New to SR and Day 52
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 54
New to SR and Day 52
hello everyone, today is day 52 of no alcohol or pills for me after 20 years of using....I am on the one month shot of Naltrexone and have no cravings for pills but have had fleeting cravings for alcohol. Not sure if it’s the usual lifestyle habit and I just need to change my patterns but last night I almost had a glass of wine...this scares me as I read what others write about thinking the occasional drink leads to the old nightmares, ntm everything I heard in rehab and my AA groups......I’m also in therapy, an IOP, changed my living arrangement, eating better, etc., just wish these cravings would go away....any suggestions would be greatly appreciated....
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,494
Welcome and good job on your sobriety!
Yes, I think it's important to recognize the pattern of habits and to make life style changes that support your recovery. I would expect that your cravings will diminish soon. The longer you stay sober and work on your recovery, the cravings should diminish.
Yes, I think it's important to recognize the pattern of habits and to make life style changes that support your recovery. I would expect that your cravings will diminish soon. The longer you stay sober and work on your recovery, the cravings should diminish.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Adelaide, Australia
Posts: 28,658
Welcome to SR Lena.
Lots of info on lots of stuff in the sticky's- newcomer forums.
Cravings come like waves (they did for me). Distraction in that moment helps..cleaning, walking...mindful breathing can also help- plus of course lots of water (ad coffee), and eating something...
Lots of info on lots of stuff in the sticky's- newcomer forums.
Cravings come like waves (they did for me). Distraction in that moment helps..cleaning, walking...mindful breathing can also help- plus of course lots of water (ad coffee), and eating something...
Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: California
Posts: 1,428
Congrats on 52 days! I definitely had cravings at that time frame. Honestly eating something sweet helped me a lot. After having Ben n Jerry's drinking wine was not appealing! The sweet tooth abated after awhile. Keep going, it is a tough journey, won't lie, but it's worth it
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 54
Much gratitude
Much thanks and appreciation to everyone and the kindness and support.... I have gone for a walk, cleaned the house and am doing paperwork....but honestly the cravings are perched right on my shoulder....
Community Greeter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 51,557
Hi Lena - I'm so glad you joined us. I'm sorry you're going through a challenging time. 52 days is wonderful, but it is still early yet. I found that my cravings lessened as I grew stronger. It won't stay this way forever.
Posting and reading here helps us to not feel alone. That meant everything to me. No one in my life really understood like my friends here. Keep going - you're doing a great thing for yourself by getting free of it.
Posting and reading here helps us to not feel alone. That meant everything to me. No one in my life really understood like my friends here. Keep going - you're doing a great thing for yourself by getting free of it.
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: canada
Posts: 7,242
welcome, Lena.
what helped me with those urgesthat felt like needs was to first of all affirm that it was not a need at all but a want. and not a “real” want, either, since i really wanted sobriety.
after that, i would look at how i was feeling at the times i felt that “want” masked as “need”, and often that was stressed in various ways. usually. crappy work situation. dissatisfaction and frustration with annoying demands from others. dissatisfaction with myself.
whatever it was....always there were/are other ways to deal with those circumstances. ways that i hadn’t considered nor used, since drinking is what i went to.
you almost had a glass(is there wine in your house?), but you didn’t. you did something else and you’re here to tell. great!
do you have “real” life support , someone you can phone and chat with if things get rough?
what helped me with those urgesthat felt like needs was to first of all affirm that it was not a need at all but a want. and not a “real” want, either, since i really wanted sobriety.
after that, i would look at how i was feeling at the times i felt that “want” masked as “need”, and often that was stressed in various ways. usually. crappy work situation. dissatisfaction and frustration with annoying demands from others. dissatisfaction with myself.
whatever it was....always there were/are other ways to deal with those circumstances. ways that i hadn’t considered nor used, since drinking is what i went to.
you almost had a glass(is there wine in your house?), but you didn’t. you did something else and you’re here to tell. great!
do you have “real” life support , someone you can phone and chat with if things get rough?
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 54
Hi Fini!
Thank you for ur words and I appreciate ur support...
i don’t have any alcohol in the house but I can easily go up the street to buy some, but I am trying every day to change my behavior to hopefully change my thoughts: a little “CBT” which I’m always working on.
i do have sober friends I can reach out too but haven’t been doing this as much as I should, so I will try reaching out when the next craving hits...thanks again for ur thoughtfulness sent my way....
i don’t have any alcohol in the house but I can easily go up the street to buy some, but I am trying every day to change my behavior to hopefully change my thoughts: a little “CBT” which I’m always working on.
i do have sober friends I can reach out too but haven’t been doing this as much as I should, so I will try reaching out when the next craving hits...thanks again for ur thoughtfulness sent my way....
Member
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 500
Welcome welcome! You've come to the right place for support and understanding. We have all been there, and while all of our journeys differ, we all are just trying to heal and live life the best we can.
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: canada
Posts: 7,242
ah, you have sober friends! fantastic! use them!
by that i mean: don’t wait til an urge strikes or you’re miserable or itchy restless....build reaching out to sober folk into your daily life and you will likely find that the sobriety-thing gets a bit easier and life a bit more rounded.
congratulations on your sober days!
by that i mean: don’t wait til an urge strikes or you’re miserable or itchy restless....build reaching out to sober folk into your daily life and you will likely find that the sobriety-thing gets a bit easier and life a bit more rounded.
congratulations on your sober days!
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