Class of November 2015
Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 15
Rough evening
Day 4 (72 hrs + 4)
I've been feeling like I can't make it through this evening without drinking. I'm still not sure. I mean I can but I really really don't want to. I want to "relax", I want to escape, I want to have a couple of glasses of wine and dive into work; it is so much more enjoyable to work on a light buzz. Problem is I won't stop at 2 .. before the night is out it would be 4 or 6 or 8. Ye old "I've already had something to drink it doesn't really matter"
I don't want to feel like a loser tomorrow though. I don't want to feel like I don't have self-control. I want to be who I am, without "aids" for relaxing or sleeping or enjoying a good mood or for relieving a bad one.
I (probably) won't give up tonight (poured all the alcohol out and the hubby will give me the stink eye - a very convincing one - if I tell him I'm going to the store to get wine) but for sure I'm miserable right now and I don't quite believe that I will feel as good even in a month without wine as I did with it. All this adds up to very little motivation.
Help?
I've been feeling like I can't make it through this evening without drinking. I'm still not sure. I mean I can but I really really don't want to. I want to "relax", I want to escape, I want to have a couple of glasses of wine and dive into work; it is so much more enjoyable to work on a light buzz. Problem is I won't stop at 2 .. before the night is out it would be 4 or 6 or 8. Ye old "I've already had something to drink it doesn't really matter"
I don't want to feel like a loser tomorrow though. I don't want to feel like I don't have self-control. I want to be who I am, without "aids" for relaxing or sleeping or enjoying a good mood or for relieving a bad one.
I (probably) won't give up tonight (poured all the alcohol out and the hubby will give me the stink eye - a very convincing one - if I tell him I'm going to the store to get wine) but for sure I'm miserable right now and I don't quite believe that I will feel as good even in a month without wine as I did with it. All this adds up to very little motivation.
Help?
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,416
Hi Lisa
there's a technique called playing the tape through, and you're already using it...try to force yourself to go past those pleasant scenes in your head and confront the reality of where 'one or two' drinks will take you.
That buzz you're remembering as pleasant - is it really worth it?
Try and think of other ways to deal with your discomfort - are you hunbgry? eat something? tired? go to bed early.
exercise is good for me when I feel overwound...or watching a favourite TV show or listening to music.
You can get through tonight - noone ever woke up and said 'I'm SO glad I drank last night'
D
there's a technique called playing the tape through, and you're already using it...try to force yourself to go past those pleasant scenes in your head and confront the reality of where 'one or two' drinks will take you.
That buzz you're remembering as pleasant - is it really worth it?
Try and think of other ways to deal with your discomfort - are you hunbgry? eat something? tired? go to bed early.
exercise is good for me when I feel overwound...or watching a favourite TV show or listening to music.
You can get through tonight - noone ever woke up and said 'I'm SO glad I drank last night'
D
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,416
In case some of you may not have seen this, this is a great link:
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-cravings.html
D
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-cravings.html
D
Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 563
Hi Lisa, I echo Dee's post. I was in the same boat last night; I just felt like my night wouldn't be manageable without drinking. Well, to be clear, my AV convinced me the night would not be manageable without drinking. So yes, I had a few hours with a buzz, but then got bored and woke up this morning with a hangover and guilt from drinking last night. And now I'm back at square one. Dee is right, you will wake up tomorrow happy that you did not drink. Stay strong! It is not worth it to drink.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 258
Lisa, echoing what the others have said and I WAS in the same boat as you earlier tonight and there is a ton of alcohol in my house, there always has been, we entertain a lot around here. I did as Dee suggests - I played the tape and recalled the awful hangovers, the guilt and remorse, etc...it's just not worth it, hang in there with me!
Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 15
Ok, I think I made it through the hard bump tonight. I did make myself some coffee and churning through work listening to some upbeat music feeling a bit more hopeful.
Thank you so much for all your encouragement, Carol's tips and the samhsa.gov docs! I've read them all and it's really helped. I also googled "what i have learned quitting alcohol" (I remember seeing a buzzfeed article entitled that) and found numerous accounts of people talking about the changes they have seen in their lives. I will add that to my own list of coping activities.
I will check in tomorrow, hopefully less desperate Thank you again!
