Replacement...
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 12
Replacement...
I love how all you guys & girls have given up on the booze. What did you replace it with though ? It's a big gap to fill for me.
I really want to stop drinking, is a AA meeting the answer ?
I really want to stop drinking, is a AA meeting the answer ?
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 25,373
Give it a try. It's the only way to find out.
Sometimes it's a battle, but it gets easier to find other things to do after a while. Take it easy on yourself, there's a lot going on physically and emotionally in early sobriety. Good food and some exercise outdoors and as much sleep as possible all helped me.
Sometimes it's a battle, but it gets easier to find other things to do after a while. Take it easy on yourself, there's a lot going on physically and emotionally in early sobriety. Good food and some exercise outdoors and as much sleep as possible all helped me.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 2,872
Hello and welcome.
Sounds like you have a desire to quit drinking. I think AA would be great for you. It will give you something to do that's positive and you just might get sober if you're willing.
Filling the void left by procuring alcohol, imbibing it and recovering from drinking, for me was a great challenge for me.
But after some sober time, I realized that there was almost nothing I couldn't do. Sober. The world has opened up to me. I'm no longer a quivering wreck of anxiety or a drunken slob who thought he was having fun drinking.
At the end, I was alone with a bottle. Drinking almost daily then recovering.
Is that anyway to spend time? I did for ten years.
I think you'll be pleasantly surprised, if you decide to quit, how many opportunities and things to do that fill the time.
Now I even enjoy just being alone, like today on this cold, rainy day. I'm happy.
I'm not drunk. I'm not hungover. I'm being me, and I've discovered I like myself.
I now feel comfortable in my own skin without the need for alcohol.
There's a whole world out there waiting for you, and you're limited only by your imagination.
I hope you do quit and best to you.
Sounds like you have a desire to quit drinking. I think AA would be great for you. It will give you something to do that's positive and you just might get sober if you're willing.
Filling the void left by procuring alcohol, imbibing it and recovering from drinking, for me was a great challenge for me.
But after some sober time, I realized that there was almost nothing I couldn't do. Sober. The world has opened up to me. I'm no longer a quivering wreck of anxiety or a drunken slob who thought he was having fun drinking.
At the end, I was alone with a bottle. Drinking almost daily then recovering.
Is that anyway to spend time? I did for ten years.
I think you'll be pleasantly surprised, if you decide to quit, how many opportunities and things to do that fill the time.
Now I even enjoy just being alone, like today on this cold, rainy day. I'm happy.
I'm not drunk. I'm not hungover. I'm being me, and I've discovered I like myself.
I now feel comfortable in my own skin without the need for alcohol.
There's a whole world out there waiting for you, and you're limited only by your imagination.
I hope you do quit and best to you.
LoveHateMerlot
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Texas
Posts: 68
Hey Juan Carlos!! Welcome to SR! I've only been here 11 days (and only 11 days sober), and coming here has changed my life. Here is a online community with very similar stories, that understand, and will show you love and mercy. I am coping the past 10 days, mostly extremely hard, replacing the drinking with this site, soda pop and candy, hikes, yoga, movies and Netflix series. It's not easy. If you want the suffering to stop, the only way is to stop drinking. We are all here for you! Focus on all the new and positive things you experience while being sober, it helps me a lot.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 8,637
What did I replace booze with?
A rich, abundant, blessed and joyful LIFE.
An AA meeting wasn't the answer (though AA meetings were a part of my personal success in embracing sobriety).
The answer was CHOOSING to embrace sobriety and to live my life as fully and deeply as I can - then taking ACTION in support of that choice (and repeating daily).
I replaced booze with exercise, with focused work, with family, with friends, with new hobbies and interests, with recovery work, with therapy, with the Big Book, with a sponsor, with friends in recovery, with music, journaling, writing, exploring new places, cycling, fishing, martial arts, Daddying, paying my bills on time, eliminating my debt, saving money up, buying a second home, pursuing volunteer and service work, being there for others, roller skating, swimming, spending simple and present time with my family, surfing, skateboarding, movies...... and much much more.
