Midton

Day 5

I've read some people say that the cravings eventually go away. Did this happen to you and if so, how long did it take?

I have no cravings until I finish work and feel I'm entitled to drink to relax. I get the same cravings on holidays and Friday or Saturday night. Watching an alcohol commercial, especially for wine, also hits me bad. Last night I too my youngest (only 3) to 7-11. She asked me if I were going to buy wine. I didn't but boy did I feel sad, not depressed, at saying no. As you all know I really, really wanted to.

I seem to be thinking about (not) drinking constantly and I don't know if this is a good or bad thing.

Mark75

You were able to tell your 3 year old that you were NOT going to buy wine... Good for you!! You should feel good about that... not sad!

Everything you are feeling right now is what you should be feeling at day 5. Does it get better.... YES!!! Don't worry... Just get through your cravings, they shouldn't last too long... Get some candy, juice, I like sprite zero... Find an activity that helps take your mind of it... Keep posting here

Welcome

Mark

joedris

Cravings vary with each person. Some never have them, others have them for months. What you're describing are also triggers - things or situations that make you think of drinking and thus induce cravings. It's best to avoid triggers as much as you can as they can lead you back to drinking. But each time you overcome a craving or ignore a trigger, it's a small victory. And small victories add up. So just be aware of things that may tempt you and be patient. It really does get easier as time goes bye.

tommyk

Cravings are lies your disease mind tells you to make you think using is a good idea.

Play the tape all of the way through, realize and reaffirm WHY you no longer wish to use.

Remember where using takes you... yeah at first it might sound like a good idea, but upon further thought it is a really really bad idea. And it doesn't take much further thought either.

I can recognize craving thoughts for what they are now - complete lies.

tallcactus

Thanks Tommy,
I needed to hear your share.

Dee74

thinking about not drinking constantly is pretty much part of alcoholism midton - that why so many here have face to face support groups.

For me I drank to the point where I couldn't drink anymore and reasonably expect to live very long, so fear was a pretty strong initial motivation.

No matter what I felt, I knew I couldn't drink over it. I wanted something different for my future.

But you know yourself fear never lasts - the lasting motivations for me have been seeing how much better I am and how much better my life is in recovery.

I log on here every day as an added reminder of what I can do as a sober person.

People assured me it did get better - and it does - as long as you don't drink, you'll move forward.

But it takes time to get to a point where you believe that - it can be hard waiting.

But that's when you lean on the support

D

NewBeginning010

This is exactly what I was thinking /\. If anything is sad it is that your three year old noticed & asked about it, the good news is that you are no longer drinking & can spend quality time with your children instead of drinking.

For cravings I been having cold drinks, ginger ale or sparkling water is a nice alternative. I have also allowed myself some sweets & ice cream, I have still lost weight since quitting because of all of the calories in a case of beer plus I am eating better in general (less crap food during & the day after drinking).

Pick up some of the old hobbies you use to love but forgot about because of drinking, my tennis game is better than ever ;-) Play with the kids now that you have the energy, they are going to love their new straight Daddy even more.

Take care & all of the best in your recovery.

NB

SomeCallMeTim

You've done all the right things! Feel good about that. The obsessive part of this disease will try to convince us that we are entitled and deserve to drink. It will lie to us and try to kill us. You're obviously acutely aware of this. Keep doing what you're doing.

Rad44

The Medication Naltrexone is very effective at controlling cravings. It eliminates that physical tension/anxiety "pull" you feel but more importantly it blocks the obsessive thinking. It even eliminate most of the "Drinking Dreams". One pill in the morning. No side effects. Non addictive. It should be used together with thearapy and counciling to be the most effective.

CarolD

What you are describing are not physical cravings
they are obcessive thoughts/triggers.

Ever hear about PAWS?

Post Acute Withdrawl - Relapse Prevention Specialists - TLC The Living Center

By the end of my 2nd AA sober month
without drugs or thearapy
I was back in balance mentally and physically....

Blessings to you and your family
Well done on your sober time

Tosh

Hey, that's me! By the time I'd reached step 9 (or there abouts) which was my two-month(ish) mark, I realised one day that I wasn't obsessing about drinking alcohol anymore; the desire to drink had gone. It's nice to be free of that monkey on your back, but it's a bit of an anti-climax when it happens also.

I mean after this struggle with alcohol which had me beaten for many years, what next?

