What to do when the urge strikes...
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Join Date: Aug 2014
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What to do when the urge strikes...
I'm sure we all have our methods to deal with cravings. I read about this interesting exercise to help when the urge to drink strikes. I did it and already found it helpful this weekend, when I had my first real craving.
Basically, you take a sheet of paper and make a list of the 10 best things that could happen, if you resist the craving. Then you make a list of the 10 Worst things that could happen if you do not resist it. Pick the top 4 of each list, write them on lots of notecards and put them multiple places. When the urge strikes, read it!
Has anyone else ever tried that? It's from the book, Healing the Addicted Brain,
Basically, you take a sheet of paper and make a list of the 10 best things that could happen, if you resist the craving. Then you make a list of the 10 Worst things that could happen if you do not resist it. Pick the top 4 of each list, write them on lots of notecards and put them multiple places. When the urge strikes, read it!
Has anyone else ever tried that? It's from the book, Healing the Addicted Brain,
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Join Date: Mar 2014
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Sounds like a good idea.
I used to have sticky notes of affirmations all over the place. Then I realized it looked like a seriously unbalanced person lived in my place. Then I realized I was a bit unbalanced.
Now I keep the affirmations (mostly) in my head. I still have a couple scattered around and they change occasionally.
I used to have sticky notes of affirmations all over the place. Then I realized it looked like a seriously unbalanced person lived in my place. Then I realized I was a bit unbalanced.
Now I keep the affirmations (mostly) in my head. I still have a couple scattered around and they change occasionally.
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Biminiblue, I am right there with you. I love affirmations!! I keep most in my head too, but nothing wrong with having a few around! But yeah, I'm sure some would make me fun of me if they saw them. I'm a regular Stuart Smalley. 
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You should see my OneNote notebook. It's full of them - why, I don't know. I never read them when things are going wonky. I guess I really believe I can deal with most stuff now through prayer, meditation, exercise and healthy diet.
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I love positive affirmations too, and I believe they work, especially for someone like me who tended to fall into negative thought patterns.
Louise Hay "All is Well" is a great book, too.
Louise Hay "All is Well" is a great book, too.
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Prayer, meditation, exercise, and a healthy diet can work miracles, can't they, biminiblue. I just have to be sober to consistently do them. When I drink, I put off all that good stuff!
I love Louise Hay too, Anna. I use a lot of her affirmations. I agree with you-I think they work! I also have a negative inner voice-they help me to retrain it.
I love Louise Hay too, Anna. I use a lot of her affirmations. I agree with you-I think they work! I also have a negative inner voice-they help me to retrain it.
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Join Date: Aug 2014
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I exercise which really really helps! I also play Rayman on PC.. eat ice cream 
.. anything but drink. Im done with that destroying me. I have good and bad days but no alcohol related problems! I cant believe how I lived with that for so long. Never want to ever go back to that!
.. anything but drink. Im done with that destroying me. I have good and bad days but no alcohol related problems! I cant believe how I lived with that for so long. Never want to ever go back to that!
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Join Date: Jan 2014
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this was for another thread, but it applies here.... when I start having a craving or a thought that "maybe I can drink again... just one or two here or there"...
yes... this happened to me. Over and over.
It STILL happens to me - at least the "thinking I can maybe drink" part. Thankfully, for almost 9 months, not the relapsing part.
What's different for me so far this time is that like Dee said, I've really turned to a mentality of 'I don't WANT to drink anymore' versus a deep-seated 'let me see if I can figure out how to beat this thing' mentality.
We who struggle with addictions are also often very smart and very determined people. To think there is something we CAN'T do is almost a direct challenge that we MUST find a way to do it. At least, that is partly at play for me and I've seen it with others.
I had to really get to a point where I said to myself and believed that the consequences simply weren't worth it.
Here are some things that I remind myself actively when I find myself thinking about drinking again "someday" that seem to help;
1 - even if I CAN 'moderate'... what is the point? Drinking 'one or two' never does anything. Since I was about 14, the effect I would get from ONE beer or ONE glass of wine is pretty much the same effect as I might get from a glass of juice or water. So - if there's not going to be any effect - then WHY BOTHER? I may as well just have water and not take in the extra calories.
2 - even though I've given myself plenty of evidence over the years that I CAN have one or two and stop.... the honest truth is that throughout my personal history, when I allow ANY alcohol into my body, then eventually I will allow TOO MUCH. Over the course of more than 25 years, this has been the case. And as time has gone by, the consequences have gotten worse and the impact greater. As time has gone by, it's become harder and harder to stop.
3 - IT IS WORKING. My life is better. My body feels better. My mind is clearer. My emotions are more balanced. In fact... EVERYTHING is better. WHY ON EARTH WOULD I THROW THAT AWAY TO POUR POISON INTO MY BODY????
These three basic thoughts have really been helpful to me. I get those thoughts still. I get them a lot less these days, and they dont' really last as long and they're not as strong or challenging to deal with. But I do get them and when I do, being aware of them and countering them with those thoughts really does help. Taking an ACTION along with them works even better. Thought of drinking - Counter-thoughts above - go to the gym. Or a bike ride. Or make a list of goals. Or write out ten reasons to be grateful for sobriety RIGHT NOW. Actions help cement resolve and also help shift our thoughts.
you can do this
yes... this happened to me. Over and over.
It STILL happens to me - at least the "thinking I can maybe drink" part. Thankfully, for almost 9 months, not the relapsing part.
What's different for me so far this time is that like Dee said, I've really turned to a mentality of 'I don't WANT to drink anymore' versus a deep-seated 'let me see if I can figure out how to beat this thing' mentality.
We who struggle with addictions are also often very smart and very determined people. To think there is something we CAN'T do is almost a direct challenge that we MUST find a way to do it. At least, that is partly at play for me and I've seen it with others.
I had to really get to a point where I said to myself and believed that the consequences simply weren't worth it.
Here are some things that I remind myself actively when I find myself thinking about drinking again "someday" that seem to help;
1 - even if I CAN 'moderate'... what is the point? Drinking 'one or two' never does anything. Since I was about 14, the effect I would get from ONE beer or ONE glass of wine is pretty much the same effect as I might get from a glass of juice or water. So - if there's not going to be any effect - then WHY BOTHER? I may as well just have water and not take in the extra calories.
2 - even though I've given myself plenty of evidence over the years that I CAN have one or two and stop.... the honest truth is that throughout my personal history, when I allow ANY alcohol into my body, then eventually I will allow TOO MUCH. Over the course of more than 25 years, this has been the case. And as time has gone by, the consequences have gotten worse and the impact greater. As time has gone by, it's become harder and harder to stop.
3 - IT IS WORKING. My life is better. My body feels better. My mind is clearer. My emotions are more balanced. In fact... EVERYTHING is better. WHY ON EARTH WOULD I THROW THAT AWAY TO POUR POISON INTO MY BODY????
These three basic thoughts have really been helpful to me. I get those thoughts still. I get them a lot less these days, and they dont' really last as long and they're not as strong or challenging to deal with. But I do get them and when I do, being aware of them and countering them with those thoughts really does help. Taking an ACTION along with them works even better. Thought of drinking - Counter-thoughts above - go to the gym. Or a bike ride. Or make a list of goals. Or write out ten reasons to be grateful for sobriety RIGHT NOW. Actions help cement resolve and also help shift our thoughts.
you can do this
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Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 1,869
I just think to the lowest lows I've had because of alcohol (and believe me there's plenty)... I focus on remember how I felt physically and emotionally and that disgusts me. I only have almost 6 months though so I might have to change that strategy once the memories start to wear off.
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