Jillian2563

I don't know why I drink. I do know that I don't want to drink anymore. I read an article on NPR on how changing the surroundings of soldiers (by coming home to the US), the soldiers were able to maintain sobriety and very few relapsed. So I know that I need to change my surroundings by changing my habits and lifestyle to be successful at staying sober. Such as, not stopping at the store on my way home for my beer. How did you change your habits to be successful in sobriety?

anattaboy

I think it helps in the very beginning like a treatment stay might--distance from the immediacy. Some calm is needed for decisions on everything else and moving forward with some plan for the hours in a day spent w/alcohol (for me that was 90%). AVRT helped me--you can find that here Secular Connections - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information. The irrational urge to drink again will come one day--we can plan for it. And yes, some stores I don't even go to anymore more because I only went there for booze. Taking a different route home can help too.

Jackandbess2

I use to cook and drink wine as soon as I started preparing the dinner. I changed the wine for a non alcoholic wine that looks exactly like wine and once chilled tastes good also. At first changing habits can feel really hard work but before you know it you have a new set of habits in place that will feel normal. Just stick out the hardest bit at the start.

FreeOwl

I spent a long time secretly wondering why I drank.... Why I drank the way I did.... Why I didn't seem to be able to choose when or how or how much with any predictability or consistency

Then I finally figured out it was because I am an alcoholic.... I have an addiction to alcohol. It wasn't as much about the surroundings as my response to them.

I did make some changes and I do steer clear of certain surroundings even now, but what really keeps me sober is actively working on my sobriety and my emotional health and my physical health and my Whole Being through SE, AA, counseling, exercise, meditation, the steps, and honest self-examination..

Lancashire

We are addicted to alcohol, changing your surroundings and routine helped me enormously.

Anna

Early evening was hard for me, so I started walking after supper. I walked for about an hour or so each day and it helped me on so many levels.

ScottFromWI

In early sobriety, I made very detailed schedules of my day, listing everything I was going to do and every place I was going to go. Having a plan for each day greatly reduced "idle" time, which is of course when the addiction starts talking loudly again.

You may also benefit from one of the many organized recovery plans/programs that are out there. Meeting based recovery is generally on a regimented schedule and provides resources to work with when you are not at the meetings.

Soberwolf

I used to write up a list the night before of what needed done a to do list

Sometimes the list gets big lol so i condensed it to what can i actually do today

having a list not only helps but it helps your time management

Jillian2563

I was thinking this morning that I should buy a planner with the time slits do that I can plan every hour of my day. I just might do that Scott.

Thanks everyone for your responses. I am hoping today will be my day 1.

JD4010

I need to find places to "hang out", rather than alone in the apartment (well, my kitty is there, but no other humans). I tend to go to the library a lot but after it closes, where can I go? Can't afford to join a gym (divorce left me penniless). Coffee houses are cool, I guess. Plenty of them in town.

JanieJ

Hi Jillian

For me , I had to change pretty much everything. For instance, I associated drinking with watching a movie in the evening, so now I read or post on SR instead, or do something like decorating my house or cleaning.

I avoided going past stores where I stopped to buy booze and went a different route.

As Anna said, walking is incredibly helpful.

Also eating, particularly sweet foods such as ice cream, helped a lot in the early days, and also treating myself, luxurious hot baths, a new book, a nice meal, etc.

I hope today will be your day 1.

You can do this!

zerothehero

I didn't understand why I drank until I had been sober for awhile. For me it's not just alcoholism; alcohol is just one of many of my addictions. I guess I'm an addict first, an alcohol just plays into it. The key is to be clean and sober long enough to gain some clarity.

I spend a lot of time alone. Though I drank at home I was more tempted when out and about. Everybody is different. Reading about addiction and recovery helped me. Maybe go to some support groups like AA...

Hang in there, but I tend to believe the "I drank because I'm an alcoholic" is most often an oversimplification.

Jillian2563

I wish I could go a different route home but I have to pass by the store leaving my work, it's the only way. But I will have willpower today! I promised my hubby I wouldn't drink (we are trying to get sober together although his addiction is meth).

mns1

I think changing your environment can be helpful to a point. But I am a firm believer in the saying, "Wherever you go, there you are." You could fly halfway around the world to some remote area but any underlying problem you have is going to be right there with you.

I personally did not truly begin to understand the root of my drinking problem until I learned how to manage my emotions better. At first I thought I drank to drown doubts about my future but it turned out I was bottling up all sorts of feelings that I should have been channeling in a more mentally healthful way. It required seeking a little help, but it has paid off.