content and thinking
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: northeast
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content and thinking
Hi All,
I went for a run, ate a nice dinner, and came here. My thought of the day revolves around getting by the 4pm hour. At work, I think alcohol. Driving home is the same. If I can just either eat a big dinner, or go running, once I get past that hump, the desire to drink leaves. But all day long, the thoughts torment me. I just do not get how I can sit here right now and feel like the 17 year old me who had never drank before and loved to run. But thats how I feel right now. I will feel that way tomorrow morning also. but beginning around 1, the thoughts begin a slow methodical attack. At least back when I was 17 I looked forward to my 4pm cookies and milk. A somewhat better addiction. hmmm...cookies and milk. maybe a new recovery tool. have a great night everyone.
Wonder
I went for a run, ate a nice dinner, and came here. My thought of the day revolves around getting by the 4pm hour. At work, I think alcohol. Driving home is the same. If I can just either eat a big dinner, or go running, once I get past that hump, the desire to drink leaves. But all day long, the thoughts torment me. I just do not get how I can sit here right now and feel like the 17 year old me who had never drank before and loved to run. But thats how I feel right now. I will feel that way tomorrow morning also. but beginning around 1, the thoughts begin a slow methodical attack. At least back when I was 17 I looked forward to my 4pm cookies and milk. A somewhat better addiction. hmmm...cookies and milk. maybe a new recovery tool. have a great night everyone.
Wonder
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: North America
Posts: 1,628
There's a concept, along the lines of "automatic thoughts," "thought stopping," and "thought changing."
Basically the concept recognizes that we humans tend to talk to ourselves using words (ITS IN MY HEAD MAAAAN hahaha). So, you might have a depressed person who makes self statements like "I"m a bad person," or something like that.
These thoughts can become habits, or automatic. They can also become part of our routene as we go through the day.
So, suggestion, if you find yourself thinking "I would love to have a beer," there may be no harm in stopping that thought as quick as you can, and then deliberatly saying to yourself "I really can't wait to go for a run." The goal would be to try to get into the mental habit of saying that stright away. This goal might take weeks to achieve, but correcting yourself every time sure can't hurt.
Thought habits can be changed, for sure. First task is to make yourself awair of them. Then you stop them while they are happening, that's job two. Then you deliberatly correct or replace them with your preferred thought.
So, our mythical depressed person would try to replace the negitive self statement of "I'm a bad person" with the more accurate and true self statement "I'm not perfect." Something like that. This would ideally help reduce the depressed feelings that result from the thoughts in question. For you, maybe if the thought habit is replaced, you will actually start to crave that run again, instead of the beer~~~~~
Basically the concept recognizes that we humans tend to talk to ourselves using words (ITS IN MY HEAD MAAAAN hahaha). So, you might have a depressed person who makes self statements like "I"m a bad person," or something like that.
These thoughts can become habits, or automatic. They can also become part of our routene as we go through the day.
So, suggestion, if you find yourself thinking "I would love to have a beer," there may be no harm in stopping that thought as quick as you can, and then deliberatly saying to yourself "I really can't wait to go for a run." The goal would be to try to get into the mental habit of saying that stright away. This goal might take weeks to achieve, but correcting yourself every time sure can't hurt.
Thought habits can be changed, for sure. First task is to make yourself awair of them. Then you stop them while they are happening, that's job two. Then you deliberatly correct or replace them with your preferred thought.
So, our mythical depressed person would try to replace the negitive self statement of "I'm a bad person" with the more accurate and true self statement "I'm not perfect." Something like that. This would ideally help reduce the depressed feelings that result from the thoughts in question. For you, maybe if the thought habit is replaced, you will actually start to crave that run again, instead of the beer~~~~~
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Wonder,
Have you decided that you never ever want to drink again? or do you think maybe someday it will be ok? The reason I ask is that once I decided that I never ever want to drink angain period, the cravings have gotten way less. I drank for 40 years over the course of 42 years, so I have pretty much been able to convince myself that it will never be a good idea, each and every morning I feel so glad that I wake up sober, yes the afternoon and early evening is when the drinking thoughts pass by, but that's it, I only think of it for a few seconds and the thoughts are gone, they are gone because I am convinced it's a bad idea. good luck. good sober night to you too
Have you decided that you never ever want to drink again? or do you think maybe someday it will be ok? The reason I ask is that once I decided that I never ever want to drink angain period, the cravings have gotten way less. I drank for 40 years over the course of 42 years, so I have pretty much been able to convince myself that it will never be a good idea, each and every morning I feel so glad that I wake up sober, yes the afternoon and early evening is when the drinking thoughts pass by, but that's it, I only think of it for a few seconds and the thoughts are gone, they are gone because I am convinced it's a bad idea. good luck. good sober night to you too
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Remember that the thoughts are just thoughts.
They have no control over you. You can recognize them for what they are, and let them go. Stop them before they take over your mind and release them.
They have no control over you. You can recognize them for what they are, and let them go. Stop them before they take over your mind and release them.
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: northeast
Posts: 142
OCDDan,
A fellow new englander. In a nutshell, I know the best thing is to stop for good. I have no desire to moderate. Moderation for me would be the number of times I could get drunk which seems very pointless. It is just safer for me to never drink again. Do I think that it might be o.k. to one day go back? Yes. Would I ever? No. It would not be worth the risk and hopefully I would take pride enough in being a sober for life person. However, I am like that kid right now staring at the pool of sobriety and dipping my feet in the water. I really want to join, but I stand on the edge. I would like to emphasize however, that intense progress has been made in my mental thoughts concerning the journey. I am not trying on purpose to delay just to get more drunks in. I just do not have the ability right now to jump in the pool. thanks again everyone
Dee....Urge surfing helps a great amount. Thanks.
Scrambled: How did you get that picture of me running?
That is exactly what I am trying to do. Replace alcohol thoughts with other thoughts right away. it helps a lot. Its showing me a life without alcohol is fun and fulfilling and is helping me to build the confidence needed to calmly and without failure take the next and final step.
Wonder
A fellow new englander. In a nutshell, I know the best thing is to stop for good. I have no desire to moderate. Moderation for me would be the number of times I could get drunk which seems very pointless. It is just safer for me to never drink again. Do I think that it might be o.k. to one day go back? Yes. Would I ever? No. It would not be worth the risk and hopefully I would take pride enough in being a sober for life person. However, I am like that kid right now staring at the pool of sobriety and dipping my feet in the water. I really want to join, but I stand on the edge. I would like to emphasize however, that intense progress has been made in my mental thoughts concerning the journey. I am not trying on purpose to delay just to get more drunks in. I just do not have the ability right now to jump in the pool. thanks again everyone
Dee....Urge surfing helps a great amount. Thanks.
Scrambled: How did you get that picture of me running?
That is exactly what I am trying to do. Replace alcohol thoughts with other thoughts right away. it helps a lot. Its showing me a life without alcohol is fun and fulfilling and is helping me to build the confidence needed to calmly and without failure take the next and final step. Wonder
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Midwest
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wonderfullife, I know what you mean about getting a run in or a good meal in and feeling content with that, and less urge to drink. I dread going for a jog 90% of the time, but I feel so f***ing fantastic after the jog 100% of the time. It's really strange. The high from that totally erases the majority of drinking thoughts in my head.
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