Struggling
 

I got to stop drinking. I am afraid I will die. If I can just get through the first day. Today I will try. I have told myself that I will not drink no matter what. I am just sad and crying a lot and I prayed very hard this morning. I work part time and get off at noon. This is when I think about drinking. I am going to pray all day to get through this day. I believe if I can get through this day, then I can try for day two. Are there any suggestions.

find other things to do that interest you .. Walk read; anything to burn up the clock .. Next thing you know you will be at day 2 :D

Hi Helen

What a fantastic decision to give up! Well done!

There's lots of support here but you might also want to consider AA or another local support group.

You might want to listen to some AA talks: there are loads online here: XA-Speakers - The lights are on!

I'd recommend this video as well: Father Martin's "Chalk Talk on Alcoholism" on Vimeo (It's a bit old, but very good).

God bless +

The important thing for me was being honest with myself regarding my drinking problem and thinking. At a certain point alcohol was not a friend anymore and was beating me down hard. I suggest reading these pages and going to a lot of AA meetings even if you don't want to. It's helped many millions over the years to abstain from alcohol and have great lives. It's works and is far better than going down the drinking path. BE WELL

If you have alcohol in your house tip it down the pipes.

Do not go where alcohol is served.

Do not pick up a drink and put it to your lips.

These are simple things, but they are not easy. I does get easier with time. And as others have said, try to stay busy. Read the forum here. Use the chat feature. Take a walk. Cry a little if you need to. You are a person of worth and the world needs you to get better.

These are the only things that have worked for me and I have been struggling like you. I know that if I stay busy --- work on hobbies I enjoy, take a walk, head down to the lake or go to a meeting, that it makes all the difference. If you have a higher power, ask for help every day.

:You_Rock_

You have made the decision that you want to stop and that's great!! You can get through the first day like myself and many other people on here who have managed to get sober. The thing that helped me initially was being very busy, minimise the amount of time you have on your hands to sit and think about drinking. Your drinking voice will tell you to drink, you have to learn to ignore it and shut it out. Go for a walk, talk to people, spend time outdoors doing something you enjoy, or spend time with friends or family just distract yourself. You say you finish work at noon and that's when you start thinking about drinking, this sounds like the more busy you are with more distractions the less you think about drinking so get busy. You could attend an AA meeting or speak to someone on the phone or there are always friendly people here in the same boat willing to listen and wishing you well. The more days you spend sober the easier it gets, you can do it keep posting on here and keep busy would be my best suggestions. Best of luck.

I feel you. I want to drink all day, every day. I try to stay busy with other things and avoid triggers (restaurants that serve alcohol, doing activities I normally do when I drink, etc).

I'm also in the ATL area and it's going to beautiful today. I am going to try to get some fresh air and focus on all the great reasons not to drink.

Today is another Day 1 for me as well. Be in touch if you need to.

Congratulations on your decision to stop.

Make sure you drink plenty of non -alcoholic drinks to keep yourself hydrated,not tea and coffee,plain water is the best.

:welcome I found it useful to fill my time with activities. Every time I had a craving to drink I walked my dogs. I kept reminding myself that I wanted to be sober more than anything else. It wasn't easy but I did it and so can you. :hug:

Welcome to SR!

Some people like to take it one day at a time... ODAAT :)

And Yoda would say: "Do or Do Not. There is no try"

You CAN do it :) Lots of support here...

Hi there
I'm on day 2 and I know what you mean--I also work part time so creates opportunities to drink that are SO tempting.
I find being here helps a lot, and also to tell myself to take it 1 day at a time and choose not to drink today--and leave it at that.
Oherwise I find it too overwhelming and scary....
From all the advice I have seen here, it will get better- so stay strong and take care!
:You_Rock_

great advice here alycehelen :)

how are you doing?
D

Hey Alyce, I am glad you are here. The first day is scary and difficult but you feel a huge victory waking up for day 2. The beginning of the day was pretty easy as I always began at 5 pm but once evening came I became moody, agitated, and not much for conversation. These are tips that helped me to get through the first day. And in all honesty it wasn't that bad looking back it sure felt like it at the time. Here are my tips from a week ago:
*I actively took it as easy as I could on myself. I set myself up on the couch in a nest of blankets, my laptop so I could read posts on here, and everything I needed in arm's reach: water bottle, soda, TV controller, phone, snacks. I was too scattered to focus on a movie or show but reading posts on here made the time pass more quickly. I was fortunate to not have major withdrawals but I was definitely in a foul mood.
*I avoided stressful discussions with hubby/friends/children. I didn't feel like talking much the first few days and just focused on myself. You can always argue about politics, cleaning the house, religion, or finances another day.
*I made an inventory of the positives and negatives of your drinking. My positives are 1) I want to feel good when I wake up. 2) I want to lose weight and get healthy 3) I want to be in control of what I say and do. No more blackout humiliation. 4) I want to be more alert, centered, and productive at work. 5) I want to feel that sense of calm and ordinary happiness I had before I ever drank. My list is long but those are my main reasons.
*I allowed myself to eat whatever I wanted. I had macaroni and cheese for dinner with ice cream plus some thin pizzas from Trader Joes. I also found that I didn't feel guilty because I wasn't drinking my 1200 calories of alcohol. A full stomach eased my mind.
*When bedtime came, I took my laptop to bed to keep reading here but I found that kept me more alert and awake than I should be at night. I didn't sleep very well so the next night I took a magazine to bed and read under the lamp and banned myself from the laptop and phone. If I didn't fall asleep in 20 minutes the lamp came back on and I read a bit more. I fell asleep on maybe the third try.

I hope these tips help you get through day 1. It wasn't easy but I knew I had to get active in making it easier. Waking up on day 2 feels like a small victory and my strength and resolve gets stronger with each day. You can do it! Keep us posted on your progress.
*

When all else had failed I tried AA and it worked. Almost 4 years later it is still working