Add one Early Sobriety Hint, to help new members...
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: California
Posts: 18
I don't know if anyone's mentioned this,
but what has helped me especially in the beginning of sobering up
is avoiding viewing anything that shows pictures of alcohol bottles
or people consuming it. If it's in a movie I'd look away or get up and walk away,
if it's an add I try not to focus on it. That kind of thing.
When doing this I started to notice just how often they show people
drinking alcohol in movies, music videos,
how there's so many ads with it everywhere.
Another thing that helped me a lot was watching those reality shows
about people addicted to alcohol like Dr Drew Rehab and TLC Addicted
...both can be watched on Netflix right now
and I think both are still on cable TV as well.
It helped seeing how sick I can get or was in the past....
and seeing how these people recovered and how much better life can really be.
Watching them struggle and still stay sober also encouraged me.
Hope this helps. Thank you for all the tips posted.
but what has helped me especially in the beginning of sobering up
is avoiding viewing anything that shows pictures of alcohol bottles
or people consuming it. If it's in a movie I'd look away or get up and walk away,
if it's an add I try not to focus on it. That kind of thing.
When doing this I started to notice just how often they show people
drinking alcohol in movies, music videos,
how there's so many ads with it everywhere.
Another thing that helped me a lot was watching those reality shows
about people addicted to alcohol like Dr Drew Rehab and TLC Addicted
...both can be watched on Netflix right now
and I think both are still on cable TV as well.
It helped seeing how sick I can get or was in the past....
and seeing how these people recovered and how much better life can really be.
Watching them struggle and still stay sober also encouraged me.
Hope this helps. Thank you for all the tips posted.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: East Coast, The States
Posts: 12,162
Try to stay balanced. This can be hard when you find yourself obsessing about something you think you miss from drinking days, like being with particular people,.or at certain places.
This happens to.me when I get preoccupied with how I can't hang with my big drinker friends for long (because they spend hours daily drinking!) or travel with them.
Two things to do:
1) I need to remember all the many HUGE benefits sobriety brings me, and nothing that changes my life so dramatically for the better can come without letting go of something.
And 2) These people are choosing alcohol over me. I am not choosing sobriety over them.
Stay balanced. Which, by the way, is.impossible to do.if you drink!!
This happens to.me when I get preoccupied with how I can't hang with my big drinker friends for long (because they spend hours daily drinking!) or travel with them.
Two things to do:
1) I need to remember all the many HUGE benefits sobriety brings me, and nothing that changes my life so dramatically for the better can come without letting go of something.
And 2) These people are choosing alcohol over me. I am not choosing sobriety over them.
Stay balanced. Which, by the way, is.impossible to do.if you drink!!
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: East Coast, The States
Posts: 12,162
When you get a craving and/or are triggered to drink, ask yourself: what do I want to teach my brain, body and mind about addiction right now?
Because what you do in those moments is what your addiction will be learning about you and how it should proceed....
Do you want to teach your addiction that you are easily lead, that you're not really serious, that you can't get stronger, tougher and wiser?
Or do you want to teach it that YOU make the choices now, you MEAN business now, and you are stronger than it suspects, tougher than it knows, and wiser than it dreams?
Do you want to teach it that it has NO chance with you, so it better give up trying to make you fall?
Do you want to teach addiction that IT needs to be afraid of you??
Do you want to teach it that the Worm has Turned??
Then act accordingly.
Because what you do in those moments is what your addiction will be learning about you and how it should proceed....
Do you want to teach your addiction that you are easily lead, that you're not really serious, that you can't get stronger, tougher and wiser?
Or do you want to teach it that YOU make the choices now, you MEAN business now, and you are stronger than it suspects, tougher than it knows, and wiser than it dreams?
Do you want to teach it that it has NO chance with you, so it better give up trying to make you fall?
Do you want to teach addiction that IT needs to be afraid of you??
Do you want to teach it that the Worm has Turned??
Then act accordingly.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: East Coast, The States
Posts: 12,162
I posted this elsewhere but thought it might be good in this thread.
Two Wolves
"One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, The battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all.
One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment Inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith." The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
Two Wolves
"One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, The battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all.
One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment Inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith." The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: East Coast, The States
Posts: 12,162
Help others on SR who are less further along then you.
Even if they are just a day or week behind you in sobriety, you have wisdom to share, wisdom that they need.
And also, teaching something helps you to integrate that wisdom more fully. So it actually helps you, and them. And, it makes you feel good!
Even if they are just a day or week behind you in sobriety, you have wisdom to share, wisdom that they need.
And also, teaching something helps you to integrate that wisdom more fully. So it actually helps you, and them. And, it makes you feel good!
2 detoxes down, 0 to go
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 284
Find a brand new hobby; something you can throw yourself into and occupy your mind with; something that is not in any way associated with drinking in your mind because you've never done it while drinking. Learn a new instrument, take an art class, learn to meditate, start mountain biking or hiking or rock climbing or anything that you never did during your drinking career.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada... Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio
Posts: 93
Not sure if this has been posted yet or not... but I repeat it to myself often "man takes a drink and the drink takes the man"... I find these words to be true.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: East Coast, The States
Posts: 12,162
If you haven't already joined a monthly quit class, do so. (For example right now it would be the December 2012 class). You really bond with the people who quit when you do. Also, join the Under 30 day thread if you are under thirty days. People who have been there and gone forward pop in and encourage you.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 5,937
This will probably repeat some but a few ideas of my own:
1) Be humble. Respect the power of your addiction. If it wasn't potent we wouldn't be at SR.
2) Accept yourself and your flaws. You have made mistakes. You will make mistakes. You're human, deal with it.
3) Hold yourself accountable. Don't beat yourself up but don't allow yourself any cop-outs (eg. But it was my birthday! or I only had a few...). Don't make excuses for The Beast.
4) Don't try to go it alone. There's help. Reach out to AA or anything that will help you to not take that drink. Remember that SR is here 24/7 when no one else is. There's no shame in needing help sometimes.
5) Don't give up! You don't fail when you stumble and fall, you fail when you stop getting back up.
1) Be humble. Respect the power of your addiction. If it wasn't potent we wouldn't be at SR.
2) Accept yourself and your flaws. You have made mistakes. You will make mistakes. You're human, deal with it.
3) Hold yourself accountable. Don't beat yourself up but don't allow yourself any cop-outs (eg. But it was my birthday! or I only had a few...). Don't make excuses for The Beast.
4) Don't try to go it alone. There's help. Reach out to AA or anything that will help you to not take that drink. Remember that SR is here 24/7 when no one else is. There's no shame in needing help sometimes.
5) Don't give up! You don't fail when you stumble and fall, you fail when you stop getting back up.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: East Coast, The States
Posts: 12,162
Post day and night. Go on SR twenty times a day. Read. Let yourself depend on SR temporarily while you lose your dependence on alcohol. You won't always need to depend on SR. You will naturally need SR less as you get stronger. But depend on SR to start out.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
