Add one Early Sobriety Hint, to help new members...
Do your best
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 67,047
You just did Spadge I was going to bump this yesterday as least linked it in to a post and I thought I havnt even seen this thread before so shout outs to EternalQ least & yourself Spadge
My tip to the thread would be - Have a plan & stick with it & take alcohol off the menu completely
My tip to the thread would be - Have a plan & stick with it & take alcohol off the menu completely
Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Midwest
Posts: 4,860
Originally Posted by doggonecarl 
If your goal is to quit drinking--DON'T DRINK!
That means no waffling on your promise to quit, no modifications to your plan, no justifications to veer away from your goal, no rationalizations that "just one" will be okay. No deciding that you maybe aren't alcoholic and can now moderate your drinking.
That's the addiction doing its dirty work.
That means no waffling on your promise to quit, no modifications to your plan, no justifications to veer away from your goal, no rationalizations that "just one" will be okay. No deciding that you maybe aren't alcoholic and can now moderate your drinking.
That's the addiction doing its dirty work.
I'm sharing Carl's feedback here as I think it really is the bottom line. There are many more wonderful posts here to tell you how to get there but the one thing that you have to remember is don't drink.
And you have to believe that it is within your power.
Which it truly is.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: South Yorkshire, Great Britain
Posts: 205
Write a list of what it means to : Being Sober versus Being Drunk!
List all the positives of being sober then a list of all the negatives of being drunk.
And stay on SR all day every day. That's what's working for me atm.
List all the positives of being sober then a list of all the negatives of being drunk.
And stay on SR all day every day. That's what's working for me atm.
You can have reasons, or you can have results, but you can't have both.
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Syracuse, NY
Posts: 1,232
Do NOT attribute every little problem (from a headache to a cranky feeling ), to withdrawal. "Seek and ye shall find." If you go looking for symptoms, you'll find them.
Once the shakes and sweats stop, don't go looking for more problems. Get up and start re-engaging in life. If you have a headache, do what normies do -- take two aspirin and carry on.
Once the shakes and sweats stop, don't go looking for more problems. Get up and start re-engaging in life. If you have a headache, do what normies do -- take two aspirin and carry on.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 561
Originally Posted by SoberinSyracuse
Do NOT attribute every little problem (from a headache to a cranky feeling ), to withdrawal. "Seek and ye shall find." If you go looking for symptoms, you'll find them.
Once the shakes and sweats stop, don't go looking for more problems. Get up and start re-engaging in life. If you have a headache, do what normies do -- take two aspirin and carry on.
Once the shakes and sweats stop, don't go looking for more problems. Get up and start re-engaging in life. If you have a headache, do what normies do -- take two aspirin and carry on.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: my room in ct.
Posts: 58,110
remember this little ditty
"Hello old friend"
Iv'e come to visit once again.
I live to see you suffer: physically, spiritual, and socially.
I want to make you restless so you can never relax.
I want you to be jumpy, nervious and anxious.
I want to make you agitated and irritable so everything; and everybody makes you uncomfortable.
I want you to be confused and depressed so you cant think clearly or positively.
I want you to hate everything, and everybody, including your self.
I want you to feel guily and remorsefull for the things you have done in the past that you'll never be able to let go.
I want to make you angry and hatefull toward the world for the way it is, and the way you are.
I want you to be decitfull and untrustworthy, and to manipulate and con as manny people for no reason at all.
I want you to wake up durring all hours of the night and scream for me.
You know you cant sleep without me. I'm even in your dreams
I want to be the first thing you think of when you wakeup in the morning, and the last thing you touch before you go to sleep if you can.
I would rather kill you. But i'll be happy enough to put you back in the hospital, another insitution or jail. But you know, I'll stil be waiting for you when you get out.
I love to watch you go slowly insane.
I love to see all the physical damage that i'm causing you.
I cant help but sneer and chuckle when you shiver and shake, when you freeze and sweat at the same time.
When you wake with the sheets soaking wet.
It's amuseing to watch.
Its amazing how much destruction i can do on your internal organs while at the same time i work on your brain, destroying it bit, by bit!
I deeply appreciate how much you have sacrificed for me; the countless jobs, all the fine friends that you deeply cared for and you gave up for me; and whats more, for the ones you turned against yourself because of you inexcusable actions.
For these, I am even more grateful. But especially for your loved ones, your family, the most important people in the world to you, you even threw them away for me.
I cannot express in words the gratitude i have for the loyalty and respect you have for me.
But do not despair, my friend, for on me you can always depend!
