gr8t2bme

Hi everyone,

I am happy to say I am 7 months sober on Dec 10th. However, I have been having such strong cravings to drink. Does anyone have any advice for me so I don't give into my temptations and ruin my sobriety. I'm scared.

Thank you
Theresa

Dee74

The best advice I can give is don't give in, and really use whatever support you've been using Theresa.

Thinking the tape through and urge surfing can be useful tools too - as can the idea of not wanting to go back to where you came from.

Don't fall for the lie that your sober time means you must have control now, or you can have a couple, or have a night off...it doesn't work that way.

Just read around and you'll see that.

Whatever has you unsettled drinking won't fix it.

D

lilgolden73

My cravings have been really bad these last few days, I think it through for the most part...but its really really hard good luck!

Dagney

I have been doing some reading about detoxing and cravings. I also spoke with an N.D. Kudzu seems to be working well for me with the cravings along with other supplements.

Joe Nerv

If you don't already have it, pick up the book living sober. It's jam packed with suggestions on how handle urges. I believe it's sold at most bookstores now, lots of AA meetings have them, and you can always get on at good ol amazon. Living Sober: Anonymous: 9780916856045: Amazon.com: Books

For a quick fix now, I'm reminded by a post that someone else put up this week that ice cream is a good quick fix. It's hard to think about downing some scotch after stuffing your face full with a banana split or something equivalent. Drinking lots of water and avoiding being thirsty help a lot too. AA is of course the best thing I know of to help with the urges, but I know a lot of people on this forum don't want nuthin to do with that. If that's the case, get the book above. I don't think there's a simpler, better resource available.

Goatspider85

The twelve steps of AA helped me. The best way to get through urges to drink is to work with another alcoholic. For me, prayer and meditation work best when I was in early recovery. The disease of alcoholism centers in the mind, trying not to drink or not thinking about drinking won't help. I have a disease that says I dont have a disease. Now as a direct result of the steps, I can see the insanity behind taking that first drink. That doesn't mean I'm cured, what I have is a daily reprieve based upon my spiritual condition.

Goatspider85

If your sobriety is just about not drinking, you can tell it's not working if you drink.

FeelingGreat

Hi; some suggestions purely to handle the cravings at the time they happen. The longer term work I will leave to others more experience than myself:

- make sure you don't get too hungry or thirsty
- eat something sweet, or even a piece of fruit
- take 5 deep careful breaths, concentrating on each one
- do whatever it takes to distract yourself
- be conscious of 'danger' times in your daily routine and try to change them slightly

Hope one or two of these work for you as they do for me.

nogard

Fear can paralyse us and leave us blind to our options.

read and post here, talk to others in recovery.

RyanRed

I know that feeling you speak of as I'm sure most of all here do. Try and remember why your 7 months sober. Your at this point for a reason. You didn't get here because you took one drink and stopped. Your most likely here because you could never stop after one drink. Dig up and remember that twisted reality most of us used to call living. It may not be pleasant to remember, but use that memory as a tool. Use it to remember that nightmare, but most importantly use it to remember how you never want to live that way again. You've come so far. I'm sure you don't want to start allll over again. It's simply not worth it. Our times so much more valuable sober.

mytime66

I'm only sober 9 months. But I feel like I should chime in. My own personal battle is between myself and how I can't control the amounts of alcohol I would dump in once I took the first drink. I'm horrible at regulation shall we say. The horrible ways I treated those I love as well as those I didn't even know was what ensued. For me the life I choose to live now does not have alcohol in it. Do I sometimes think about it. Of course. But I just take a walk down memory lane and see what a mean angry self destructive a@!hole I would turn back into. It's enough to scare the crape out of me. Never forget where you were. But strive to never return there. I wish you well. It feels hard sometimes. You can do it. You've got this far, rite.