Lifeisforliving

Hi all

I have a very triggering time-period coming up next weekend so I thought if I start to work on a plan now as opposed to when I'm in the thick of it that it would help me navigate my way thru successfully.

Next weekend I will be alone. My fiancé is traveling for work and my kids will be with their father. Typically I would be counting the minutes until they all left so that my old friends (wine & beer) & I would be totally left alone to get obliterated. Thanks to sobriety I'm now a bit apprehensive (and grateful!) about my alone time (I mean that in the most positive way I can). Because of that I'm reaching out to you all NOW looking for ideas on how to stay occupied & busy when those lonely cravings start.

I've already got a spa day planned as a special treat. I also have a movie with a friend as well as dinner with another who is an outpatient therapist at a rehab facility. Those are all well & good but what about when those activities are over? I'm talking about those late night cravings. Obviously I will for sure be here but am looking for any other ideas I might not have thought of.

Any & all ideas will be welcomed & appreciated.

CactusJill

That is a tough one and I absolutely know what you mean because I too would wait for my husband to go to work and for my kids to be at their dad's.

A couple things I can think of that I do:

1. Go for a moonlight walk somewhere scenic. I also live in Texas and this season is the ideal time to go! Perfect weather.

2. If you are a reader, buy a brand new book that you can't wait to tear into and make yourself wait until you are alone to read it.

3. Stay on this message board.

4. Find a late night meeting, preferably one you can attend in person. In a pinch, online will do, however.

Those are just a few ideas I have. I think you will find that if you get through this successfully, it will get progressively easier to be alone for the weekend because you will form a new routine.

Good luck!!!

azureseas

relate to that. I found reading or watching movies about addiction helped
there is a thread here n books:
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...rituality.html

films:
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...endations.html

KateL

Just keep your mind occupied. The spa will be good to unwind. It's hard in your own company early on but you might learn to enjoy it one day. I know I do

tootsl1

Stick close to SR, keep plenty of treats around- fresh fruit, expensive no. Alcoholic drinks. Make arrangements to FaceTime or Skype you fiancé and kids, later in the evening, knowing that they will be able to see you. I spend a lot of time alone with hubby away, but he's normally home weekends. Recently he ws away for three weeks and we were both a little concerned, but I knew I wasn't going to drink, because I didn't want to spoil my sobriety. And it was fine. After 8.5 months, I have almost forgotten how much I looked forward to time alone with my then BFF Vino. Now Unfriended!

Anna

Being alone when my husband travelled was the hugest trigger for me. It was really hard to deal with that. It sounds like you have a good plan in place. For me, I never had alcohol in the house, so that really helped. If I woke up in the middle of the night, there was no way I could drink, so it was all good. Reading and watching movies really helped. And, the amazing thing is, I began to love the alone time and I realized that I needed that alone time on a regular basis to help me connect with my soul. It's been a great journey.

kadidee

A lifesaver for me in early sobriety is to have DVDs from the library, primarily old episodes of CSI or Law and Order. Mystery-suspense always distracts me. Also, since you already have some fun stuff planned, it's just a few hours on the tail end of those activities before you go to bed. Do you like to cook or bake? Maybe you can make something for the freezer or surprise your fiancé with turtle brownies or lemon squares. Good on you for planning ahead!