AWald88

Ok Im back, same old same old I made it to 50days and then the cravings started back up. People seem to suggest that they only last for minutes but for me it felt like days.

So here I am day 2 again hating myself again feeling like crap. My question is how do you guys experiance these cravings. I dont drink every day or even most weeks but after 1-2 months it becomes unbearable. I fight if for days then cave. I try running but it just creaps back

Gottalife

Welcome Awald, On my own the maximum I could last was 21 days. Then I joined the action in AA. From the moment I got serious and made an effort, I never had a craving that wasn't easily controlled. The problem was removed completely and has not returned in over 38 years. I was someone who most of the time, could not stay away from the booze for even a few hours, even with the very best of reasons.

least

To stay sober, I had to want to be sober more than I wanted to drink. Also, practicing gratitude helps to reduce cravings.

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/22/o...pier.html?_r=0

time2shineagain

I have a journal with a list of things to do should a craving strike.

*Drink a non-alcoholic drink (tea, coffee, soft drink, juice etc)
*Listen to some music
*Take a shower or bath
*Clean the house
*Go for a walk/spend time with the dog
*Play with the kids

And most importantly:

Play the tape forward. Reflect on what will happen after that first drink....for me, it's never ONE drink. One turns into 10+ which turns into a hangover, severe anxiety, shame, self-loathing and ANOTHER day one. The cycle just repeats.

You CAN do this. Keep trying.

Rar

Hi AWald. To me, it seemed my cravings lasted a long time, too. I would say some days they lasted all day. On those days I would go to bed early - sometimes 6-7:00. Almost always I felt better the next day. When I think about it, I would term my cravings as more of a 'longing' and wanting to feel better. I would want to feel better all day. Because I almost always feel better the next day, I just hold on to that thought.

Can you post here first before you cave. It helps, I know from experience. Try again! .

Dee74

Posting here helped a lot. Just white knuckling it through tired me out and thats when my resistance got low and bad ideas struck.

Reading and posting here, seeing what others were doing to stay sober really helped me

D

AWald88

Thanks for your responses. Dee74 I have been journaling as well and it helps.

I'm going to try posting here when I start to feel the cravings and see if they help.

I feel I'm going backwards, last year I drank after work most days ( I work away) but would usually be able to stop at 6-8 so as to be sober for work. I was noticing that I'd been slowly taking more risks and even the occasional sick day when the risk did not pay off.

This year I challenged myself to stop drinking for the year thinking that as I didn't drink that much It would be easy. At first it was only slightly hard and I made it to 68 days. I then got drunk felt terrible .

Rar

69 days was a shaky time for me too, AWald. This past 69 days, I posted here first. I didn't see any point in continuing my sobriety. The folks here talked me down from the cliff (in fact they talked me down a couple of times) and today I'm on Day 102. Read the threads when you're feeling shaky. Posting here first before picking up will help!