tomw

I'm currently on my fourth day sober but things are getting rough as I have triggers all around me.

No money, got the foreclosure notice today, no job, unemployment payment is delayed for some reason and I can't find out why. I really do not want to reach for my crutch (beer)

I've reached tens days sober twice in the last six months so this my third attempt. This is what usually happens and here we go again. The walls start caving in and then I cave in. I know drinking is only going to make things worse but I need something. Thanks for anything anyone can offer...

hearnerules

I'll keep ya in my prayers. Keep strong. Alcohol isn't the answer.

jamdls

You're correct alcohol will only make things work and since you are out of a job and your home is being foreclosed you would be spending $ that you probably don't really have. Don't do it! Get out of the house, go for a run or a walk get your adrenaline going.

LaFemme

Hi Tom! Sorry you are going through all this. I don't know if this will help but I will tell you how I view these challenges to my sobriety.

I am viewing it as sort of an epic battle. Every time I have tried to get sober in the past, some trigger has gotten the better of me. This time I am viewing the triggers as weapons of the enemy, so to speak. The trigger I am dealing with, and have been dealing with for 10 days now is illness. I never got sick when I drank and if I did feel a little unwell I would drink to make it better. I hear the voice saying to me, if you drink this will go away...and it just might, I don't doubt that, but then I will be drinking again and that will mean the drink has won and I'm right back where I started from. So I choose to feel crappy and sober rather than better and drunk, because I am not going to let the monster win this time.

Hope that makes sense.

grateful2b

Tom, what sort of face to face support do you have in place? A program? Someone you can call?
Living life on life's terms newly sober is tough enough and none of us really gets through this alone...I don't believe we're meant to
Stay strong

julez

Tom, its so hard when your life is troublesome to steer clear of the quick fix of alcohol. But you know, and I know, thats all it is. A quick fix to not "make you feel better" but in all actually, to make you feel nothing at all. Then the next day is ruined, and the self hate comes into play, and the sick stomach, and the headache. These are the things you should think of when the craving strikes. Good luck!

Dee74

Hi Tom

I've been in similar 'no money' situations more times than I count...both sober and drunk...I'm here to tell you drinking never helped...not once.

What did help was realising that these situations never last...and realising that worrying and stressing was not actually a solution either.

Most of all, resolving to make the best use of my time now was a big break with my past.

If there were no jobs around, I found something to do - sometimes I worked on a project, sometimes I volunteered for stuff in my community, sometimes I just posted on here a lot.

You can do this Tom
D

artsoul

You definitely have a lot to deal with. I know it's not easy putting one foot in front of the other while getting sober, but there's little chance of doing it if you go back to drinking.

When I faced some tough financial times right after getting sober, I had to do everything in my power to keep my head in the present and focus only on the next right move. I could only take baby steps. Three months later, I'm still working on it, but it feels good to have made a little progress.

I'll send prayers and positive vibes out your way. I really believe if you put your sobriety first, things will eventually work out for you. Hang in there, Tom.:ghug3

tomw

Thanks everyone for your helpful suggestions and support. Got a bit of good news since my first post. I'm going to receive back payments from unemployment from three weeks ago. So that's good news in the short term. For the life of me I cannot predict what my State is going to do with my unemployment payments. They truly make it up as they go along but I'm not complaining.

Regarding my sobriety, stress is my trigger more than not..just plain old stress..If I'm sailing along happy as can be no problem staying sober. I'm going to church this weekend and maybe hit a AA meeting. I think the social part will help if nothing else will. I've been drinking most of my adult life except for one streak of four years of sobriety. I ran, raced, exercised, socialized and went to church regularly sometimes two times a week. Not only was I the most physically fit ever but the social part of being around people that did not drink played a big part.

Thanks again everyone. I honestly appreciate all your help

grateful2b

Tom, thats great that you are thinking of taking in a meeting...
stress/anxiety can be a real struggle as the brain begins to heal...takes a little time but it does get better..
glad to hear your good news....have a great weekend!