Kaneda8888

This is soooo frustrating !

I've not been able to stay stopped for more than a week and I busted again last night ! Damn, damn, damn...and for no particular reason just like chapter 2 of BB. Went to an AA meeting and felt quite good. Then the urge suddenly hit me and instead of trying to stop and reflect, I went into auto mode and went to the liquor store and bought a couple of shots. As we all know, it wasnt enough. So, after the bus ride, I went to the super market and bought some more. Just enough to make me tipsy but not flat out drunk. Whatever.

Rewarded myself by getting up at 5am and doing a hard workout (strangely one of my better workouts).

I wont give up. Just frustrated that alcohol can beat me with its eyes closed.

ImperfectlyMe

It can only beat you if you lay down and give up.

Dee74

Auto pilot was my nemesis too.
I convinced myself it was unbeatable - how do you beat impulse...

but when I was honest, it was very rarely a bolt out of the blue. Most times it built throughout the day.

Even if it is a literal bolt of the blue, tho? you have to learn that that's not 'game over.'

You can want to drink, and not drink...and ride through the feelings.

You need a really solid strategy for auto pilot situations, a really well thought out plan of attack.

You also need a really strong support network - and the sincere desire to use that support - in the words of one of my SR mentors, you need to want to be sober more than you want to get drunk.

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

D

DoubleBarrel

I kept quitting until it finally stuck. You can learn from each relapse, but it really sucks.

Try and really look at what leads up to you drinking again.
If you haven't read up on rational recovery, there's a pretty useful idea of the addictive voice. If you can learn to separate that voice that tells you to go back to drinking, you can learn to ignore it too. Sounds simple, and it is, but it's not always easy in the beginning.

Stick with it. I believe anyone can do it.

Kaneda8888

I need to tattoo Urge Surfing on my forehead....

FeenixxRising

Try to tune yourself in to that little voice that's saying you could probably have a few drinks without a problem. Like Dee said, we think it shouts at us unexpectedly, but in reality, its usually been whispering to us for at least a few hours. Make yourself sensitive to that whisper. At that point, you can usually shut it down by talking some sense to yourself. For example, if my mind even turns to thinking about drinking in any context, I emphatically say "No!", even out loud if no one's around. And I then force my mind to focus on other, healthier things.

But even if the "urge" does become strong, you don't have to give in to it. Urges and cravings won't hurt you and they will go away if you just ride it out. And if they come back, just rinse and repeat.

These things take a little practice, but you may be surprised at how quickly and effectively you can use these techniques.

Marcher13

I find this too. AV has been toying with me over the last few days and today he's been muttering and nagging in my ear constantly after not being around for weeks. My six months comes around next week and I'm hearing that I really can moderate now, what about a drink tonight?

The impulse/urge nagging is when I have to take action, later might be too late.

Kaneda8888

Have you tried AVRT ? Just curious as I happened across that website today. A bit fearful of going further as it seems to be anti-AA and the last thing I need right now is to be confused ! However, I am curious as to whether it works.

lorelei

Keep fighting kane x

Marcher13

Yes I have, the material here at SR and the links here. There are a range of recovery methods that can be used alone or in conjunction with each other. AVRT works alright and so does AA as you can see from the plethora of experiences here on SR.