Jeremiah2911

I'm not doing so well right now. I haven't had anything to drink in 2 days but I'm having a hard time knowing why I shouldn't drink. I mean, I KNOW in my heart why I shouldn't but my head is trying to tell me to go get something. I'm trying to get "into" this site but I just can't seem to find someone to connect with. Help?

DrakeCKC

I know my first few days were miserable, constantly craving a drink. I remembered how bad things had become and why I stopped. That gave me the incentive to go on. I have 17 months now.

You are doing the right thing by posting. Visit the chat, there are two online chat meetings a week (one going on now) that have been helpful for me, even when we talk about trivial things like tea or the weather.

Hang in there... continue to reach out.

Hereandnow2

That is a really hard time in sobriety! Whatever you do don't pick up that first drink! You can private message me if you wanna connect one on one! I'm only 102 days sober so I'm no expert but if you can get through the first 30 days you really will start to feel better! I'm a 36 year old mother of two and wife and I can tell you that everything in my life has changed as a result of my sobriety!

JaylaaKent

You need to try and get around people -face-to-face connect - even if it's go to the grocery store, get a haircut, walk around the mall. This site is great, but should not be used as as a substitute for making real friendships. Connection is huge in early sobriety. For me it was really hard to leave my bed, let alone my house; but I conquered it in small segments (sometimes increments of 10-15 minutes). If I left more than an hour it was to go to a meeting, then run back into my house. Four months later today I'm proud to report I can go out for sometimes hours and am working on making friends in AA. I don't have any "best friends" but I know I have people I can call if I get in a rut. Hang in there - the first few days are not easy.

Tonymblue

Youre doing great. 2 days is a great start. I remember when i couldnt go 2 hours. Stay with us. Lots of like minded people just like you. 24/7 support. You can do it.

Alynn

Man just hang in there.. Life is so much better sober! Alcohol lies! We've all been there...

I can do all things through he who strengthens me

Dee74

Hi Jeremiah

Go back and read your first posts here, or read your where was I? post again. That's the best argument I can give you for why you shouldn't drink again.

You;re two days in - it's hard, but it will get easier if you keep committed

I see you've found the 24 hour thread and the weekend thread which is great

I also recommend the Class of September support thread. You'll find people there at the same point as you, and a little further along as well...

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...art-2-a-2.html

You'll find a ton of support there. I think you'll really connect


D

Ruby2

You aren't really alone but you probably do feel that way. It is hard in the beginning but just hang in there. Just for today. Take it in small increments. Keep coming to the weekend thread. Go sit at a coffee shop and journal. Take a walk. Grocery store is good. Even a couple of seconds of friendly interaction helps me out when I'm not feeling a connection. A smile. Small talk. Every little bit helps.

justinJustQuit

I'm at a measly 9 days and I feel absolutely fantastic! Keep plugging along and don't drink anything tonight.

You'll be so much happier tomorrow.

SoberHoopsFan

You know the reasons you shouldn't drink (come on, we all do), but you are addicted to alcohol and that is creating mental conflict. You probably feel as if there are 2 voices in your head, battling back and forth. Look at it this way, one of those voices wants you to drink a poison that is ruining your life and will continue to do so. The other voice wants a better, happier, and more meaningful existence. Who do you think you should listen to?

Maybe as an exercise, sit down and list out all the reasons the voice in your head that wants to drink is giving you as reasons as to why you should drink. Then think about them and ask yourself if alcohol will do really any of the things for you that that voice is saying. It's lies. Nothing but lies.

Notmyrealname

If you can just manage to not drink today and not drink tomorrow and keep that up for a couple of months, I guarantee you will have plenty of good and solid answers for the question of, "why shouldn't I drink today?"

It is maybe a bit much to expect your mind to be 100% behind the idea when you're two days off the bottle. The nature of addiction is that your body and mind (at least in part) want to keep drinking -- this means it's awfully easy to find reasons to pick up, at least early in your attempts at sobriety -- you still have all the metaphorical klaxon horns and alarm bells going off in your head, saying "BODY NEED ALCOHOL", and the inexorable, cunning reasoning of the alcoholic side of your brain is trying to get the rest of the crew back on-board the booze train.

