Do the cravings get easier?
Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Sweden
Posts: 1,649
Remember there is a lot going on with your body the first few days. Your brain has been supplying your body with a steady supply of stimulants to counter the constant general depressant effects of alcohol. When the alcohol is gone, the brain continues to produce these stimulants, hence the sleeplessness, the days of hyperactivity. I used to call it the "manic" period directly after a binge when I tried to stay away from booze.
Then there is the longer period of post-acute-withdrawal and that can take months. But, yes of course, it does go away. For me it was the 3 month mark. At 3 months I could identify my triggers, observe them without acting on them.
I was no longer obsessing by then and not overwhelmed by panic in situations, thinking that only a drink would solve the problem.
for others, it may be a 3 week mark, or a month, or 2 months, or some other mark in time. Whatever it turns out to be for you, it will happen.
As Dee points out, if it didn't, few of us would be here today!!!
Then there is the longer period of post-acute-withdrawal and that can take months. But, yes of course, it does go away. For me it was the 3 month mark. At 3 months I could identify my triggers, observe them without acting on them.
I was no longer obsessing by then and not overwhelmed by panic in situations, thinking that only a drink would solve the problem.
for others, it may be a 3 week mark, or a month, or 2 months, or some other mark in time. Whatever it turns out to be for you, it will happen.
As Dee points out, if it didn't, few of us would be here today!!!
Minx
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Nz
Posts: 35
HALT!!
Stands for hungry, angry, lonely, tired
I find I have to watch out for any of these feelings, if I am one of these it can trigger a craving for alcohol. I halt , fix the matter in hand, have a glass of water, and the craving usually goes away. Just like u felt better after eating, well done or dumping the booze, that's a miracle in itself.
God bless u
Stands for hungry, angry, lonely, tired
I find I have to watch out for any of these feelings, if I am one of these it can trigger a craving for alcohol. I halt , fix the matter in hand, have a glass of water, and the craving usually goes away. Just like u felt better after eating, well done or dumping the booze, that's a miracle in itself.
God bless u
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 457
How on this planet can I thank you people enough for your support.
Truth be told, I need to rediscover what landed me here starting around one and a half years ago when I started binging daily. That is exactly what I am going to do. I've never said this.
Drank some tonight. Feel really bad given your posts. I mean the above though, I need to revisit some things, and I've drastically underestimated alcohol in all of this.
In bed, didn't binge but pretty reflective right now.
Truth be told, I need to rediscover what landed me here starting around one and a half years ago when I started binging daily. That is exactly what I am going to do. I've never said this.
Drank some tonight. Feel really bad given your posts. I mean the above though, I need to revisit some things, and I've drastically underestimated alcohol in all of this.
In bed, didn't binge but pretty reflective right now.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 1,635
Yes it DOES get better! I have ten months as of yesterday and LadyBC is right, they change.
They become more of a "thought" that you shrug off. What I do when the cravings are bad, and it HAS WORKED, is to call people, go to a meeting and share, and post here, HONESTLY about what is going on with me. I ask for help.
I have to tell you that the above is the difference in what I do now and what I used to do. I used to just say eff it and drink and then be horribly sorry and guilty afterwards. I got sick of doing the same thing over and over.
They become more of a "thought" that you shrug off. What I do when the cravings are bad, and it HAS WORKED, is to call people, go to a meeting and share, and post here, HONESTLY about what is going on with me. I ask for help.
I have to tell you that the above is the difference in what I do now and what I used to do. I used to just say eff it and drink and then be horribly sorry and guilty afterwards. I got sick of doing the same thing over and over.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 457
Made and making the adjustments at work this morning so I have the time I need, appointment made (message left) and other commitments as well to work on my recovery, put in place. Great thing is that I'm known to be a pretty consistent employee (of course I started seeing that come undone) so there will be no problem in me making these adjustments.
Cancelled plans for the coming weekends where it's with work colleagues or people I don't know as well, there will obviously be drinking involved and it's the last thing I want to be around at the moment, always make myself feel like I have to go when really it's just another night on another weekend that falls in another month.....
Have plans for dinner with a friends on a couple of occasions but there's no problem there in saying I'm good to pass and most of them aren't really drinkers (even pretty rare for some) so will be good to grab a bite with to get out of the house.
Other plans in place. Will be here later on
Cancelled plans for the coming weekends where it's with work colleagues or people I don't know as well, there will obviously be drinking involved and it's the last thing I want to be around at the moment, always make myself feel like I have to go when really it's just another night on another weekend that falls in another month.....
Have plans for dinner with a friends on a couple of occasions but there's no problem there in saying I'm good to pass and most of them aren't really drinkers (even pretty rare for some) so will be good to grab a bite with to get out of the house.
Other plans in place. Will be here later on
Mini Novel Post Writer
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Maine
Posts: 3,649
Yes, it does get easier!
I was in agreement with the prior posts. I am 70 days in now and it isn't even a consideration and I have a plan in case I do get an urge.
Here's what's better though. You start to really feel better and realize just what alcohol was doing to your body. I always thought that since I was a binge drinker on weekends that I wasn't really hurting myself. Drunk on Friday night then in most case Saturday nights too. Really hurting on Sunday. Then on Monday the slow incline back to what I thought was a normal state. By the time Friday rolled around I thought that what I had done to myself the prior weekend was repaired and I could start all over again. Boy was I wrong. It took being sober for a while to figure this out but check out the thread that I started (link below).
This, coming from a person who only drank on weekends. I imagine that someone who indulges daily would probably feel that a lot faster than I did. When you reach this point it's a great motivator to never go back and helps immensely when you crave because you don't want to give what you're feeling up!
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...e-feeling.html
As an afterthought I've gone back to that post a few times and used it when I've had slight urges but I do think I figured out what was occurring physically. Alcohol really screws with your central nervous system and I believe that what I was feeling, and it still is getting better, is it being repaired as much as it can be after the damage that I inflicted.
I was in agreement with the prior posts. I am 70 days in now and it isn't even a consideration and I have a plan in case I do get an urge.
Here's what's better though. You start to really feel better and realize just what alcohol was doing to your body. I always thought that since I was a binge drinker on weekends that I wasn't really hurting myself. Drunk on Friday night then in most case Saturday nights too. Really hurting on Sunday. Then on Monday the slow incline back to what I thought was a normal state. By the time Friday rolled around I thought that what I had done to myself the prior weekend was repaired and I could start all over again. Boy was I wrong. It took being sober for a while to figure this out but check out the thread that I started (link below).
This, coming from a person who only drank on weekends. I imagine that someone who indulges daily would probably feel that a lot faster than I did. When you reach this point it's a great motivator to never go back and helps immensely when you crave because you don't want to give what you're feeling up!
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...e-feeling.html
As an afterthought I've gone back to that post a few times and used it when I've had slight urges but I do think I figured out what was occurring physically. Alcohol really screws with your central nervous system and I believe that what I was feeling, and it still is getting better, is it being repaired as much as it can be after the damage that I inflicted.
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