Aurora80

I know it's different for everyone, but I'm wondering how long it will take for the obsession with drinking to go away. I heard a woman at a meeting say that she wanted to drink during the first 18 months of her sobriety! I'm hoping it's not nearly this long for me... trying to take it one day at a time. Still I'd be interested to hear for those with some sober time under their belts how long it took for your obsession to go away... the frequent and strong urge to drink, thoughts of drinking, etc.

suki44883

I think it probably depends on what the person is doing in the area of recovery. Some people just white-knuckle it, while others join a support group like Smart Recovery or AA and work the steps. From what I hear, those who are very active in their recovery program tend to lose the obsession much more quickly than those who just try to do it on their own without support.

Anna

I stopped obsessing about drinking almost immediately, probably within the first week. Once I was clear with my decision that drinking was no longer an option, my mind started to find different ways to work. But, I still thought having a drink from time to time, when things got intense in my life. That probably happened for six months or so.

Dee74

It was about a month for me - but like Anna once I lay down and accepted a drink was no longer a viable option ever, it got a little easier

D

Reset

It went away pretty fast. 2.5 weeks maybe.

Auggie

Like Anna, I quit obsessing about drinking the first week. That's not to say that I don't have the occasional urge. But I'm still under 30 days. And, I am very active in working my recovery program. You may have something there, Suki.

reggiewayne

Good topic. For me, it's decreased gradually. In my first 30 days I thought about it more than I did in my next 30. Between 60 and 90 days I thought about it even less. Having said that, I still think about drinking almost daily. It's just been so ingrained in me. From the ages of 20 until 35 I thought about drinking many times per day. Some more than others, but always at least a few times per day.

So I guess it depends on what the definition of obsessing is. If you compare my thoughts to a non - alcoholic you could say that I still obsess about it. If you compare my thoughts today to me when I first got sober, I don't obsess at all.... progress over perfection.

For me, when I am thinking about drinking I can trace it back to I'm probably not very comfortable with me. Best of luck to you!

LaFemme

Like Dee and Anna as soon as I realized I was done the strong urge to drink disappeared ...this happened almost immediately.

Drinking thoughts however were still there...I walk by a drinks cart every night when I get on the train home so initially I thought about it a lot. Every 30 days though the thoughts are less...I no longer even see the drinks cart...it doesn't even register.

MemphisBlues

For me, the obsession to drink was strong the first month, especially around others who were drinking. Walking into the store, I had to break the well-grooved pattern of heading towards the beer or booze aisle.

It passes quickly -- as you go to meetings, work the program, take action towards your recovery. I'm entering my sixth month of recovery and go to the store and don't even think of alcohol.

I do think about the consequences of my alcohol and drug use -- a lot -- but that is being addressed by the program, which I embrace as if my life depends on it.

It does.

artsoul

The obsession was really strong for me for 2-3 months........... at about 3-4 months, being sober seemed normal to me, and after about 6 months the sudden urges were pretty much gone. I still had thoughts about alcohol though, and occasionally missed having that escape valve, but I didn't have to run to the computer and get on SR if you know what I mean.

From 6-10 months, I've probably had three or four small urges, but nothing that shook me up. And I can go most all day without thinking about it at all. Still, I am very aware of my recovery, so it's more like thinking about sobriety than it is about drinking, if that makes sense.

Supercrew

I think I lost the obsession and quit patting myself on the back at about 45 days, then I had a period of euphoria where I thought I beat it for good, and I really didn't think I would have a problem ever again. Then at 4 months I tested myself even though I wasn't obsessing, and nothing happened and I continued to test myself every couple of weeks, until I finally went on a big bender. Since I detoxed and realized how much I really enjoyed sobriety and alcohol made me feel worse than ever I have had no obsession whatsoever, in fact the thought of drinking makes me want to puke. Although I would never recommend a relapse to someone who thought they were cured, I think it was finally what I needed to say goodbye forever with no more questions or feelings that I might be missing something or I might be able to rationalize ever drinking any amount again.

Snarf

Honestly, I knew I was such a mess and in such trouble that the desire to drink left me (or was taken from me) pretty quickly. I dove into AA the first day without a drink, and I began to make some necessary changes in my life. I knew I couldn't drink, so I guess maybe I didn't have time for the desire to drink.

But I think it was something bigger than that. Some might call it Divine Intervention, but I completely believe that the hand of God was at work in my life. I was about to drive somewhere to drink a beer right after getting home from jail for my second DUI, and something stopped me. It was like a voice spoke to me and said, "What are you, a complete moron?" (This is language I understand, which I guess is why God spoke to me in such a manner.) I knew in that instant that no sane person would do what I was about to do, so I put the beer down. I poured it out, searched online for an AA meeting and went straight there.

I believe that God did work in my life that day, and I've seen nothing since but evidence to support that belief. Some sort of power other than myself certainly came over me, because there's no way that my own alcoholic brain told me to not drink and go to AA instead. 1 minute prior to this event, going to AA was the furthest thing from my mind. All I wanted was a couple of beers to drink after getting out of jail. Next thing I knew, my life was on a completely different course. And I never looked back.

pfcsk

i stopped 3 yrs ago went a week then drank 6 cans of strong lager i think i done it to really say good-bye[ think that's how i dealt with it then ] but the hard work put into the 1st week was so intense that i never wanted to go thou it again the feelings of wanting it left me soon after that maybe 8 wks ;and i was hard at it for 15yrs, you will soon look forward to waking up in the mornings feeling normal and that's got to be the best feeling in the world that no drug can give you trust me

least

It was about two or three months before I stopped thinking about drinking all the time... the same time I started counting my blessings every day. Once I started expressing my gratitude the drinking obsession went away and hasn't come back.

Jabbadabutt

I may not obsess about it forever, but I will think about it forever. Plan on that. The day your stop thinking about your sobriety is that day you should be nervous.

jamdls

I came very close to death the last time I got drunk and spent a week in the hospital, on my 6th day in the hospital I accepted that I could never drink again and didn't obsess about it at all; however, twice in the last 3.5 years I've obsessed about it for maybe a 24 hour period thinking I could handle "just 1 or 2" but fortunetly I haven't given in to those obsession. I imagine there will always be certain times that I think about drinking but hopefully the work I've done on myself will give me the tools to fight the urge.

Tendencies

For myself the first few weeks were a horror show. As time has gone by it's gotten easier as well. As my life improved the need to blot out life receded as well. I also quit smoking a month or so after quitting drinking. The same pattern repeated itself. Intense cravings that have now tapered off.

TotoBidule

The last time I quit, it was probably 6 mths before I stopped obsessing and 3 years before I stopped thinking about it. One of the nastiest things I've had with both stopping alcohol and cigarettes are the nightmares - I would smoke or drink in the dream and in those 5-10 minutes whilst coming out of sleep feel a truly deep sense of guilt and shame. There was relief when I realised they were just nightmares but it was only relief, not joy or pride. Those lasted up to about a year for both smoking and drinking.
Jabba - I think it is precisely the fact I stopped thinking about it last time that made me think I could drink again. I didn't join any support groups last time - this time I won't make the same mistake.

smacked

It was instant for me.. only when I truly realized I could never, ever drink again.. then I just moved on with life (and recovery).

Kjell

The obsession was removed by working the 12 steps of AA for me.

I am now a recovered alcoholic, but not special at all. It can work for you too.

Kjell