It's not a single, simple, magic bullet answer - but it's a richly-rewarding endeavor and one you'll not regret.
A rich, abundant, blessed and joyful LIFE.
An AA meeting wasn't the answer (though AA meetings were a part of my personal success in embracing sobriety).
The answer was CHOOSING to embrace sobriety and to live my life as fully and deeply as I can - then taking ACTION in support of that choice (and repeating daily).
I replaced booze with exercise, with focused work, with family, with friends, with new hobbies and interests, with recovery work, with therapy, with the Big Book, with a sponsor, with friends in recovery, with music, journaling, writing, exploring new places, cycling, fishing, martial arts, Daddying, paying my bills on time, eliminating my debt, saving money up, buying a second home, pursuing volunteer and service work, being there for others, roller skating, swimming, spending simple and present time with my family, surfing, skateboarding, movies...... and much much more.
It's not a single, simple, magic bullet answer - but it's a richly-rewarding endeavor and one you'll not regret.
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,477
Here are lots of our ideas and plans of recovery:
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...at-we-did.html
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...at-we-did.html
All is Change
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,282
the most successful attempts at sobriety for me came from embracing whatever came. For example doing 3 meetings every day for thirty days kept me busy walking from meeting to meeting. Sitting serving 10 day vipassana courses for months on end. Basically living the ashram life.
I think those periods of concentrated sobriety helped me to then live a life outside those strictures and as I am fairly content with just being my life is 'filled' by whatever happens to be happening moment to moment.
I think those periods of concentrated sobriety helped me to then live a life outside those strictures and as I am fairly content with just being my life is 'filled' by whatever happens to be happening moment to moment.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: northern michigan. not the U.P.
Posts: 15,281
i cant say whether aa meeting would be a replacement for you, but it wasnt for me.
what was a replacement was the program of aa- it taught me how to replace drinking with living.
what was a replacement was the program of aa- it taught me how to replace drinking with living.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,391
Hi JuanCarlos
I didn't really replace it with anything, but I replaced it with everything.
what I mean by that is I used alcohol to help me with every little problem I had...by the time I stopped drinking I drank all day everyday.
Instead of replacing alcohol with something else, I worked really hard at finding other ways to deal with boredom, anger, frustrations, despiar.
I found new ways to have fun and I forged new relationships, ones not based on a shared love of booze.
It sounds pretty wholesale and hardcore and I guess it was but I really love the life I've gotten in return.
For me just not drinking was only the first step in my recovery.
D
I didn't really replace it with anything, but I replaced it with everything.
what I mean by that is I used alcohol to help me with every little problem I had...by the time I stopped drinking I drank all day everyday.
Instead of replacing alcohol with something else, I worked really hard at finding other ways to deal with boredom, anger, frustrations, despiar.
I found new ways to have fun and I forged new relationships, ones not based on a shared love of booze.
It sounds pretty wholesale and hardcore and I guess it was but I really love the life I've gotten in return.
For me just not drinking was only the first step in my recovery.
D
LoveHateMerlot
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Texas
Posts: 68
Originally Posted by Dee74 
Hi JuanCarlos
I didn't really replace it with anything, but I replaced it with everything.
what I mean by that is I used alcohol to help me with every little problem I had...by the time I stopped drinking I drank all day everyday.
Instead of replacing alcohol with something else, I worked really hard at finding other ways to deal with boredom, anger, frustrations, despiar.
I found new ways to have fun and I forged new relationships, ones not based on a shared love of booze.
It sounds pretty wholesale and hardcore and I guess it was but I really love the life I've gotten in return.
For me just not drinking was only the first step in my recovery.
D
I didn't really replace it with anything, but I replaced it with everything.
what I mean by that is I used alcohol to help me with every little problem I had...by the time I stopped drinking I drank all day everyday.
Instead of replacing alcohol with something else, I worked really hard at finding other ways to deal with boredom, anger, frustrations, despiar.
I found new ways to have fun and I forged new relationships, ones not based on a shared love of booze.
It sounds pretty wholesale and hardcore and I guess it was but I really love the life I've gotten in return.
For me just not drinking was only the first step in my recovery.
D
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
