early recovery, social networks et al
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Western New York
Posts: 2,446
early recovery, social networks et al
I'm sure this has come up a dozen times before so I apologize for repeating it.
To a large extent I can control what situations I'm in and I can avoid a lot of beer and wine and drinking related things. I can try to leave myself an "exit" in situations where I might be tempted to drink. I find though my facebook and twitter feeds are riddled with pictures of someones new favorite craft beer, wine tasting events, silly drinking related memes, etc. I don't find myself having any sort resentment of other people drinking and it's not the case that these people are all alcoholics. I do find I go through a mini-mental relapse when encountering a lot of these things though. I see myself drinking my cousins new favorite chocolate stout. I feel sad realizing I can't. I think to myself that it's not possible to give up drinking.
I unsubscribed from most of the beer/wine/bar related things, but I'm thinking of just quietly avoiding social networks altogether for a little while. I can't say I would really miss anything, they are mostly a big time waste to begin with, so it would be a healthy change in general to not go online so much.
What sort of things do you avoid in early recovery?
To a large extent I can control what situations I'm in and I can avoid a lot of beer and wine and drinking related things. I can try to leave myself an "exit" in situations where I might be tempted to drink. I find though my facebook and twitter feeds are riddled with pictures of someones new favorite craft beer, wine tasting events, silly drinking related memes, etc. I don't find myself having any sort resentment of other people drinking and it's not the case that these people are all alcoholics. I do find I go through a mini-mental relapse when encountering a lot of these things though. I see myself drinking my cousins new favorite chocolate stout. I feel sad realizing I can't. I think to myself that it's not possible to give up drinking.
I unsubscribed from most of the beer/wine/bar related things, but I'm thinking of just quietly avoiding social networks altogether for a little while. I can't say I would really miss anything, they are mostly a big time waste to begin with, so it would be a healthy change in general to not go online so much.
What sort of things do you avoid in early recovery?
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Western New York
Posts: 2,446
or, after reading Pam's post, do you not avoid people at all, and just be honest and upfront about having a drinking problem with people in your life? I have to say, I don't feel ready for that.
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Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Ashburn, VA
Posts: 30,196
I have all together (with 2 very short lapses) a year and 6 months of sober living. Now i can easily walk down the beer and wine aisle at the supermarket, but I sure as heck couldn't for the first few months!
Maybe one day it'll be right for you to go back on Facebook to share--but for now, give yourself a break and don't keep waving the temptation in your face.
Maybe one day it'll be right for you to go back on Facebook to share--but for now, give yourself a break and don't keep waving the temptation in your face.
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 25,373
Long ago I gave up certain things that had no positive influence on my life:
toxic friendships
arguing
I've stopped facebook entirely - kept my account but haven't been there for three years.
don't have twitter, so that was easy
network TV, news, magazines - don't need the advertising and don't care about the news or sports. I do miss weather stories, but I'm surviving.
newspapers - if I have to know something I can look online. Mostly I don't have to know.
I don't discuss my "drinking problem" I just tell people I don't drink. Really none of their business why. My immediate family knew.
toxic friendships
arguing
I've stopped facebook entirely - kept my account but haven't been there for three years.
don't have twitter, so that was easy
network TV, news, magazines - don't need the advertising and don't care about the news or sports. I do miss weather stories, but I'm surviving.
newspapers - if I have to know something I can look online. Mostly I don't have to know.
I don't discuss my "drinking problem" I just tell people I don't drink. Really none of their business why. My immediate family knew.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ireland
Posts: 25,826
Yeah fb is a killer for creating romanticism and nostalgia around alcohol from photos, memories, stories etc etc
I had to make changes early on, where I was going, who I was hanging out with, what activities and social situations I was coming into contact with, it needed to be pretty radical at the start, and then with getting some Sober time under my belt I was gradually able to not be as strict as I stopped thinking about alcohol 24/7.
I had to make changes early on, where I was going, who I was hanging out with, what activities and social situations I was coming into contact with, it needed to be pretty radical at the start, and then with getting some Sober time under my belt I was gradually able to not be as strict as I stopped thinking about alcohol 24/7.
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