how to make my plan
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 13
how to make my plan
Hi guys. I had another thread on here earlier and got some great advice. One piece of advice that seems universal is to make a plan. But im not sure what this plan would consist of other than... dont drink. Any advice on how to build my plan and what I need to cover? Im an alcoholic by the way. Im making a doctor appointment this week as step one to make sure I can safely detox.
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,780
There are lots of ways to stay sober. AA, Smart, AVRT, and other programs. I use counseling and daily visits to this site to keep me sober. I'm glad you're seeing a doctor to detox safely. Once that's done you can focus on what you're going to do to stay sober.
I'm glad you joined us.
I'm glad you joined us.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 1,534
You have already begun to make your plan: see a doctor so you can safely detox. Good job!
Some other ideas to consider:
AA or other group support
Individual counseling or therapy
Rehab
AVRT
I am sure others can add to these ideas. You are on your way!
Some other ideas to consider:
AA or other group support
Individual counseling or therapy
Rehab
AVRT
I am sure others can add to these ideas. You are on your way!
Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ireland
Posts: 25,826
The purpose of my plan is to get me from the moment I wake up in the morning until bedtime the next night Sober, that's the aim, the method we all use will be different, and whatever works for you is the best way forward!!
For me a plan needs to have plenty of support and accountability to maintain my Sobriety, I tried to do it on my own and never had any longterm results until I started to build in some support into the plan, I use SR on a daily basis, others attend AA, community groups, counselling, or other secular groups, but they all provide a system of support.
The next part of my plan was to develop new habits, simply eliminating alcohol from my routine wasn't enough, that left me a whole load of time on my hands, the time I used to spend drinking, and that was very problematic, as I would spend the time, bored, thinking about guess what? alcohol, so instead I needed to plan new activities, new things to do, for the first few weeks even if it was only online scrabble, it got me to bedtime, and remember that is the goal, after a few months I expanded it to new hobbies/interests, but in the early days I didn't mind what got me through to bedtime, reorganising and finding my new purpose in life, could all wait until I had some solid Sober time under my belt!!
My plan therefore changed as time went on, but the basics were simple, plenty of support so that when I felt like drinking I had something to short circuit my thought process, and new daily habits to push out the old habit of drinking!!
For me a plan needs to have plenty of support and accountability to maintain my Sobriety, I tried to do it on my own and never had any longterm results until I started to build in some support into the plan, I use SR on a daily basis, others attend AA, community groups, counselling, or other secular groups, but they all provide a system of support.
The next part of my plan was to develop new habits, simply eliminating alcohol from my routine wasn't enough, that left me a whole load of time on my hands, the time I used to spend drinking, and that was very problematic, as I would spend the time, bored, thinking about guess what? alcohol, so instead I needed to plan new activities, new things to do, for the first few weeks even if it was only online scrabble, it got me to bedtime, and remember that is the goal, after a few months I expanded it to new hobbies/interests, but in the early days I didn't mind what got me through to bedtime, reorganising and finding my new purpose in life, could all wait until I had some solid Sober time under my belt!!
My plan therefore changed as time went on, but the basics were simple, plenty of support so that when I felt like drinking I had something to short circuit my thought process, and new daily habits to push out the old habit of drinking!!
Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Michigan
Posts: 111
Agreed. The plan can involve some kind of recovery support (I go to AA, where I have a sponsor and friends, and help others), along with good lifestyle choices. It might be a good idea to focus on one day at a time without worrying too much about longer-term goals. Like, tomorrow, I plan to wake up at 7, go to work, come home, make dinner, drive a friend to a meeting, drive her home, do a load of laundry, call my sponsor, go to bed. You don't need to worry about what you're doing six months from now. Keep it simple.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 8,637
I highly recommend going to AA and giving it a 90 committed chance.
Read the Big Book a few times. Learn all you can. Listen, ask questions, share if you feel moved to.
That is a clear and simple action you can take that will give you a LOT of insight to addiction and recovery and you will learn a lot more about what it really means to have a plan.
Then - whether AA is 'your thing' or not - you will walk away armed with so much more understanding which you can use to tailor your own plan.
Read the Big Book a few times. Learn all you can. Listen, ask questions, share if you feel moved to.
That is a clear and simple action you can take that will give you a LOT of insight to addiction and recovery and you will learn a lot more about what it really means to have a plan.
Then - whether AA is 'your thing' or not - you will walk away armed with so much more understanding which you can use to tailor your own plan.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 13
So much great advice and support here. The support I have in my life is my wife and no one else. She has never experienced an addiction. She tries very hard to understand but not being a drinker it just doesn't make sense to her. But she has been great so far. Always asking how she can help or be supportive and I feel bad because I dont know what to tell her...
nice talking to people that have been in my place before.
nice talking to people that have been in my place before.
Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Sweden
Posts: 1,649
My plan was to make an appointment with a doctor and discuss my drinking. Thankfully she sprang into action and referred me to outpatient. The same week I started outpatient I started AA.
My plan included a weekly visit to an addictions therapist and I used antabuse and campral for a period.
In AA, I joined a couple of book groups and read recovery literature.
I confined my social life to non-alcohol events in the beginning.
I devoted a huge amount of hours and effort to performing service in AA, partly because I went through a period of crawling up the walls and just needed to be doing something or I thought I'd go mad.
It was a lot of effort, time and work, but then, alcohol had reduced my world to a miserable circuit of drinking, planning to drink and then recovering from drinking.
My plan included a weekly visit to an addictions therapist and I used antabuse and campral for a period.
In AA, I joined a couple of book groups and read recovery literature.
I confined my social life to non-alcohol events in the beginning.
I devoted a huge amount of hours and effort to performing service in AA, partly because I went through a period of crawling up the walls and just needed to be doing something or I thought I'd go mad.
It was a lot of effort, time and work, but then, alcohol had reduced my world to a miserable circuit of drinking, planning to drink and then recovering from drinking.
Hears The Voice
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Unshackled
Posts: 7,901
You will have a crummy day at work and it will make you feel like drinking. What will you do instead?
You will be at a social function and many people will be drinking. What will you do instead?
You will get good news and feel like celebrating with a few drinks. What will you do instead?
You will be all alone and no one will ever know if you drank or not. What will you do instead?
You will be at a social function and many people will be drinking. What will you do instead?
You will get good news and feel like celebrating with a few drinks. What will you do instead?
You will be all alone and no one will ever know if you drank or not. What will you do instead?
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,442
Hi Allen
for me a plan has too basic elements - the first is support and using it...the second is making changes in your life to support your decision to stay quit.
I saw your other thread. If you drink alone at home 'just cos', try and mix your routine up, find things to do, post here for support.
A plan can start from something as basic as that.
Maybe the Doc will have some suggestions too
D
for me a plan has too basic elements - the first is support and using it...the second is making changes in your life to support your decision to stay quit.
I saw your other thread. If you drink alone at home 'just cos', try and mix your routine up, find things to do, post here for support.
A plan can start from something as basic as that.
Maybe the Doc will have some suggestions too
D
Self recovered Self discovered
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Toronto Canada
Posts: 5,148
Your desired goal is to become an abstainer from alcohol. Forever, with no preconditions (I will only stay sober if XXYYZZ) might be the way you see this happening for you.
What will this be like for you? What sort of things will you do? What friends will you have? What new ways will you use to deal with the daily realities? What will being an abstainer mean for you? What will sobriety mean concerning the bad things that alcohol has brought you? And more importantly, what will sobriety mean to the things that alcohol has prevented you from doing? What might these things be?
I think that some solid thinkering is needed here, thinkering that you can do only while stone cold sober. You can do this if you only but believe you can, Allenmc25. You can do this because you must do this. Onward!
What will this be like for you? What sort of things will you do? What friends will you have? What new ways will you use to deal with the daily realities? What will being an abstainer mean for you? What will sobriety mean concerning the bad things that alcohol has brought you? And more importantly, what will sobriety mean to the things that alcohol has prevented you from doing? What might these things be?
I think that some solid thinkering is needed here, thinkering that you can do only while stone cold sober. You can do this if you only but believe you can, Allenmc25. You can do this because you must do this. Onward!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 8,637
Originally Posted by Nonsensical 
You will have a crummy day at work and it will make you feel like drinking. What will you do instead?
You will be at a social function and many people will be drinking. What will you do instead?
You will get good news and feel like celebrating with a few drinks. What will you do instead?
You will be all alone and no one will ever know if you drank or not. What will you do instead?
You will be at a social function and many people will be drinking. What will you do instead?
You will get good news and feel like celebrating with a few drinks. What will you do instead?
You will be all alone and no one will ever know if you drank or not. What will you do instead?
You will be offered a drink - what will you say in response?
You will be driving along and pass a liquor store and feel powerfully compelled to stop and buy booze - what will you do instead?
You will be in the midst of one of any number of common every day routines that used to involve drinking and you will - as a direct result - want a drink. What alternative response will you fall back on?
Plans are tactical and strategic..... having a set idea of how you will respond in certain situatoins and reminding yourself before going into them what your plan of response will be are critical success factors!
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