For after you have lost all these things, you still depend on me to take even more.
You can depend on me to keep you in a living hell, to keep your mind, body, and soul,
for i will not be sastisfied until your dead!
So hello old friend, my name is "Addiction"
this is what we do battle with everyday!
"Hello old friend"
Iv'e come to visit once again.
I live to see you suffer: physically, spiritual, and socially.
I want to make you restless so you can never relax.
I want you to be jumpy, nervious and anxious.
I want to make you agitated and irritable so everything; and everybody makes you uncomfortable.
I want you to be confused and depressed so you cant think clearly or positively.
I want you to hate everything, and everybody, including your self.
I want you to feel guily and remorsefull for the things you have done in the past that you'll never be able to let go.
I want to make you angry and hatefull toward the world for the way it is, and the way you are.
I want you to be decitfull and untrustworthy, and to manipulate and con as manny people for no reason at all.
I want you to wake up durring all hours of the night and scream for me.
You know you cant sleep without me. I'm even in your dreams
I want to be the first thing you think of when you wakeup in the morning, and the last thing you touch before you go to sleep if you can.
I would rather kill you. But i'll be happy enough to put you back in the hospital, another insitution or jail. But you know, I'll stil be waiting for you when you get out.
I love to watch you go slowly insane.
I love to see all the physical damage that i'm causing you.
I cant help but sneer and chuckle when you shiver and shake, when you freeze and sweat at the same time.
When you wake with the sheets soaking wet.
It's amuseing to watch.
Its amazing how much destruction i can do on your internal organs while at the same time i work on your brain, destroying it bit, by bit!
I deeply appreciate how much you have sacrificed for me; the countless jobs, all the fine friends that you deeply cared for and you gave up for me; and whats more, for the ones you turned against yourself because of you inexcusable actions.
For these, I am even more grateful. But especially for your loved ones, your family, the most important people in the world to you, you even threw them away for me.
I cannot express in words the gratitude i have for the loyalty and respect you have for me.
But do not despair, my friend, for on me you can always depend!
For after you have lost all these things, you still depend on me to take even more.
You can depend on me to keep you in a living hell, to keep your mind, body, and soul,
for i will not be sastisfied until your dead!
So hello old friend, my name is "Addiction"
this is what we do battle with everyday!
Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 151
Keep an open mind when it comes to recovery. Not every recovery method is for every individual, but in the beginning try anything and everything - you need all the tools you can get your hands on right now. Dont focus on the negatives of one method, but instead take what is beneficial to you and leave the rest.
Guest
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 80
There is a good recent TED talk about how being curious has been an effective way to address "bad habits": https://www.ted.com/talks/judson_bre...it?language=en
Guest
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 80
Keep on the lookout for the HALT symptoms, and anticipate them:
H- Hungry. As one person said earlier in the thread, EAT. Early in sobriety, don't worry about what's good or bad for you in food. Early in recovery my blood sugar was all over the place and low blood sugar/hunger equaled wanting to drink. Head it off, eat early and often. That goes for thirst too, I don't know how many times I was dehydrated and starting drinking (booze) because the cold liquid was a relief (I realized after the fact).
A- Angry. Resentment, anger = triggers for me to drink.
L- Lonely. Another big trigger, as well as a lack of accountability to anyone when I am alone. The combination is very hard to fight. Have a contact plan, assemble your allies/friends and practice reaching out.
T-Tired. My defenses were down when I was tired.
Part of the battle, I think, is knowing these are times of vulnerability to the AV. Anticipate them, prepare for them, and when they are present, realize in the moment that you can take action to alleviate them. This too will pass, as will your urge to drink if you can surf the urge out.
H- Hungry. As one person said earlier in the thread, EAT. Early in sobriety, don't worry about what's good or bad for you in food. Early in recovery my blood sugar was all over the place and low blood sugar/hunger equaled wanting to drink. Head it off, eat early and often. That goes for thirst too, I don't know how many times I was dehydrated and starting drinking (booze) because the cold liquid was a relief (I realized after the fact).
A- Angry. Resentment, anger = triggers for me to drink.
L- Lonely. Another big trigger, as well as a lack of accountability to anyone when I am alone. The combination is very hard to fight. Have a contact plan, assemble your allies/friends and practice reaching out.
T-Tired. My defenses were down when I was tired.
Part of the battle, I think, is knowing these are times of vulnerability to the AV. Anticipate them, prepare for them, and when they are present, realize in the moment that you can take action to alleviate them. This too will pass, as will your urge to drink if you can surf the urge out.
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