EmeraldRose

Welcome saphira.
Weekends aren't only tough but everyday is tough because you have to think about booze everyday. I didn't find weekends to be any worse than any other day -it was always a struggle...buying, hiding, lying...my moments revolved around booze.
Now its all different...now my life revolves around me.
I recently started a new job and because I groom dogs part time I requested my weekend be during the week -just to change it up. So I work Sat/Sun.
When everything gets so commonplace that is when we need to change things. Make things different, change the habit to change your heart.
Exercise is good but I wouldn't say it's the key. I think revamping your life is key -change needs to happen so everything isn't so same ol' same ol'. That's when we get lazy and the same thoughts invade the same head and the same habits occur.
I was glad to see you were grabbing the leash and taking the dog out. I take my 2 little dogs out everyday (sometimes twice a day) for a huge walk around town. After being cooped up in the house while I work, it's their time...they can sniff every blade of grass or pee on every pole if they want. They don't realize they are doing me a huge favor by keeping me busy for a half hour. That's one less half hour I don't have to worry about.
Maybe discussing with your husband your intent in your mission to stop drinking is a good idea so he knows where you stand and you know he will not expect you to be making your daily phone call.
It's all such a struggle sometimes. Wishing you peace and strength.

saphira

Can't thank you all enough for the advice and hearing about the things that worked for you. I'm busy making plans for the weekend so that it's not even an issue this time. Friday night I'm planning on taking my little man swimming and Saturday my niece has a dance recital...I also want to work on my new garden some, which I am learning that I absolutely LOVE! So I have faith that it will go well. I'm sure I'll be checking in here to get a boost or two over those days. Thanks again...

reggiewayne

What you are describing in your OP is the mental obsession and HELL YES I can relate. One (amongst many) bad thing is about alcoholism is it progresses. I remember when I was a weekend drinker. I would recover on Monday - typically didn't sleep well from all the booze over the weekend, Tuesday I'd be wiped out from not sleeping on Monday so I'd go to bed early. By Wed. I'd feel a lot better, sleep really well that night. On Thursday, I'd start to get a little board, I'd think about how good I'd been and I start to think about what Friday would be like if I drank "a few".

By Friday morning, I'd be feeling so damn good from not drinking - I'd want to celebrate it with a drink. And I would. I'd get hammered Friday, wake up Saturday and feel like complete crap. By 3pm I'd start feeling better, then crack a beer to "relax". Then I'd drink all night. When Sunday came around, I'd think "Well tomorrow is the work week, I'm gonna extend the weekend a bit and have some drinks tonight". Rinse and repeat over and over...

That summed up my life a man in his 20's on planet earth. To think, "That is when I had my shhit together"... That was as good as my drinking EVER was.

When I hit 30 it progressed, by 35 I was drinking every other day up to a fifth of whisky at a time. Missing work, not paying bills, in terrible physical shape etc... The days I wasn't drinking I'd be smoking pot or take Xannax to deal with withdrawl. Just a very sad, shallow way to live. I'm so grateful I no longer live like that.

There is no problem that alcohol can't make worse.

I wish you the best!

saphira

I don't know why I'm still shocked when someone's story is exactly like mine, but Reggiewayne...that is EXACTLY what I go through. To the letter. Thank you so much for letting me know that other people have been where I am and have made it through. I honestly can't tell you how much your post means.

MsCooterBrown

You know..in early sobriety you need to stay busy..hang out at the library. Shop...hit the grocery store. Take in a movie. Take walks around the park...it takes some pre-planning to get on track..Just hang out at places where there is NO drinking. I also armed myself with books on sobriety ..books on the way alcohol wreaks havoc on your health. I think we all fall into starting out as wkend drinkers then go full blown daily. For years when I wasn't hungover I was drunk..I also would drink and want to stay up to drink more..but it was late so I would enhance my sleep with an OTC sleeping pill ON TOP of my never ending flow of alcohol. SICK! SICK I TELL YOU! So glad I broke out of that never ending battle. Anyway...hope these ideas help!

Humiliated

The weekends have been the only times I really drank in the last few years, but boy when I go at it, I go all out! I think the weekends are so hard, because like so many of us know, it's almost acceptable to get wasted on the weekends. That's what American culture seems to be about... t.v. commercials, ads, they all ask us where will we be this weekend, what party, with what booze. It becomes programmed in us to a point and for an alcoholic that's a license to booze. None of my family or friends think there is anything wrong with drinking on the weekends, I work full time, go to school, take care of my family. But I don't want to use that license to booze anymore. So many people here have said to me that if I feel like it's a problem, than it is. I wish you luck and hope that your weekend will be sober and relaxing this weekend. It's really hard to walk away when people and society almost encourage it, but you can do it (and so can I).

saphira

Yes, Humiliated, we can do it! Yesterday I was watching a morning show and they had a chef on to talk about summer grilling recipes. He started the whole thing off with a cocktail and the whole segment was joking about how grilling is so much more fun with a drink in hand. Immediately I found myself wanting to drink this weekend. I think you're right--it is absolutely acceptable in our culture to get "wasted" on the weekends. I think it's pretty sad actually. Similar to how our country can't seem to eat in moderation, neither can a lot of it drink in moderation.
Like you, I'm just ready to stop using that excuse to drink or as you so aptly put it "license to booze". Love that.
I wish you a relaxing weekend as well. What do you have planned? Thanks for your support. I love coming to this site and I'm very happy that I "met" you since we seem to be in similar situations. Have a great day today!

EmeraldRose

Unfortunately, it is too accepted. Commercials are annoying, they are always having so much fun -but then I think of how it made ME feel and losing my job and blacking out and passing out and the money I spent, etc, etc...it's not all that fun after all. Life can be lived sober...and it is good!

Tuesday at work I sold a case of beer to an older gentleman. We were chatting and I just mentioned the fact that I don't drink. He stopped, looked at me and said "What's wrong with you?" I was taken back that it was such an issue with him that someone actually didn't drink.

saphira

Yes, I think it's pretty rare (or seems to be in my area) that a person wouldn't drink. Sad really. Alcohol causes so much trouble even for people who seemingly don't have a problem with it. Anyway, today is my normal "struggle day" so I'm going to keep strong. Already this morning some thoughts have crept in, especially since my son is heading down to his grandma's for the night. I'll have to quickly come up with a new plan for myself for the night. Wish me luck!!

Humiliated

I had school on Saturday, I work full time and take college classes so I can finish my degree. My class on Saturday was speech. It was a persuasive speech, I chose the topic of "Why we should ban alcohol advertisements in the U.S.". There is an organization called CAMY (Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth) that has conducted studies about the effects of alcohol marketing and youth. In 2007 there were over 23,000 deaths from alcohol in the U.S. and this is not including accidental injuries, homicides or other alcohol related deaths. Those are just the ones that died from "drinking". Anyways, this study predicts that if we were to ban alcohol advertisements in the U.S. that number would be decreased by around 7,500 less deaths each year. The more I have thought about it since being on this site, I hate the fact that drinking is so encouraged in our culture. The center for alcohol abuse and alcoholism did a study around 2001, and 30% of the adults surveyed had some sort of Alcohol Use Disorder. 30%..... That's crazy to me. It is a problem and there is no need to encourage it. I know that we are all adults and can make our own decisions, but as children we are taught it is "cool", "normal", etc. and then as adults, shockingly, a lot of us have problems with it. Okay, enough of my ranting. But it was helpful for me to pick that as a topic since I am having so much passion about it! Glad to be here and glad to know that I am not alone, none of us are, about 30% of adults seem to have some issues with alcohol.