ambush0212

hi all. grateful to have made it through Day 4!!! although i'm feeling ever so much better physically, i'm still not sleeping which is par for the course from what i understand....at 3:30Am last night, i received a phone call from my older brother,also am alcoholic/addict(not in recovery) and he was drunk and high on pills. well, i hadn't talked to him since i began my journey to recovery, so i wasn't angry that he'd called me in that state. i started to get off the phone with him, and then remembered how many times i had done that very thing--been alone and in my cups and picked up the phone. i stayed on with him and listened to his rambling for two hours before he wound up snoring in my ear....i'm not angry with him, but boy i wanted a drink all d*mn day!!! i even thought about taking one of sick grandmothers oxyontins to get a buzz....but i didn't. i gritted my teeth, paced the house like a caged animal and hauled a*s to a meeting when the sun came up. i was grateful for that fellowship and came out feeling much better. but what do i do when no one answers the phone, or there is no meeting? what i do at 5:30 in the morning when it's dark and quiet and there's no one??grateful for suggestions.

kj3880

Call the hotline or call one of us addicts (sponsor if you have one). I personally have had to call someone at that hour, and they were glad that I did it instead of relapsing. There is a 24-hour hotline for NA. Have you tried that?
Of course, you can always pray or write your step-work, too. Or get on here and post what you are feeling in a new thread. There's some people from other countries like New Zealand on here on the chat room at night at odd hours, too.
Also, sometimes I watch a movie from on-demand at night if I can't sleep.
I won't call by name the solo physical release thing that people sometimes do when alone, but you can prolly figure it out. Knocks some people right on out.
Hope these suggestions help a bit.
KJ

least

I would come here and post if I had a craving or doubt hit me in the wee hours. I have done that very thing too. Anything to get past the nagging feelings of wanting to drink. But yes, call someone. Get numbers from your meetings (if you haven't already) and call them. They may be a little sleepy on the phone at first, but having been in your position once, I'm sure they're more than willing to listen to you/talk to you.

Just remember to take it one day, one hour, one minute at a time. Distract yourself or make a list of what you don't like about drinking and some of the bad things/feelings that have happened from drinking.

Don't give in, no matter what!

LogCabin

Call the hotline
eat
Watch a movie
Take a shower
Drink a hot cup of relaxing tea
stretch
deep breathing
meditation
read a book
write


And continue to work towards the goal of getting into a good sleeping pattern.

And hang in there! I'm glad you are doing it!

Change4life

When im craving i stop and think about all the reasons i decided to stop in the first place. Lately those memories over ride the cravings, for drugs anyway. Booze I still crave cause I sometimes think I can keep it in check, but drinking leads to drugs and then the insanity starts again. I think about that.

serenityqueen

TryingSoHard

I guess I'm going to have to break down and go to a meeting so I can have someone to call... because I have NO ONE to talk to here. My husband doesn't know, my best friend doesn't know, no one knows. I can confide in no one.

Maybe if I could I wouldn't be where I am today.

But then again, maybe that's just shifting blame. It's my problem, not theirs. I just wish I could tell them about it.

CarolD

Here is a link for sleeping tips...

Insomnia? 41 Simple Tips to Help You Get to Sleep - Insomnia treatment, cures

You can call AA members 24/7
that is why they gave you thier number.
If one doesn't answer...go down your list.

Well done on your sober days...

kj3880

Trying, no one in my life knew about my addiction except my sig. other, and I had to break up with him when I got clean, so I can relate. Exactly, that's why I had go to NA and get a support network for my recovery. It does help enormously.
KJ

Honu

Thanks, Carol, for that link. My twisted work schedule, along with the horrible symptoms of getting old.....have me waking up at all hours of the night. So, here I am at 0600, and have been up since 0300, and don't have to work until tonight at 9:30! How messed up is that?

Ambush, the suggestions given above are good ones. Try them all. If one works, stick with it. If it doesn't, move to the next one. It truly does suck to be awake, for any reason, when you really need to be getting that much needed rest.

I think I am going to try to go back to bed now.
I'll say a prayer for you, too! Hopefully, this part of your recovery will become a thing of the past very soon!!!

Honu