Reached Day 7.. Cravings
 

Hi All..
Well I've reached one full week clean and aside from when I sat next to a BAR in restaurant on Day 5, the cravings today were the most difficult. I had a long, stressful day at work and had to stop at the (insane) grocery store with my kids tonight to pick up some stuff for Thanksgiving. It was a mad house and the liquor aisle was calling my name. Of course, I resisted, but I had to walk down the aisle to get a table cloth located at the very end. I looked at my most favorite wine, Pinot Grigio, with such longing it was sad. When will these cravings go away? It seems like they are getting worse with time. :( I find myself saying "can I really do this?.. do I really NEED to do this"? When before, I was like.. "I HAVE NO CHOICE but to do this." I'm not worried. I know I need to. But these little voices in my head are driving me bananas. I feel like I have two people (devil/angel) inside my head arguing at all times. When does THAT go away???

I found I needed AA to keep my desire to stay sober stronger than my desire to drink. The longer I am sober the less often the cravings come and the less power they have

Congrats! I can't wait to be where you are. It's easy on days1 and 2, the humiliation, regret and shame are fresh. I haven't made it past day 5 since being pregnant. I wish I had the answers. It seems tho that those who post regularly and continuously have the best success.

You did a great job resisting temptation at the market today. Right now I'm avoiding grocery shopping.

I can't speak for cravings going away suekie, for I'm right with you at a week; however, I can say that I totally relate to your supermarket story. I just got back from the store, and right as you walk in, they have a big wine sale greeting you. I saw people picking out beer. I reached for the milk and they had brandy chilling next to egg nog. So frustrating. However, you made the right decision. Like someone told me a few nights ago, that is a victory for you. Yeah, the cravings suck, but the our reward is sobriety--way better than the hangover. I like to picture the craving as the beast in me trying to stay alive, wanting to be fed. If I avoid the craving, the beast will starve. I know that's a bit dramatic, but it helps me.

Thanks, all.

I like the dramatic, malcolmsloan. I am going to use that next time I'm feeling a craving... it's just the beast trying to get out lol. :)

hi Suekie

if you're like me, and most of us here, you drank for years - it's gonna to take a little time for those cravings to die down - certainly more than a week.

I promise they will fade eventually :)

But you got through it - and you're not alone...you're doing great :)
congrats on your week :)

D

Well done on overcoming the desire to drink. I am on day 11 and last night sitting in a meeting the obsession kicked in and i was thinking about drinking after even though i didn't want to. So i shares it in the meeting and it lessened so much. Came home, kept busy, woke up fresh this morning and got to another meeting before college. I am just sharing this as I want you to know you are not alone, and what is working for me just now is sharing open and honestly with other people, and keeping a routine. I have been around AA 3 years and the amount of times I've sat in a meeting, thought about drink and run with it are far too many. Feels good to have broken through that barrier.

Good morning, those painful cravings can be a real distraction. Find yourself not thinking of anything other than alcohol "popping in your head". I haven't been on here in a few days but what a refreshing feeling it is when i read all the wisdom on here. Still learning my way around the site but this AM i ended up on the posts related to people dealing with alcoholics. It brought a tear to my eye. One woman posted so much insightful stuff and the lyrics to the song "in my daughters eyes". Anyway, i am going to jump over there and then post her location. Please read it. I woke up this AM thinking about the "night before Thanksgiving" . . . yup, that day is usually one where alcohol should be involved. I am hoping to avoid that bad decision and wake tomorrow with a spring in my step. Feeling healthier than i would if i pop the top on anything. Proud of all of you. Keep up the good work; even if it hurts. It is better to be in discomfort because you are doing something positive than to be in discomfort because of regret, disappointment and a hangover. You're all champions in my eyes. So many people never even enter the race!

Welll done on five days. As Dee said, years of drinking aren't undone in a couple of weeks. Stay strong, stay the course, and you will see the cravings lessen. And stay out of places (bars and so forth) that make you yearn for a drink, at least in the beginning of your recovery.

Thanks everyone.

I had a great day today. My husband can't stop talking about all of the positive changes he's seeing in my demeanor and looks and it's making me feel great. This beats numbness, guilt, pain and hangovers any day.

I have to agree with amandaw. I come to the forum daily and it helps me to be accountable.

It's awesome that you just walked right past the wine! So very proud of you! :c011:

I know it must have been hard, but you were strong and you did it! And you did it once, so you can do it again. The longer you don't drink the easier it gets.

I try to attach negative thoughts to alcohol. If I see someone buying booze, I think "Why would they want to waste their money on that? I've got better things to spend my money on!" Just a thought....it helps me.

Congrats on a week Suekie!

this may be of interest

How to Curb Alcohol Cravings | Hyla Cass, MD

EAT A BALANCED DIET
There is indisputable evidence that alcohol cravings can be curtailed with the right diet and nutrients. A big component in alcohol craving is – sugar! Often a craving for a drink is really a reflection of low blood sugar that can be remedied with food such as cheese and crackers or an apple—the foods I recommend when people are craving carbs since it’s the same issue. If you eat a balanced and healthy diet, with enough complex carbs and protein, you can often overcome your alcohol cravings without being coerced or feeling pressured, and you lower your chance of relapse as well.

Research shows that specific amino acids such as L-glutamine will lessen your alcohol cravings, reduce stress and give you a better chance at recovery. Bear in mind that a poor diet can lead to brain imbalance, triggering further cravings!

Here’s a great example of how this all works:
Bruce, a 35-year-old realtor with a high pressure, competitive job came to see me for anxiety, depression, and low energy. His intake questionnaire revealed that he drank a 6-pack of beer every 2 days or so. Ignoring that specific issue, we began several sessions of counseling, including stress reduction techniques such as meditation.

I also prescribed a series of supplements to address his physiological imbalances, including a high potency multivitamin- mineral formula with high B vitamin content, chromium 200 mcg twice daily (for blood sugar balance), tyrosine 500 – 1000 mg twice daily for energy, and glutamine, 500 mg three times a day, for low mood and substance cravings. For his convenience, I later shifted him over to my Brain Recovery AM & PM formula.

When I asked two months later about his beer drinking, he first gave me a blank look, then lit up and exclaimed, “Funny you should ask. I just noticed a 6-pack that had been sitting in the refrigerator for weeks, untouched, and kind of wondered why I hadn’t been drinking.” Not only do the habits disappear, but so does the feeling-state and memory of this even having been there.

BEWARE OF THE CONSEQUENCES
One way to put things into perspective is to continually remind yourself of what consequences could ensue if you give in to your alcohol cravings. Ask yourself these questions over and over again; is this drink really worth it? How will I feel in an hour’s time or in due course? Is this drink worth sabotaging my efforts to curb my cravings? Arousing the negative emotions associated with giving in to your cravings could help you to stay focused and largely avoiding ‘relapsing’ to same old habits.

LIVE A BALANCED LIFE
All work and no play can leave you overly stressed and with unbalanced brain chemistry. This imbalance may lead you to seek external ‘remedies’ to help chill you out. And guess what tops the list here? It is therefore important to actively seek ‘me-time’ to unwind from your daily cares and ensure a healthy balance between work and life. Doing so will ensure that you largely keep stress at bay and alcohol cravings away!

How to Curb Alcohol Cravings | Hyla Cass, MD