CrimsonKing

First three days are "cake"... The first time they were hard, sweating, anxiety, but for some reason now I can really dedicate myself and make it three days. Problem is I keep convincing myself "see, you can do it, so do it later".

I want to be done. I WANT IT. I just havent been able to follow through. Any advice?

Victoria74

No advice, I am myself struggling with getting past day 3... Hopefully some more successful people will give you advice. But I has to be possible, let´s not give up!

SkyeSea

Day 3 is a tough one - if you can get past it, things get a LOT easier

Hang in there x

ScottFromWI

You have to want it more than you want to drink. Keep yourself busy doing anything. Make a schedule if you have to - plan out your entire day ahead of time so you don't have idle time to sit and think about not drinking. Bottom line, later never comes unless you absolutely commit to sobriety. It gets a lot easier after the initial hump.

Are you seeking any local support like AA/NA, counseling, etc? White-knucking it on your own doesn't work fore everyone.

doggonecarl

Don't look at it as "you" convincing "yourself" that you should drink. Look at it as your addiction trying to convince you to break your vow of sobriety.

Separate yourself from your addiction and quit doing what it tells you to do. The only way to get from day three to day four is to not drink. No magic tricks. You don't pick up.

Anna

There are no easy solutions to getting beyond Day 3, other than simply getting through it. The power is in getting through it. It will be a hurdle but when you cross it, things will start to get a little easier.

WritingFromLife

Is it possible to do something positive for yourself that you woudn't normally do? Maybe research a bucket list item and remind yourself if you don't drink, you can achieve it?

resolute50

For me,day 3 was the hardest.
I think it's cause you are starting to feel better,stronger and more alert.
That ole addiction voice hits you with"see you did it,you're not as bad as you thought".
It took me a couple times to get past that wall.

But,the good news is it gets better on the other side.
I think the best thing you can do is stay busy.Look for some projects that will keep your mind off drinking.Painting,car repair or cleaning it, working in the yard,anything that keeps your mind busy.

crosscountry3

Ask your higher power to take the craving,s away.............Eat chocolate when you crave .One day at a time...........

alphaomega

Google "kindling". That was enough to scare the snot out of me.

Essentially what you are doing by binging and quitting is basically mini detoxes. Theory states that with every detox, subsequent ones become tougher and far more dangerous. I was shocked at all get out when it stated that physiologically , it's better to drink round the clock, then taper, then it is to stop cold turkey. Eye opener. Huge eye opener.


Be well.

UnixBer

If it's that tired zombie-feeling then the advice for it that comes to mind would be trying to relax and take it easy. Stay sober for 2 more days, by then it should have gotten better... and it can be suprising at those times. It usually was for me, as if stepping into a different mindset almost suddenly from the nightmare barrier and zombie-feeling.

WritingFromLife

I gotta add to all this....make it through days/nights like these without drinking, and one morning soon you will wake up so full of joy you will just want to "kiss the sober ground" :-)

CrimsonKing

Thanks guys! Wow, that kindling PDF was scary. Wow.

ProgressNotPerfection

If I can suggest something: What I'm hearing is "I need to do this, I'll do it later."

I'm wondering why you are convinced you need to do this? What has led you to this conclusion about your own life?

Spinach

You can, and you will.
Mix all the things you can to build that freedom and joy that sobriety will bring to you.
Soon enough day 3 will be just another one in the collection.
Keep in, you can.
John

foolsgold66

Day 3 and 4 were ick for me the hundred or so times I have quit. Posting and reading here helped me get successfully through them this last time and to where I am now, I think I'm at day 40 or so, farther than I had made it in a year without SR...

Hawkeye13

Hi CrimsonKing;
I suggest planning out day 4 and filling it up with distractors. If you have to work, work, but go see a movie after, or go to the library, rent or stream a video, reread a book, have coffee or dinner with friends and try to fill your calender like that for the next few days as well. Hopefully you will be over the "hump" of the first week and it gets better from there. Really. If you don't have a journal yet start one and in the middle of the night just keep writing if you wake up and can't do anything else. Then a shower, then a cup of tea, then old sitcoms. . . you get my drift. You just have to put one mental foot in front of the next for awhile until you get out of the mud. But you will get there with faith in yourself and some strategic planning.

llastchance8

Posting the link for the pdf on Kindling for other's benifit.. It is scary and everyone must read it. We might be living in illusion that by stopping alcohol for few days and then enjoying it for few days, is better than everyday drinking !! Both are worst..

http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publicatio...22-1/25-34.pdf

CrimsonKing

it's become an every day thing. when i don't have it i can do it, but it's like crawling to the next night where i'm excited/happy again.

am i a fall down drunk? nope. i drink a six pack every night, which to some is not rock-bottom, but the fact is: i want to stop because i feel it pulling at me. i want to NOT drink, but i feel myself saying "tomorrow, tomorrow"...

ProgressNotPerfection

Well, I do hope you honor your healthy side, which says "I want to NOT drink." because if you do, the part that says "tomorrow, tomorrow" will eventually shut up. On the flip side if you drink, the part that says "I want to NOT drink" will never shut up.... it will only get louder....because in the still of the night, we know the truth of it, don't we?

H.U.G.S.! = “Hoping U Get Serenity!”