It is enough -- in fact, it is plenty -- to simply manage to not drink, today, and be mentally preparing to not drink tomorrow. Don't worry about this week, this month, this year, or -- gulp! -- FOREVER (never think about forever, it's just bad for humans to contemplate the infinite on an empty stomach) -- just worry about doing it today, and being ready for tomorrow.

It's probably going to feel weird for awhile. Keep the faith, have high hopes, and things will be okay.

FreeOwl

I am not recalling your other posts.... Could you look back on your life and share a bit about how alcohol has impacted your;

Health?
Relationships?
Finances?
Freedom?
Emotions?
Family?
Friendships?

Jeremiah2911

Thanks SO much, everyone. I was so down Friday night. I made it that night , picked up the grandkids yesterday. While they were with us, I noticed that I got the shakes and every time I bent over and stood up, my head pounded and felt like it would explode. It was kind of scary. We took the kids to see some street rods last night and we were having ice cream and I told my husband that I just might NEED to have some wine to help me get "over the hump". Wow. Am I an idiot or what? And he would have gotten it for me on the way home. Fortunately, I had been scared about that sudden severe headache and had called a nurse friend of mine (who knows my struggle). She called right while we were at the restaurant and talked me through it. No, I was not going to have a stroke. Yes, the shakes are normal. NO, do not drink anything! She calmed me down and I went home and went to sleep, all cuddled up with my precious grandbabies. DAY FOUR. It's evening and I have no desire to drink. PTL! I'm very tired and just feel whipped but I suppose that's normal. You are all a gift!

PurpleKnight

The biggest hurdle I had to deal with was my own mind, it wanted to drink, I was addicted to alcohol and my mind wasn't going to allow me to forget about alcohol that easy, and so when I was alone with my thoughts, no one to give me a second opinion on things, my mind would grind me down with all the myths and fairytales of the day!!

That's were support comes in, getting some input on things from others before picking up that first drink!!

Hang in there, it gets better!!

Jeremiah2911

As you said, my mind tells me all kinds of lies about alcohol and how I might "NEED" it to get through the shakes, blah, blah, blah. As my mind becomes clearer, I am better able to recognize those lies for what they are and reject them.
Thanks for your encouragement

Soberwolf

Your right about your head telling you to drink you have trained your brain to think it needs alcohol to survive its your brain survival instinct trying to help you in the same way you get hungry for food

diffrence is you dont need alcohol to stay alive your brain thinks it does and here is your dillema as alcohol is master trickster

but it isnt a dillema its your 2nd day sober and this brain activity will cease the more you starve it and retrain it to understand you dont need alcohol to stay alive

funny how the brain thinks it will die without alcohol and if the person drinks it could kill the brain and the person

Hang in there your going to be out of the woods soon

if you drink now you might never come back and whats the point your worth so much more than booze

Thepatman

You did great not drinking. You reached to your nurse friend, and now can see how reaching out can make the difference between a thought about drinking and executing the urge.

A thought is just a thought, you decide to act on it, or think things trough. Play the tape, all the way to the end. By the time you are done, the idea won't seem so appealing.

Soberwolf

Exactly this

Jeremiah2911

And today, I am reaching out to all of you again. As you said, my mind wants me to drink so badly. It provides me with constant reasons/excuses why I should just do it just this once. I can always start again tomorrow...it's incessant in my head today because I just got back from doing some hard grief work with my counselor. That only makes me more vulnerable to wanting some wine to forget about all of that sadness we just hashed over. BUT, I got home, made some chili, invited my dad over to eat it with me because my husband's working late and, as soon as my dad left, I grabbed the computer like it was a lifeline! In essence, it is. I'm going to stay on here as long as it takes to re-strengthen me. Thanks for being there.

Chrissy2014

Are you ok? Do you need anything?

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