ragazza

I'm on day 3, it seems like day 300 though. Anyway, I made it until today. It's been said that when you're trying to recover you have to avoid situations where you usually drink, and stay away from drinking pals. My problem is that I am my drinking pal. I live in a country where is not nice or common for a girl/woman to drink, at least not the amount that I used to drink. So I usually drink alone, at home, or if I find myself in a public place I would drink one beer with my friends, and then some more hiding in the bathroom. Disgusting I know. I have developed the habit of drinking while I'm cooking dinner, I start cooking I start drinking and by the time dinner is ready I'm drunk. I fix really elaborated meals, you know, more drinking time... Strangely enough my meals come out always really good :-)
So since I quit I'm trying to substitute the habit of drinking, because we all know we don't drink for the flavour, but for the effect, so I need to replace that habit to drink constantly, reach for the glass and gulp down something..My drink of choice is beer, so to get the effect I have to drink a lot, really a lot.
I found this herbal tea, somehow helps to detox and purify ( for sure I need it), anyway I keep gulping it down like if it was beer, drinking gallons of it. I'm constantly going to the bathroom of course, but it seems to help.
I was wondering what you all do to "replace the habit"
have a wonderful rest of the day

Xune

I never had a drinking habit, so I won't be able to offer any tips.

On the other hand, I did have a life threatening addiction to alcohol that was negatively impacting every area of my life.

I admitted defeat and stopped drinking

Best of luck to you.

YEM

I couldnt really "replace my habit" as putting things up my nose and into my arm isnt really conducive to a healthy lifestyle. I have been able to keep myself busy and pursue my interests so I don't sit in my head all the time.

You are on to something with the tea as it mimics the action of at least drinking something while cooking, etc. When I go to concerts or sporting events I always have a water or something just so I feel like I have a drink in my hand.

Bottom line is just don't drink booze again. If you dont want to, you never have to again. You will find lots of support here.

littlefish

I guess I never viewed my drinking as a bad habit because my reasons for drinking went far beyond being just a habit. I have the habit of biting my nails and grinding my teeth but I don't do either of those things because I have a deep psychic need to address a sense of emptiness.
I used alcohol as a medicine to fill that emptiness.
Replacing drinking with another repetitive behavior might work if you are a heavy drinker and not an alcoholic. But if you are an alcoholic it's usually necessary to address the need to self-medicate with a program of recovery. Have you considered any program?

Sasha4

I did the following

Smashed my favourite wine/vodka glass.

Started to read in bed rather than sit in front of the TV drinking on a night time.

I eat lots of rainbow drops (google them as I am in the UK not the States) to make me believe I am having a reward. I used to drink as a reward. They are like sweet rice snacks that are low calorie.

I drink hot chocolate mostly on an evening. The hot milk makes me sleep. The sugar helps with sugar cravings.

I buy lots of nice juices and low calorie drinks for when I feel thirsty, rather than have a wine or a vodka and coke.

I check how many days I have about twice a week. The more the days stack up, the less I want to drink.

I look for projects in my house I want to do - redecorating, re-organising, tidying out for boot sales etc. That way I feel occupied with a sense of purpose an I get satisfaction from seeing a room look beautiful.

I make full use of the internet!!!!! I google all newspapers and rate articles. I am a member of other forums not connected to drinking. I like watching video's on youtube.


I think you are right to recognise that drinking can become a habit.
According to psychology habits can be deeply ingrained and really difficult to break. They often become ingrained before we notice.

I think with drinking, this is how problems start.
It becomes normal to have a drink on a saturday night, while cooking, a glass of wine with dinner, after a bad day, to celebrate a special occasion.

Then it becomes a few drinks a night, maybe a drink at lunch just to be sociable, a bottle of wine a night, then a small bottle of vodka as the wine is not doing much.

I used to struggle to have a conversation on the phone without a drink or cigarette in hand. I could not sit on my own sofa in the evening unless I was drinking out of my favourite glass. There was no way I could have gone out for a meal without drinking. It would have felt too strange.

Just because its a habit, does not make it any less dangerous in my mind.

I wish you the very best Xx

pmungo

im on day four, and drank for effect, but recognising those danger times when im most likely to drink and doing things differently, but i have to be vigilant and increase awearness, and just pure determination to change.

"the past is in a different country they do things differently there"

renaldo

ragazza,

Your story is similar to mine. I love to cook. I invited someone over for dinner and was drinking beer while cooking. I hadn't eaten all day and the meal was still not ready. I ate something quick. By the time my guest arrived I didn't eat with him because I had already eaten. The meal came out fine, but I fell down drunk.

There was no stress leading up to this. Just poor judgement. I get focused on what I'm doing and eating is the last thing on my mind. Beer solves the hunger issue and you can keep doing what you're doing. Not healthy I know, but I'm sure many folks here have found themselves in a similar situation. Julia Child comes to mind.

By the time the meal is ready, you're not hungry any more. Put the food in the fridge for another day.

Anna

I didn't really substitute a different drink for alcohol. Like you, my drinking was private and sneaky, so I did have to make a lot of changes in my life. I started walking a lot, in the early evening, which was a prime drinking time for me, and it helped in so many ways.

ragazza

Replacing drinking with another repetitive behavior might work if you are a heavy drinker and not an alcoholic. But if you are an alcoholic it's usually necessary to address the need to self-medicate with a program of recovery.



I'm not sure I understand the difference between heavy drinker and alcoholic (the addiction??) I'm a heavy drinker, meaning I drink a lot, but at this point I consider myself an alcoholic, since I can't quit whenever I want.

Windancer

Congrats on your progress!!! That is great.
For me I think a lifestyle change and an attitude change is what is helping me the most. I got to the point where it was obvious my thinking/attitude/behaviour wasnt working or allowing me to change, so I committed myself to making a huge overhaul on my life.
I try and keep busy and productive...but on really bad days, I do allow myself to be "lazy".

buickbeast

I found that I enjoyed having a glass in my hand, didn't matter if I was at a party or at home alone. What worked for me was to replace that glass with a jug of water, it looks a bit silly, but it beats the ******** things I was doing when I was drunk =)
Also, exercise has helped me a lot. I usually liked to drink in the evening, now I lift weights or go out for a light jog =)

Nikkipoo

I found that herbal teas helped too or just a little mineral water with a little fruit juice and ice at least initially.

hypochondriac

I drank a lot of herbal teas and sparkling water to replace my previous excessive beer intake. It was definitely a substitution thing. As time passed I drank less fluids but early on it was a comfort thing. I distracted myself a lot too. I read magazines because I couldn't concentrate long enough to read a book and went for long walks, often. Oh and when I worked up the courage, AA meetings too

Well done on day 3! x

ragazza

I'm already fed up with the herbal tea I've been drinking like a maniac.I could even picture frogs growing in my stomach . Now it's chocolate time. Everything but beer. I'm also using my bike to take/pick up the children to school and going to work, while I couldn't be bothered to do that during my drinking-hangover period. Feeling good on my 5th day.