bigaquagirl

I'm not having any luck quitting. I make it past five days and always make excuse to go buy a bottle. Don't know what is wrong with my will or maybe it is the lack is the problem. Any suggestions?

SDSurfn

In my experience, luck had nothing to do with it.


I had to give up the fight.

I surrendered. For me, surrender led to acceptance.

And acceptance has made all the difference.

Once I accepted the nature of my condition, I was able to get help, and finally, finally, find my way into recovery.

soberclover

You have to want sobriety and chase it as hard as you chase your drink. I also try to live by the moto of "don't drink...no matter what". Sometimes I get home from work, lock my door, and put on my jammies and head to bed really early just to get the day done so I know I won't drink. Other days are much easier. I also had to just accept the fact as SD said that I'm an alcoholic. My drinking got progressivly worse. I was like a cat and all of my nine lives were spent. You can quit now or later. Hopefully, however, you have a later. I'm lucky I had the chance to experience sobriety....it is worth it!

AlisonW

Quitting is hard work! Do you have a plan in place for when a craving hits? Definitely important to have another activity in mind - even if it's going to bed early! - to break out of the old patterns. You can do it!

Natom

If this makes any sense: I kinda gave up trying. I'd just had enough. And at that moment I just knew I had to stop and stay stopped. It took me several attempts to get there though. Relapse are an unfortunate but sometimes neccessary factor in someones recovery. In the 5 days you were sober what did you do. Did you do any recovery based stuff or did you just go around your day as normal but sober? I found I've had to put the same amount of effort into my recovery that I did into my drug use.

If you have the chance look at a few of the programs that are available for recovery. Some of the more prominent ones are Alcoholics Anonymous, SMART recovery, and AVRT. More information about them can be found on google. A lot of people just stay sober by reading and posting on these forums. It doesn't really matter what way you choose. A lot of people bicker about recovery methods all the time but as long as it helps you that's all that counts.

Natom.

bigaquagirl

Thanks. I have no plan and apparently no will either. By the time i realize what I've done its next morning and i feel guilty. Same goes for food and no control over my cravings, or saying no to other people ... it's like i know that i need to learn to love me first, to be selfish to protect myself ... i just lose control???

member72

We share love and respect here. Maybe try hanging out for a spell. You might just pick up a thing or two that helps get you over the hump(s). No reason to do this thing alone. We all fight this fight toghther, and are stronger because of it.

ReadyAtLast

I agree luck has nothing to do with it. I 'd just got to the point where I wanted to be sober more than I wanted to be drunk,no matter how hard it was.The first few days are rough but it really does get better,especially after the first week.Can you maybe do something different for your recovery-AA,AVRT,SMART, therapy etc

Dee74

Hi again bigaquagirl

Willpower didn't really do it for me, cos part of my will still wanted to drink.
Acceptance of what I was helped more.

Once I truly accepted that my relationship with alcohol was toxic, and always would be it made the other changes I had to make in my life a whole lot easier.

D

Z010011010

I seem to have a similar problem. Longest I've managed to stay sober so far is 2 weeks. I'm on day 4 now after yet another bender. Looking back at what happened before, it's like I start to feel happy and then I somehow convince myself that it'll be ok to drink this time since I'm better (hint: it's not ok!). Personally, I write a lot to myself about why I don't want to drink/use again. I'm hoping it will help to look at that next time I try to rationalize going to a bar or having "just one".

Good luck, bigaquagirl!
-Z

SoulGroove

I know exactly what you feel... I'm now on day 13 (Awesome) but am climbing the walls at the moment and very tempted, all I can think about is a drink and have been eating too much rubbish to 'comfort' myself, which can't go on as It's just the same problem of self control and the vicious circle of reward/remorse, yet again, don't know if I'll ever learn, but coming on here and reading about everyone else's struggles helps !
Take Care and Love yourself
xxx

freshstart57

BigAquaGirl, things didn't get 'lucky' for me until I decided I no longer drank. It wasn't that I wouldn't have a drink today or tomorrow, but that the one I had yesterday was my last one. Ever. I guess what I am trying to get at is that I needed to view my drinking as a 'completed action in the past', something I don't do anymore and something I will never do again. There was no luck involved or any luck required either.

Threshold

My suggestion is to get a program of recovery and work it.

Everytime you get a craving, or during times you would have drunk in the past, instead work recovery, get on here, find some recovery literature to read, practice skills in the particular program,go to a meeting, make a phone call, journal, etc.

It may fell awkward at first, but in time things will fall into place and it all becomes clearer and more automatic.

Take the option of drinking off the table. That you won't drink, no matter what. Then start doing everything but drinking.

In time, I found applying what I learned in substance recovery, helped me when I applied it to other ares of my life, and vice versa. I also have eating disorder and other process addictions.

We do recover. It's not about luck.