For me I've got the programme of AA to work on, and the Fellowship for support, and service which I enjoy, thankfully; oh and a smoking addiction I'm going to kick beggining this Sunday, which I'm going to try by using the steps and tools I've learnt in AA.

Then I'd like my HP to give me some more challenges; I feel ready for them now; and I don't want life to get too calm and peaceful.

Tazman53

I am with Carol on this, the actual "Physical" cravings do pass in fairly short time, the mental obsession is the butt kicker. As with both Tosh and Carol, AA & the steps resulted in the mental obsession being lifted from me.

AA meetings helped a ton for the first few months, meeting & talking on the phone with other recovering alcoholics gave me hope and kept my mind occupied and the obsession at bay for my first 2 months and then one day the crap really hit the fan and I had an over whelming need for a drink!!! Yes the physical cravings were gone, but having not taken the steps that mental obsession was still alive and well, if I had not made a phone call I would have drank that day.

The reason the obsession hit me so hard was for 40 years the only solution I had for stress & anger was to drink it away, other then drinking I had no solution that I knew worked except drinking. I kept hearing the old timers share that if I wanted long term happy sobriety, when I was ready for the pain to stop, to take the steps with my sponsor.

Like Carol, Tosh and millions of others, in the steps I found a solution, a solution for life!

Today I have 2 solutions for life, one of those solutions suck and I know that to the depths of my soul, that solution is alcohol, the other solution is in the steps and applying them on a daily basis to all areas of my life. If I maintain my spiritual condition fit, I have a daily reprieve from my alcoholism.

More then likely you are beyond the physical cravings and are into the hardest part of staying sober..... dealing with the mental obsession to fill a spiritual void with alcohol. I have found a a solution in the steps that fills that spiritual void in my soul, which means that I could give a rats patoot about trying to fill that hole with alcohol, today I fill that hole with the new life I have found in the steps.

secretariat

They do diminish, I am two months into sobriety, this is not the first time. For me I try to see it as a brain game. Using this kind of logic. I have concluded I like myself, I want to take care of myself and drinking is not good for me. I am one of those who cannot manage it. So when I start to think about a drink and it does come up. I go into the feeling good about myself. I don't judge whether drinking is not good for me, it is a fact. So this thought is an anchor and from there it actually becomes easy to say no.

Another helpful hint is that the "fun and good" of drinking lasts really only a few minutes and basically it tells you a lie, its an exaggeration about yourself, the people around you, your circumstances, it distorts things and that feeling doesn't last. The only effective thing that feeling does is turn you into a much weaker person than you truly are. It hangs you up and holds you up and it costs money and it makes you hungry or hungover, etc. Really doesn't help too much overall.

smacked

Yep I have to agree with Carol and others. Those are not cravings, you are detoxed. Those are obsessive thoughts. You are in control of your mind now..

What else do you have in place to suppliment your abstinence? Meetings? Counseling? Anything?

I hope you plugged some supports in place so that you learn how to bypass this stuff. It's possible! I have been lucky, I haven't had a 'craving' or any thoughts of drinking since I quit.. but by the time I quit I was DONE with it, body, mind and soul.. I personally couldn't quit until that happened.

You'll get there when you want to, but it takes work. Hang in there.

jamdls

I've been sober almost 2 yrs (in 2 weeks!) yesterday I picked up my car from the body shop; the car is 4 yrs old but 2 yrs ago I twice back into the brick wall behind my house causing no dents but major scratches/scrapes on the bumper; then a year ago I backed out of my 1 car garage and was paying attention to my 85 yr old father waiting to get in the car instead of paying attention to what I was doing and the passenger side mirror got crushed; then a couple of months ago apparently a big truck or SUV backed up to my car in the parking lot and their trailer hitch made a huge gash on the hood of my car... so I finally had the $ and decided to get all these things fixed and when I picked it up yesterday it look BEAUTIFUL! like a brand new car! I was so happy the thought occured to me "I want to celebrate" and of course that made me think of having wine and of course the body shop was very close to the beer/wine store. I did not stop and get wine, instead I went to another store and bought myself some really decident CHOCOLATE!! When I want to celebrate now, or I'm angry/sad/lonely whatever I reward or console myself (usually with chocolate) just like I used to do with wine only I never black out/get sick/embarass myself with my choices now.