hopefull24

Cant believe how intense they are... i wish they would stop

Time2Rise

Try urge surfing. It helped me. And the cravings will eventually stop, but you will have to ride them out for a few days. You can do it though; as the quote goes: "If you're walking through hell, keep going".

BTW, try not to fight the cravings; that only makes them worse IMO. Just accept that they exist and then as best you can, focus your attention on other things

Riding the Wave: Using Mindfulness to Help Cope with Urges | Portland Psychotherapy

JD

Go for a walk. It helps me a lot. Just do something to get your mind off them. They go away pretty fast. Also look into urge surfing.

PurpleKnight

Hang in there Hopefull, they will ease with time and there will be light at the end of tunnel.

We just need to get over that first few weeks, make it to that happier place!!

You can do this!!

Lolabella

On day 8 and am literally climbing the walls with craving. But just writing this helps. Looking forward to Day 9 and not feeling hungover, cranky and shameful

biminiblue

Day Nine was my worst day - due to some resentments that cropped up. It got a lot better after that.

I had to learn to deal with all my emotions coming at me full force. They were pretty uncomfortable in the beginning. Keep it going.

Luchita

My worst days were 5 through to 7 but now I'm on day 12 and things are a lot easier! Keep going. I've had two sober weekends now and I can't believe how much I accomplushed and how much I've enjoyed them!! It has been worthwhile riding trough the cravings and choosing to ignore them 😅

OnMyWay7

Just hang on it does get easier - in the beginning it might feel like you'll never stop thinking about it.

Fabat50

I am on my 4th attempt in 3 weeks and have not yet got passed day 7. The cravings day 6/7 were terrible. (Am back on day 4 today) We just need to draw strength from the 100s of people on this site who are testimony to how Worth it will be when we get through these early weeks. I am in no position to give advice here am struggling through every minute but one of the things I am trying to do is 'to be kind to myself" and break my usual evening routine. I have been walking, renting films that I always wanted to watch,reading that book that I never got in to, calling friends that I have neglected, posting here A LOT. I also have a couple of quotes in my head from people here that touched me that I keep playing over and over in my head. One of the most simple things that struck me is keep telling yourself how great you will feel going to bed sober and waking up fresh in the morning. I know I can do this. You can too.

Anna

Just do whatever you can to get through it. It will get easier.

Congratulations on Day 4.

Lance40

Hang tight and stay the course. It gets easier. Cravings will eventually get fewer and weaker until one day you'll realize you can't remember the last time you had one.

entropy1964

For me I have to plan my days very carefully. In very early days I try to stay really busy. Cleaning, organizing, exercising (as along as you feel well enough), cooking. I often crave when I'm hungry and bored. Meetings for support, be it AA or Smart, can really help. Even if you don't 'buy in' to all that is being said, it is a great way to get out of my head. Go to Starbucks, sip coffee and read. Sitting in the magazine section at the library and reading all the goofy mags that are too pricey to buy! Volunteering. There's a website called voluntermatch and it can show you all the different opportunities in your area.

Drinking, planning to drink, getting over drink, regretting drink took so much mental and physical space. When that is taken away I have to put serious effort into filling all that time. Idle hands and mind make wasted! Hang in there. It does get easier.

Holds1325

Whenever I had a craving in the early days I'd just suffer through it until the next day.

The cravings are going to come regardless because we are addicts. So its best to just suffer until they get easier and easier to handle. At almost 4 months here I still get cravings and sometimes bad but they are easier to overcome.

I usually distract myself and if that doesn't work then I'll just go lay down and not move make myself lazy etc. so I don't want to get up and go. Otherwise I have a family member take my keys/wallet.

Another good piece of advice I got from someone in early recovery was to make yourself nauseated by it and to really visualize the nausea thats occurs as the result of the inevitable hangover. This usually helps.

These are all just tools though, mostly you have to just stick to it and it will get easier and easier to overcome.

SoberLeigh

Have you seen these links, Hopefull?

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-cravings.html

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...e-surfing.html

sobermax

They will pass! And remarkably soon you won't have to suffer them again.

SoberInCLE

It's a mental game, you can do this!

ChickChick

Hang in there hopefully. You will feel so much better tomorrow after getting though these cravings today. I am on day 4 also.

Such great suggestions!

saoutchik

Jd1639 suggested going for a walk, that is what I did when I was experiencing cravings and it helped me a lot

Time2Rise

BTW, I found Hagen-Dazs to be very helpeful when the cravings hit

blueberry2015

Hang on in there x your doing great x x