Keeping busy - getting out of the house in any capacity, or doing something engrossing at home - is always helpful too. I often try to plan things like classes or social events later in the day to provide an incentive not to drink in the afternoon and then keep me occupied in the evening when I'm most likely to drink. Good luck!

Amelia99

That's true. I've already spent some time thinking about EXACTLY how I will feel if I drink. It will feel great for a short while, very short. I'll nap and then I'll wake up guilty, depressed and probably anxious. Right now I don't need to do anything that will make me believe even for a second that keeping sober is something I can't do long term. I think taking a walk is an excellent idea. Time to get my lazy butt of this couch. It might be cold but it's sunny out there and I'm going to soak up some vitamin D.

Also scheduled a sober lunch date! Thanks for the tips. Gonna try to make this day a special one.

sugarbear1

Washington, DC has over 1200 AA meetings a week, maybe find one and spend an hour there.

markinsf

I know how you are feeling. It was being home alone that got me hooked in this trap in the first place for the most part. What I've found is that I'm going back to my old hobbies - the ones I had before drinking took over my life. I've been getting more and more into them over the last few days and am finding that helps a lot as well as the other things already mentioned.