FightOn

Days like today are why I registered on this site. I have a schedule where I work 4 days and have 4 days off. I work 12 hour days so there isn't a great temptation to drink on work days. My days off, are a totally different story. I have days off during the week when everyone else is occupied. That is usually when I find trouble. Bored and lonely I will go hit the bar or grab a bottle and hang out.
So far my first three days off have been relatively smooth but today is a bit of a rough one. I just walked up to my neighbors house to get a phone number for a lawnmower repairman and the urge has hit me hard. This is only my 8th day and I figured things like this were going to happen. I received the number, called the individual, and figured that I better come here and read or post something until the trouble subsides.
I tell you what, it surprised me how fast and out of left field those things hit. Thanx for listening.

tommyk

Thanks for that post.

It reminds me of why I need to fill my life up with activities to replace what I used to do.

least

Keeping busy with sober happy activities is a good idea. Congrats on 8 days! That's a great start and it DOES get better.

Anna

You can get through this day and continue moving forward with your recovery!

bjork

Thanks for sharing!

Wolfchild

You are beginning to be aware of your committment to your sobriety.
Please keep in mind that recovery is a process, not an event.
Excellant progress so far, please keep moving forward!

Dee74

Hows it going now FightOn?

D

Astro

I'll third what Tommy and least shared, gotta fill up those days with activities. If you don't want to try AA meetings and service work, how about volunteering to serve food to the homeless, or go hiking, biking, fishing, anything?

FightOn

As others suggested, I found different things to keep myself occupied. I did my clothes for work and I started reading "The Harder They Fall" by Lewis Lapham.

Riding out that initial rush and not giving was the most difficult part. Thanks to people here I made through my toughest day so far.

rider

Reading SAVES me. I'm not sure why. Maybe because it is providing the escapism that alcohol provided, or maybe just because it's damn hard to lie on the couch and read and drink at the same time.

I am also taking up Akido. I already have two horses that keep me pretty busy, and I have tried skydiving and scuba diving in the past and want to get my certification in both those things.

The difference is that now I just won't contemplate doing it, I WILL do it. I don't have to work around my drinking schedule any longer.

waterfountain

I love this!
That type of subtle realization is such a door-opener; suddenly, a cooking class or building workshop, even taking up a language can all seem so much more possible when making yourself see that there either are, or could be, nothing but endless sober days ahead

/gonna get back into Japanese
//maybe aikido too :P *giggle*