bennybored

It is only day 2 of my sobriety effort and I am already hearing the voice questioning myself that I could just have a glass of wine - day 2!!!! omg I need to remember to stay in check but Im worried if it is already trying to take over at day 2....

LaFemme

Hi Benny and congrats on day 2. When I would hear the voice I would stoP whatever I was doing an conjure up my absolute worst drinking memory and relive it in exacting detail. You know, the clammy skin, acid stomach, the taste of whatever you were drinking as it comes back up. Whatever your worst memory is, live it every time the voice comes up. Eventually you associate drinking with that instea of good times.

bennybored

thats good advice, I will try that! thank you LaFemme!

Dee74

Benny - in my experience I had to learn it was ok to hear that little voice in my head.
What I had to learn to do was react to it differently....remember the bad times, find something else to do...ride it out

Keep reaching out for support - if you're like me, the more times you react to the impulse differently, the easier it will be to ignore it soon.

D

Anna

Hi Benny,

Knowing that it's 'the voice', recognizing it for what it is, and then let it go - that's the way to do it!

hector

Congrats on two days, Benny. Alcohol is cunning, baffling, powerful... and very patient. Also, alcoholism is the only disease that tells you you don't have it. It says c'mon, you can have just one, you've been good. Then, if you have the drink, the same voice says I knew you couldn't do it, you lost, I won again.

My sobriety date is Nov. 27, 1988. Remember, I'm pulling for you. We're all in this together.

eJoshua

Hi benny!

I still hear that voice sometimes. You have to learn to not trust it.

Best wishes

CaiHong

Benny this feeling will pass.

You know those times in our lives when we have felt great for no apparent reason, they passed too. One thing you can be sure of is change.

Hang in there, remember it is worth it.

Hevyn

Benny - I'd be surprised if you didn't hear it. I still occasionally do, but can shrug it off quite easily now. LaFemme had a great idea, & I like Dee's idea of learning it was ok to hear the voice. It's a normal & expected part of the healing process.

It's so good you posted - we're in your corner, always.

LaFemme

Ditto on what Dee said about it getting easier. The more times you hear the voice and change your reaction the easier it gets.

ReadyAndAble

Oh yeah, I know that voice. Next time you hear him, tell him he owes me at least $10,000 and three or four years of my life.

I think posting about it was a great start, Benny. In case you didn't see this, you might want to check out a piece on urge surfing that Dee posted: http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...e-surfing.html

FoundmySelf

Benny I am only on day 8 so all I can offer is my love and support.
Congratulations on day 2, your doing wonderful

Manz

Benny welcome to SR and great work on 2 days.

That sneaky little voice still occasionally pops up for me at 7 odd months...but now I give it exactly what it deserves..... a swift kick in the butt!

Knowing that it is only an urge, and finding different ways to react to it...that is definately the key. And coming here is a great start. Keep on going, and it will become easier and the time between hearing that voice will be longer and longer.

saphira

Great job on coming here! And great job on 2 days! You can do this-- we're all pulling for you!

basias

Hey Benny,

That little "voice" was always there during my withdrawals, knowing that a drink would aleve my pain. Luckily, during that time I was so messed up that I could not make it to the liquor store. I found that each day without, I felt a little better, and the better I felt the less I was hearing the little voice.
Now my head is very clear, and I am physically well, and when I hear that voice now, which is not often, I can make a rational decision and say to myself, "Oh no, this will not happen now." Then I take a serious look at all the devastation that little voice had caused in my life.

Good job on 2 days, if I can do it you certainly can. I was a mess.

FHB1

Hi Benny! Hang in there - you can do this! Take it from me, if I can do it - ANYONE can!! I hear that voice too, but I can honestly say that on day 20, the voice is getting quieter and quieter with each passing day. When I hear the voice in my head calling me to have a drink, I try to go for a walk or do something that takes my mind away from thinking about drinking. This may sound strange, but now that I've been sober for a while, I actually enjoy when the voice gets into my head! This is because I have proven to myself that I am stronger than it and that I can beat it and put it in its place! You can do this too bennybored! Think about how good you will feel about yourself tomorrow if you don't drink today. Also think about how good you will feel physically tomorrow if you don't drink today. When I get an overwhelming urge to drink, I try to think about why I wanted to stop in the first place - all the embarrassment that I caused to myself and my loved ones, the shame, the guilt, the hangovers, the stress, the poor health etc. Sure, we may of had some good times drinking, but if it were all good times, we wouldn't be posting here, right? Hang in there! It will get better - trust me!

NYCDoglvr

After some time what worked for me was responding to the voice, saying "thank you for sharing! Now get the f-ck out of here". That stopped it. Know that the mental obsession will pass and try the excellent advice above, switching to thinking about the awful things that happened while drunk.

freshstart57

I'm trying to teach myself that these thoughts have been learned over decades, and they won't magically disappear. I found myself smiling today when I thought about a drink, the way you might smile if an ex partner showed up asking for money. I smiled, and shut the door.