Thank you so much for all your encouragement, Carol's tips and the samhsa.gov docs! I've read them all and it's really helped. I also googled "what i have learned quitting alcohol" (I remember seeing a buzzfeed article entitled that) and found numerous accounts of people talking about the changes they have seen in their lives. I will add that to my own list of coping activities.
I will check in tomorrow, hopefully less desperate
Thank you again!
Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 15
Originally Posted by SwimKim12 
Hi Lisa, I echo Dee's post. I was in the same boat last night; I just felt like my night wouldn't be manageable without drinking. Well, to be clear, my AV convinced me the night would not be manageable without drinking. So yes, I had a few hours with a buzz, but then got bored and woke up this morning with a hangover and guilt from drinking last night. And now I'm back at square one. Dee is right, you will wake up tomorrow happy that you did not drink. Stay strong! It is not worth it to drink.
But you're still in the fight and that matters. Finish this week strong with me.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Southern California
Posts: 690
Great job Lisa
Originally Posted by lisa247
Ok, I think I made it through the hard bump tonight. I did make myself some coffee and churning through work listening to some upbeat music feeling a bit more hopeful.
Thank you so much for all your encouragement, Carol's tips and the samhsa.gov docs! I've read them all and it's really helped. I also googled "what i have learned quitting alcohol" (I remember seeing a buzzfeed article entitled that) and found numerous accounts of people talking about the changes they have seen in their lives. I will add that to my own list of coping activities.
I will check in tomorrow, hopefully less desperate Thank you again!
Thank you so much for all your encouragement, Carol's tips and the samhsa.gov docs! I've read them all and it's really helped. I also googled "what i have learned quitting alcohol" (I remember seeing a buzzfeed article entitled that) and found numerous accounts of people talking about the changes they have seen in their lives. I will add that to my own list of coping activities.
I will check in tomorrow, hopefully less desperate
Thank you again!
Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Portland
Posts: 1,631
Finishing day 7! Had a really productive day off and I'm looking forward to a good nights sleep. I needed to Chang an appointment, and instead of my hungover drama I just made the call. Nothing to it! I'm so much my competent!
Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: USA
Posts: 5,250
Originally Posted by KeyofC
I don't have an excuse when offered a drink. I'm honest and matter of fact and say "no thanks! I don't drink anymore!" That's it. If they ask then I'll tell them that for me I felt like I just needed to not drink anymore, personal decision. Depending on who it is j may tell them I'm an alcoholic or I felt it became a problem for me. That's how I do it!
Guest
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,174
Evening people,
Only day 3 here.....but a difficult couple of moments this afternoon. Immediate boss leaving after nearly 24 years....and I guess we can all see where that scenario leads. Straight to the bar....No way can you just not go. I got caught on the hop.....thinking it was tomorrow given that it really was the last day.
Lime soda did it tho. Just the one....then I quietly slip out having done the sociable. But get followed out by the room extrovert just trying to pull me back into the fun.....plenty of you will have read here about the people 'who don't get it'.....the attitude is 'don't you want to have any fun?....anyway, managed to get away.
Still tired, sleep is still shallow and disturbed. Get tired during the days...the stinging eyes, yawns.
Reading the discussion about the Day 4 Fails.....sure for some its feeling good and in control again. But I think for others of us Day 4 has been four days tired, three nights sleepless and today sick of it. A Few Drinks will provide the usual temporary pickup which, by this point, is what you're used to caring about the most. And, if you drink weekends, it's probably Friday too. Which means back to Day One on Monday after a heavy weekend. And so it cycles.......
Only day 3 here.....but a difficult couple of moments this afternoon. Immediate boss leaving after nearly 24 years....and I guess we can all see where that scenario leads. Straight to the bar....No way can you just not go. I got caught on the hop.....thinking it was tomorrow given that it really was the last day.
Lime soda did it tho. Just the one....then I quietly slip out having done the sociable. But get followed out by the room extrovert just trying to pull me back into the fun.....plenty of you will have read here about the people 'who don't get it'.....the attitude is 'don't you want to have any fun?....anyway, managed to get away.
Still tired, sleep is still shallow and disturbed. Get tired during the days...the stinging eyes, yawns.
Reading the discussion about the Day 4 Fails.....sure for some its feeling good and in control again. But I think for others of us Day 4 has been four days tired, three nights sleepless and today sick of it. A Few Drinks will provide the usual temporary pickup which, by this point, is what you're used to caring about the most. And, if you drink weekends, it's probably Friday too. Which means back to Day One on Monday after a heavy weekend. And so it cycles.......
