Idk what it is today
 

Maybe the sun shining, Easter weekend, or just the weekend in general but quite a bit today I have been thinking a lot of the thought of walking into a bar and drinking an ice cold beer. I keep telling myself no, those days are over but there is a part of my brain that tells me that I miss having that feeling. Idk why today but seems like its the worst out of the 3+ months that I've been sober now. How do you all deal with these thoughts when and if they occur?:a108:

I try to do something else. I'll read, play video games, play with my granddaughter, or I'll come here and read.

I usually tell that part of my brain to **** off, I'm not drinking.

The old timers in AA say, "Move a muscle and change a thought. " I like to exercise a little when I feel squirrely. Reading a book also helps me to escape. :)
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Click this link and watch the video BEFORE you drink that beer:

Pleasure Unwoven Full Movie Documentary by Kevin McCauley - YouTube

What helped me the most was playing the whole tape through to the end, because our AV/addiction only focuses on the fantasy of what a drink could do for us - it's just a false image in our heads. So play the real story about what happens after the first drink.

There's also urge surfing, mindfulness, breathing through cravings, distracting yourself, reading here, etc. etc..... lots of choices! Remember that cravings don't last forever - that always helped me, too.

yeah, the improving weather is going to be a bit of a 'trigger' for me, so to speak. add to that I will be traveling all spring and hopefully will find work somewhere, so both traveling and settling in a new place will probably make me want to got o a bar for 'a few beers', but basically I'm just going to continue choosing not to do that.

Remind yourself that , that voice you hear telling you a beer would taste good is the voice that wants you dead and until then completely miserable. It is very sneaky and will always disguise the evil with something quite inviting. I liken it to the devil. Think it all the way through to the next morning and you know one beer isn't gonna be enough. Think it through to the remorse and regret you will have in the morning. :) Not worth it , or you can wake up on Easter Morning and realize the reason for the season. Be happy!

I too tell my addiction voice to **** off, go away, that I DO NOT drink anymore and that's it!!! It took some time for that to sink in but I rarely get drinking thoughts anymore.:)

Thanks for the link and I think that was helpful.

I agree that the key to remaining quit is to remember the reasons why we quit and the bad things that it did to us in many aspects. Some days are difficult, however, like yesterday. I think it is because you tend to think that you can maybe go out and have a few beers and not overdo it this time and perhaps a little hangover will be the worst thing that comes about it, and that it would be worth the good times at the bar. Maybe I can moderate my drinking this time is the common thought.

I had a tough time yesterday too. I wanted a drink, and it was offered to me. And I said, "No, that wouldn't be a good idea."

I tell myself over and over that I am a non-drinker so drinking wouldn't be logical. The consequences of drinking wouldn't be worth it; nothing tastes that good. I also think about all I would lose if I did drink.