DainBramaged

Well.. I'm on Day 4. The last time I drank was Sunday. Weekends (as I'm sure are for a lot of people) are the worst for me. I have plans to stay busy, do some housework, go on a hike etc.. I'm not sure if it is best to just stay in my home. (I threw all the booze out). At least if I hole up I can't drink. I usually go out to dinner on the weekends with my wife but I am assuming that would be very difficult. I think this weekend will be the hardest for me in my short sobriety. Friends, what do you think about staying home on the weekends for a bit? Or do I just put duct tape on my mouth and rejoin society?

ScottFromWI

I personally stayed home pretty much the first couple weeks, just had to get myself back on my feet. Obviously avoide situations outside the house that will have lots of alchohol around.

Play some guitars?

doggonecarl

I stayed home for a while. If I went out, they were safe environments that weren't apt to trigger the urge to drink.

Recovery from alcohol requires change. Lots of change. For me, anything that resembled my life when I was drinking had to cease, at least until I was strong enough to tackle them sober. I didn't hang with the people I hung with drinking, didn't do the activities that I usually did with alcohol, didn't go to places where drinking and alcohol were the main attractions.

hypochondriac

Stay home. I had to change a lot of habits in the early days to make it easy on myself. I literally did the opposite of what I would normally do. Try and break a few other habits too and it will shake things up for you and make it easier x

Maylie

I did a little bit of both. I would go out during the day and then stay home at night. During the day I tried to do things that would keep me busy and get me out of my own head. Your idea of going on a hike sounds like a great activity since you will be out in nature, getting some exercise, and won't be around anything drinking. When I was newly sober I tried to do a lot of outdoor activities such as hiking, going to parks, taking walks at the beach, etc. This way I was away from the people, places, and things that I did when using.

The nights I stayed in and watched movies with my family and my boyfriend. I made sure that I was busy enough to not sit there thinking about using but not so busy I couldn't cuddle on the couch and relax.

Do what feels right just don't isolate yourself so much that you get stuck in your own head and drive yourself crazy

Trubbled

I vote for staying home too. It just seems safer and then by the next weekend you'll have that many more days under your belt to help strengthen you.

DAB

Make plans and go out! There are numerous things you can do where alcohol won't be a factor. You mentioned a hike, you could bike, see a movie that you like.
If you go out to dinner, go to a place that doesn't serve alcohol, you might have to make it fast food. I know it's tough at first, but try not to limit what you can do too much. The fact that you can't drink is limiting enough, the sober life is something to be cherished and enjoyed!

DainBramaged

I will be playing some serious blues this weekend.

BuddinK

Maybe do something extremely nice at home, Massages for you and your wife then have a nice dinner delivered.

One of the things that has helped me on weekend is to plan something that I would look forward to, so that as the weekend neared I would look forward to whatever I had planned and got my mind off of just trying to get through without a drink.

Sunset snorkel cruise this Saturday for me!

LadyinBC

You are not required to go anywhere that you feel uncomfortable. I avoided places that I knew would trigger me. No parties, bars or pubs. If you think a restaurant will trigger you, don't go. I personally think that this is important in early recovery. We don't have to be heroes and our only obligation is to make sure our sobriety comes first.

I basically had to change places, people and things.

I also took up hobbies I stopped doing, for example, reading and playing video games. I found that helped. Also went to lots of meetings and stayed at my daughters alot!

Zebra1275

Stay home.

You might have a ton of anxiety but if you do something physical, like go for a run that will help. I know a guy who joined the YMCA when he quit drinking and started to lift weights. It's been a couple of years for him now. He is sober and looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger (when Arnold was 35).

DainBramaged

Wow.. some mixed reviews... but I think i will take both.. I will spend most of the time home, doing something fun with my wife, then get out and go for a hike, walk on the beach etc.. I am going for pizza tonight with the whole family so I should be good to go. Tomorrow is another day.. Just need to make it through tonight.. Then I'll deal with Friday. Thanks for all of your suggestions.. this board is seriously awesome.. why can't the rest of the world be this generous and helpful? weird..

DainBramaged

Funny.. I went and got pizza last night.. local college hang out.. pitchers of beer everywhere.. beer specials.. basically everywhere.. funny thing, didn't even bother me because I got to a point where I couldn't get a buzz off of beer anymore.. That's funny.. not funny like ha,ha.. funny like.. ohhhhh..

Dee74

I stayed home - my entire social life and social circle was focused on booze.
I needed time to put clear distance between that life and the life I wanted to build.

I wasn't a hermit - I did non alcohol related stuff - went out for coffee, to the movies, took walks etc etc, but I waited a while before putting myself in tougher situations until I knew noone or no situation could sway my resolve.

Those few weeks and weekends were a pretty good investment.

we have a weekend support thread here too
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...il-2013-a.html

D

DainBramaged

Thanks Dee. Most of the time I just drank at home.. but I definitely will be avoiding any compromising situations.

Dee74

so did I...but I also 'fell' a time or two 'going out'.
It's important not to underestimate this thing, I think

D

UnixBer

stay at it and keep going.

I found this song some time ago, and it has no trigger to alcohol, as I used to listen to this a lot JUST prior to starting a drinking career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhr-CRcK3OM

It is just a random song maybe, but I hope it may prove beneficial for you, at this time.