Day Four - getting hard now.....
 

Well, I am now starting to get a craving. This is the usual time I have my one or two or ten glasses of wine. I am drinking Perrier water and getting ready to go work out. Hopefully working out will eliminate the craving and get me past the usual time. I told my husband that I was starting to crave and he said "just tell yourself you have to get to Friday." Huh????? Is he telling me that it's okay to have a drink on Friday? Talk me out of it, please!!!! :uzi2:

Planning and doing different things at those times is what worked for me.

And, I guess your husband doesn't get it!? It's hard for others to understand, but you know what you need to do.

I believe that is called reservation. But I could be wrong. It should be more like tell yourself you have to get to the rest of your life. Maybe explain that to your husband what a comment like that sounds like. Sometimes people say things trying to help and dont relize how the other person hears it.
If you can make it through what you did at the charity event the other night. Honey you can do anything. I believe in you. Believe in yourself.
And I say no its not ok Friday. Why would it be? Do you feel like starting at square on every week? It would get quite tiring for me. I know that. You have it in you and you can do it.

He might just have meant it in the same way people say 'one day at a time' or 'just for today'?

Anyway, excercise is one of the best way of getting through cravings. Keep strong KC!

Cravings....

In early recovery . I timed my cravings.
Mine were 5/7 minutes in duration.
I can overcome most things for that short time!

I took action during that space.
Brushing my teeth...eating a Lifesaver...drinking water
(notice the oral connection?)

The longer I stayed sober
they lessened in both frequency and intensity.

Totally vanished by 6 months sober.


Keep going forward... Blessings

OK. It worked. I worked out and drank two bottles of Perrier water while doing it. Something about the Perrier for me -- maybe it's close to a vodka/soda??? Another favorite drink. Anyhow, it didn't take long to push through it. I am sitting here staring at an open bottle of wine (my husband had his usual one glass with dinner) and it is not even tempting me. He has offered to take it all out of the house, but I say no - I am not denying him his usual glass of wine. I just made a cup of tea. Speaking of....

My Psychologist told me to try to develop a new habit around the "beverages." For example, she said there is a ritual with opening a bottle of wine. You get the bottle out, you take out the cork, you pour it in a glass, if you're like me, you swirl it around, etc. - it's a big production. Preparing loose tea is a big production too. She suggested I try that when I want to open a bottle. So here's the story.

So I bought some loose tea at a health store, the tea is called "Monsoon Tea". It is all herbs, dandelions, , flowers, etc. I have never had this kind of stuff in tea before. Herbs, yes, dandelions and flowers, no. This Monsoon is supposed to be good for your digestive system. I even bought one of those metal tea ball things you put it in and then spilled the tea all over the counter trying to figure out how to close it and lock it. There is more tea on my counter than in the tea ball thing. Then I put the mug in the microwave and got the water boiling so hard half of it evaporated so I re-did it. Then I put the tea ball thing in and now little pieces of tea and pink flowers are floating out because I did not put the clip on tight enough apparently.

Yes, quite a ritual and yes, enough to make me forget about opening a bottle of wine. If I can't figure out how to brew a cup of loose tea, I am in pretty bad shape. :)

Congrats on day four, I am sure in time you'll get the hang of tea brewing, it sounds pretty cool. That makes sense about the beverages, I quit in June las year quick slip brought me ot July 1st, but I walkded aroung with a bottel of water or can of red bull all m y waking hours until september whe nI went back to work (I teach). ' I figured if something was always pouring down my throught I wouldn't have time to tink about drinking ... it seemed to work.

i know my daughter sucks on hard candy, kc - it helps her with cravings. the tea brewing sounds like a great plan - stay busy and stay sober! blessings, k

I've also heard that the hard candy thing works, try it and anything else but please don't drink , I used to think that I could drink non-alcoholic beer ,... nope. Thought that I could drink sparkling water ,.... nope . It may be hard but I really don't think that you should even comsume anything that even remotely resembles, has the characteristics, or invokes the ritual of consuming an alcoholic beverage . The "tea thing sounds okay " because by the time you figure out how to prepare it properly, the urge to drink you are bravely resisting may subside (smile) . Stay Strong Girl . prayin 4 you. JEI

Good for you!
Your tea story is hilarious...I could see myself doing the same thing. But it is a good idea--to get all wrapped up in doing something else .... I think that my drinking sometimes (probably quite a lot) gets its start in doing something that I have combined with drinking and I have the two so intertwined. I've drank a lot sitting at this computer and I've drank a lot watching movies on tv.......last nite I ate half a carton of ice cream watching a movie. LOL But I didn't drink any yesterday.

KC,

Good for you to keep working at solutions to get you past your cravings. CarolD is exactly right, the cravings usually have a short duration. Doesn't mean it's not hard to get past them, but it helps to know that they won't last. The more you keep working through them, the easier it will get.

Rowan

Stay strong KC. You can do this!