least

but I'm not going to give in to the craving. I don't want to have to quit all over again when I've got 8 days sober already. I just came here to "scream" and remind myself that I'm not going to drink today, no matter how bad the cravings get. Thanks for listening.

tkdan

Good for you. Sometimes that is all we can do is say "I'm not going to drink today". Hang in there it gets easier.

ROFL

Congratulations on 8 days! And good for you coming here to scream rather than picking up. One day at a time, one step at a time.

nogard

keep busy, walk talk to others stuff like that. Congrats 8 days is great

ken67

Be kind to yourself......don't have that drink.

warrens

Least

Hang in there. It does get better. Your body and mind are doing a lot of work right now. Repairing itself. Renovating. Sometimes that work requires jackhammers. Painful to listen to, they make a mess. It's what is required to replace decaying, useless structures with a beautiful park.

Keep busy, keep occupied. Read, write, call, go to a meeting. It gets better day by day.

warrens

gravity

Hey L,

One of the most useful bits of advice I picked up on SR was "sometimes the best option is to just go to bed." and that's just what I did. Maybe do something nice for yourself, a bath, warm milk, green tea, & call it a day. I've had many days when "any day sober is a good day" is all that I have had to hang my hat on. Keep strong! D

353

Hi least,

What helped me most was concentrating on the bad stuff my alcolhol use caused. That demon keeps telling me about the ease and comfort, that's the diseases job. My job was to remember all the bad stuff. For awhile I had it written down on a piece of paper I could pull out of my pocket and read. Now I just go back to my first step work from time to time, and reread that. I never want to forget why I want to be sober.

God's peace

CarolD

Well....When newly sober....
I timed my cravings. They were 5-7 minutes in duration.
Not too long too endure discomfort.
Soooo....I took action.
Walk around ... brush teeth...drink cold water...a Lifesaver

Within 2 weeks...the lessened in both time and intensity.
By 2 or so months .... they vanished.

Now...were they mental or physical?
Darn if I know. Nor do I care.

Hope this helps you get a handle on cravings.

tesquizito

Least, we have the same anniversary, stay sober with me :-)

I know I'll probably be posting something similar somewhere down the line, and I hope you or this forum will be there to set me straight.

I believe in you, believe in yourself.

StayinAlive

sounds like you have allready played the reality tape through after the first drink, good job. Visualize all your pain and your worst moments, its all there in a glass.

least

I do indeed repeat to myself how bad I get when I drink, and it seems like the worse the craving, the more I fight it off. I'm curious about one thing tho. AFter the first three days of withdrawal the feeling bad seemed to go away. Now, yesterday and today (day nine) I woke up feeling anxious and nervous, almost like the first few days after I stopped drinking. It's almost like the withdrawal effects all over again, just not so severe. I'm wondering when, if ever, this will stop altogether. It's most distracting to wake up feeling so agitated. Is it common for withdrawal effects to "come back" after a while? My doctor won't prescribe any anti anxiety meds so I don't know how to deal with the anxiety, the racing pounding heart.

That said, I'm happy to have reached day 9 and promise myself I WILL NOT DRINK TODAY!!

thank you all for the support and encouragement.:ghug3

GraceGevin

i just wrote the same thing on another thread! my heart is racing and i feel nervous, agitated. i'm here with you! i was thinking of maybe going for a walk... or watching a movie if i can concentrate. maybe we just need to sit through it, feel it and wait to come out the other side? i'm on day 14 and my skin is crawling. ooo, maybe a bath? sittin' right here with you!!

least

I am going to drown myself in housework today! The house could really use it and I could use the distraction. Have tried watching movies but cannot sit still long enough to finish watching. Yesterday I took my dogs for a long walk. Will probably do the same today. AFter housework and before dog-walk I will take a nice hot shower.

It's good to know I'm not sitting here anxiously all by myself!

GraceGevin

your plan sounds great to me. i'll be thinking of you. stay strong! we can do this!

GraceGevin

hi least. how did you do yesterday. i feel much better today. not as anxious. just wanted to check in on you and let you know i was thinking of you.

least

THis is day Ten and I feel better. STill feel agitated but not as much as when I woke up. I can't believe I've got ten whole days in. On day one I didn't think I'd live thru it. Still having cravings but I talk myself out of it. I don't want to undo what I've earned and for sure don't want to have to start all over. So, I will not drink today!:ghug

GraceGevin

GREAT to hear!!!! Good for you. That's what I keep thinking. If I use now then I go back to day one (im on day 15). I don't want to go back. But it's so hard too. I sometimes doubt myself. BUT I keep telling myself that my brain will get cluttered. That my body is healing. That it's like a surgery and one must let the wound heal. Most people don't scratch and tear their wound apart so why would I do that to my body and brain by going back to day one. I know it's kind of a morbid visual but it helps me. Stay strong!!!

SkippyD

Congratulations on day ten and good to hear that you are feeling better. Be kind to yourself, you deserve it.

least

THis is day Eleven and I have awful cravings for a glass of wine. But knowing that I can't stop at just one glass I'm fighting the craving with all my will power. I just CAN'T ruin my eleven days sober. I don't want to start all over. Just needed to vent, to scream that my body is telling me one thing but my heart is telling me another. I will follow my heart, as it's "in the right place" and a glass of wine would cause damage. I wish these damn cravings would go away. They're so distracting!!!:praying

I know why I'm craving alcohol - I'm very depressed the last few days as I'm still unemployed and the job prospects in my area aren't very good.