xxzx29bxx

Hey all - Day 3... Having EXTREMELY bad anxiety (which I have always had, and self medicated with alcohol because Dr. Prescribed meds and over the counter never seemed to work)

I am at work today until 5 but its a really slow day - cannot get the sauce off of my mind.. I also have a lunch break coming up and no matter what street I leave my job on - I pass a liquor store... I refuse to fail this time around..

HELP! Can anyone offers some tips and advice and how you cope individually with the desire to buy/abuse? What to do to redirect your thoughts, etc?

gettingbetter64

Good job on day 3!
What helps me when I'm craving alcohol is I think about how worse my addiction is getting every time I give in to it. I think about how I'll wake up the next morning feeling guilty and disgusted with myself If I drink. I try to keep myself distracted by watching tv,work out,talk to a friend,bake or cook something. I was craving the past two nights. I know how though it is. Just think how proud of yourself you will be if you make it to day 4.

bellaboos

Hi! Well done for 3 days, my anxiety is humongous today too. Stubbornness is working for me at the moment. Like yourself I refuse to fail this time!
The way I see it is do I ride out the anxiety or drink. If I drink it will 100 times worse tomo with a load of shame, embarrasment, self loathing and guilt mixed in. So I guess what I do is look ahead and think of the repercussions. Posting here is great for distracting yourself too.

biminiblue

The further away from your last drink you are the less will be your anxiety.

Truly the first few weeks are difficult. Make it past them and it gets amazingly better.

For lunch. Don't go out. Have someone deliver lunch. Order dessert with that. Sugar was helpful for me in the early days, it replaces the alcohol, which is a sugar. After a few weeks I naturally weaned myself off the sugar, so enjoy ice cream and candy bars while it lasts!

Nonsensical

I contemplate the compulsion I am feeling. Why is it here? What does it want? What can it do? What can't it do?

I put it in a box and study it. I think about it until I stop feeling it.

And then I feel better.

xxzx29bxx

Yea I immediately signed in since my lunch hour didnt work out with local AA meetings for distraction today.. This site has helped greatly so far..

PurpleKnight

What's the plan for this evening? sometimes making a plan in advance is beneficial rather than getting home and then thinking, what am I going to do?

The first few weeks I plan for every evening, even if it was crashing in front of the TV or going on online, free time thinking isn't the best thing to have at the start!!

Keep pushing through!!

Waterfalls2014

I've found that doing little things I've missed out on really help and distract me. Make a commitment to do something fun and your mind will concentrate on that instead. I told myself the next time I feel like that I'm going to a park and swinging on the swings. Best wishes!

ReadyAtLast

Congrats on 3 days. Your thoughts are very normal but they will pass. They are also just thoughts-you control them,they don't control you and you don't need to act on them.

Distraction works for me -eating,exercising, ice cream,anything but drinking .You will get through it

xxzx29bxx

My plan is to head straight home - Hit the treadmill like I finally managed yesterday, and attend an AA meeting from 730 to 10.. WITH NO STOPS ON the way.. I have found I HAVE to plan right now, especially considering I just moved out of my own into an extremely empty apartment!

trachemys

What's that? Ok, I'll tell him.

The Powers That Be say you can stop for an ice cream cone to get you past that other place.

sugarbear1

start making your own lunches and bring them to work, relax, meditate, read during lunch. Find ways to distract your mind during the day and in the evenings when you would be drinking.....