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,416
I'm glad you made it through canguy.
I get what you're saying - that voice that says one more time won't make much more of a difference to the crap I'm in...
but sometime that little pick me up will stop working.
It's much better to push on now & to have the faith to move onto day 5 rather than wait until you reach that point where alcohol is just not working anymore, drinking or not. Trust me.
Have faith canguy
D
I get what you're saying - that voice that says one more time won't make much more of a difference to the crap I'm in...
but sometime that little pick me up will stop working.
It's much better to push on now & to have the faith to move onto day 5 rather than wait until you reach that point where alcohol is just not working anymore, drinking or not. Trust me.
Have faith canguy
D
Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Ky
Posts: 2,043
Thursday! Wow so close to Thanksgiving..oh and it's my birthday month! No matter my age cause it's just a number I've always loved my birthday!
So glad to see you all posting and hashing out your urges, triggers, and bad feelings! Post post and post more if it keeps you from drinking that's what the goal is! It really is learning a whole new way to live, a new life, a new you.
For me alcohol controlled everything. I planned everything around it, involving it, and making sure it was a situation where I could get more. "One is one too many, one more is never enough." ~Kenny Chesney (song)
Change your thinking, to change your thinking and in return your new way of thinking will help guide you down the right path to change your life. Gotta take away the power alcohol had in your life. The good new is, you'll start actually feeling again. The bad news is, you'll actually start feeling again. It can be stressful, cause triggers, and feel devastating at times. These feelings are normal and such a must for you to start recovery. You got to quit looking back, forgive yourself, forgive others, move on. Lay it all down. Look forward not back. You can't change the past but come to peace with it and let it go.
Keep strong in your sobriety! Hang in there! Nobody said it would be easy, but it's soo worth it!
So glad to see you all posting and hashing out your urges, triggers, and bad feelings! Post post and post more if it keeps you from drinking that's what the goal is! It really is learning a whole new way to live, a new life, a new you.
For me alcohol controlled everything. I planned everything around it, involving it, and making sure it was a situation where I could get more. "One is one too many, one more is never enough." ~Kenny Chesney (song)
Change your thinking, to change your thinking and in return your new way of thinking will help guide you down the right path to change your life. Gotta take away the power alcohol had in your life. The good new is, you'll start actually feeling again. The bad news is, you'll actually start feeling again. It can be stressful, cause triggers, and feel devastating at times. These feelings are normal and such a must for you to start recovery. You got to quit looking back, forgive yourself, forgive others, move on. Lay it all down. Look forward not back. You can't change the past but come to peace with it and let it go.
Keep strong in your sobriety! Hang in there! Nobody said it would be easy, but it's soo worth it!
Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: USA
Posts: 2,332
Hi everyone,
Just checking in. Thanks for all of your posts, they keep me motivated and help me realize I am not alone in this.
Andysob, thanks for your thoughts about my mom and I like your idea about taping something to your ID to remind you of something that might deter you from drinking. I might try it
Have a great day everyone
Just checking in. Thanks for all of your posts, they keep me motivated and help me realize I am not alone in this.
Andysob, thanks for your thoughts about my mom and I like your idea about taping something to your ID to remind you of something that might deter you from drinking. I might try it
Have a great day everyone
Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 258
Checking in at the beginning of day 5, at work and feeling great. Working on a plan to power through the weekend sober, this won't be easy. Ugh!
Back to work, waving hello to everyone, let's get through the weekend together!
Back to work, waving hello to everyone, let's get through the weekend together!
Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: USA
Posts: 5,250
Worried.....HELP!
So it's early in the morning & the first thing I am thinking about is how to sneak off & drink today.
NOOOO!!! Today is day 3 AGAIN & it's the day I always crash & burn! I've gotten to the point where I feel like I will never make it past day 3. :-(
I don't want to drink today! Any positive words?
Thank you
K
So it's early in the morning & the first thing I am thinking about is how to sneak off & drink today.
NOOOO!!! Today is day 3 AGAIN & it's the day I always crash & burn! I've gotten to the point where I feel like I will never make it past day 3. :-(
I don't want to drink today! Any positive words?
Thank you
K
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