Soberjoy1

I sometimes think about how much easier this would be if alcohol wasn't around at every turn-the tv show I am watching, the commercials during the football game, movies, magazines, every house I stay in, every grocery I walk in, most restaurants I visit. We live in an alcohol-saturated culture. I never really noticed, back when I wasn't trying to avoid it. It was like water is to a fish. I am struggling a bit tonight-petsitting overnight in a house with many bottles of my favorite poison. I have been here 4 nights already, but tonight, it is tempting me. Just needed to post to keep my mind off it!

zerothehero

Junk food is everywhere...

Hevyn

Hi Salgal. It used to really get to me too - especially in the fragile early days of recovery. The longer sober time I had, the less it bothered me. Now, I hardly notice it. Just remember, there's nothing in it for us anymore - only heartache and misery. We're with you.

Anna

You can avoid it to some extent. I avoided the wine/beer aisle in the supermarket for a long time. And, I tended to choose more family-oriented restaurants where alcohol was less obvious. You'll get used to it and it will bother you less. Stay strong.

Soberwolf

Hi Salgal ive noticed that too i think there should be better awareness

Im glad your posting you can lean on us for support

Stay strong its your sobrierty that matters here and as long as you look after it youl be ok it wont keep bothering like this

i agree with the above posters too

Soberjoy1

Yes, I think that is it. I ignore it for the most part, but sometimes, it gets to me. My willpower is depleted-time to get out of the house and walk the dog.

Very true about the junk food. For some reason, that doesn't tempt me like liquor. I can take it or leave it.

OklaBH

True. Alcohol is a biggie in our world....to alcoholics. People who are "normal" don't flinch at beer commercials, take the wrong way around the grocery store so that they don't see the beer, they don't stress over what to say if they are offered a drink, or when they hear someone say they don't drink they don't wonder "wow, wonder how he got sober" ...its just us... In time it wont be a big deal.

resolute50

Hang in there. After a while it wont even register as something you want or even think about. It's that time of year where they have to show us the beautiful people drinking in their holiday sweaters, and everything is right with the world.

Ultramarathoner

Totally gets better with time.

I found myself at a red light behind a truck w/ a big bottle of alcohol on the back today. I smiled since it took me a couple of moments to recognize it- and after I did I felt totally neurtral about it.

Hang in there!

endlesspatience

Airports are the worst I think. You get completely bombared with advertisments for alcohol before you even get near the building and then you have all that duty free nonsense.

It slightly helps when you begin to see that all alcoholic drinks work on the brain in more or less the same way and the variation in taste and price is just a big smokescreen around the most important point: for an alcoholic this drink contains a poison that can mess up our lives.

Soberjoy1

Thankfully, I walked the dog and the craving has passed. It wasn't severe-more like a random thought, but that is how slips begin. I know better now-I cannot be complacent. It is too easy for me to fall.

Most of the time, I just keep my blinders on, but it does get to me at certain times.

Thanks for the support!

Dee74

I think everyone becomes hyper aware of it salgal...but like others have said it will get better

For now, just focus on not putting it in your body?

D

Soberjoy1

Nope, not going to! Thanks. The craving has passed. And I just had my new favorite bedtime "nightcap"-warm milk with honey, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

LBrain

sleep well, good job

matilda123

Good job! Another reason (among the million others) to love those pups of ours!

NoelleR

As others have said, this will pass. AA's Big Book speaks about this in the chapter Working with Others..................:

"...Assuming we are spiritually fit, we can do all sorts of things alcoholics are not supposed to do. People have said we must not go where liquor is served; we must not have it in our homes; we must shun friends who drink; we must avoid moving pictures which show drinking scenes; we must not go into bars; our friends must hide their bottles if we go to their houses; we mustn't think or be reminded about alcohol at all. Our experience shows that this is not necessarily so.

We meet these conditions every day. An alcoholic who cannot meet them, still has an alcoholic mind; there is something the matter with his spiritual status. His only chance for sobriety would be some place like the Greenland Ice Cap, and even there an Eskimo might turn up with a bottle of scotch and ruin everything! Ask any woman who has sent her husband to distant places on the theory he would escape the alcohol problem.

In our belief any scheme of combating alcoholism which proposes to shield the sick man from temptation is doomed to failure. If the alcoholic tries to shield himself he may succeed for a time, but usually winds up with a bigger explosion than ever. We have tried these methods. These attempts to do the impossible have always failed.

So our rule is not to avoid a place where there is drinking, if we have a legitimate reason for being there. That includes bars, nightclubs, dances, receptions, weddings, even plain ordinary whoopee parties..."

One does no have to work AA's Program for this to occur, but in time it will pass.

(o:
NoelleR

ubntubnt

Oh my god, boy oh boy is alcohol everywhere. Not only that but most of my social circle are alcoholics or borderline alcoholics and everyone I know drinks (thankfully my wife gets smashed on 2 sips of wine so she rarely drinks). Add to that the fact that alcohol is on my mind all the time and its just crazy.

Yesterday I was on a flight and the hostess was walking down the aisle and she was asking everyone what they wanted. This being Asia everyone was having fruit juice and tea. Then the guy in front of me asked for a beer and they had beer and it was free. HELLO! free beer....this would usually have been my cue to start drinking as many as I could before we landed. The last flight I took before I quit was with United and the flight was delayed so the bar was free.....I asked the hostess for 2 wines and two beers. She looked at me and said "sir, are you seriously asking me for 4 alcoholic beverages?" To which I replied "yes Ma'am, thanks very much". I am not a selfish person but this will tell you how out of control my drinking had become. I was planning to hit those and then another 4 ASAP from a different hostess.

Alcohol is everywhere but I also believe that those that don't drink don't really notice it. I am sure my wife would not have even registered the fact that the guy in front asked for a beer whereas I ended up day dreaming about it for a few moments before ordering a tea...not craving just dreaming...aaaargh

Thepatman

For Alcohol is everywhere just like Evil is.

But I choose the light and sobriety.

mfanch

It's like living near the train or the freeway for me (I'm used to the sound). As a sober person with a little time under the belt and a solution to the drink problem, I don't notice booze that much anymore. It simply isn't on my radar. For me, it was more a change in perception and brain wiring than anything else.

Tang

Problem is people don't push junk food on you like they do alcohol.