I don't know exactly what I am supposed to DO ...
Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ireland
Posts: 25,826
For me at the start it was all about building up Sober time, then after a while when I hit a few months it became easier as I developed a routine without alcohol, things can become habit if we repeat them enough, even not drinking.
So getting past that initial period meant plenty of distraction and revolutionary ideas like leaving my bank cards at home in the morning so I couldn't buy alcohol on the way home from work, driving everywhere so I couldn't drink, visited relatives I hadn't seen in years, long walks, a night of doing puzzles, online scrabble was a favourite, box sets, movies, housework, reorganising old bank statements.
Whatever it is do it to pass time and take your mind off things!!
Simply removing alcohol and continuing the same routine created a whole lot of time on my own, thinking about guess what? alcohol, and that would only end one way, so my routines needed to be changed to make it work!!
You can do this!!
So getting past that initial period meant plenty of distraction and revolutionary ideas like leaving my bank cards at home in the morning so I couldn't buy alcohol on the way home from work, driving everywhere so I couldn't drink, visited relatives I hadn't seen in years, long walks, a night of doing puzzles, online scrabble was a favourite, box sets, movies, housework, reorganising old bank statements.
Whatever it is do it to pass time and take your mind off things!!
Simply removing alcohol and continuing the same routine created a whole lot of time on my own, thinking about guess what? alcohol, and that would only end one way, so my routines needed to be changed to make it work!!
You can do this!!
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,505
Cecilia, I think you simply do anything that stops you from drinking. Each craving will be a bit easier than the last. That's how we begin to recover. It's very simple, but not easy.
Kaleidoscope eyes
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: London
Posts: 5,243
You definitely have to work on yourself and there are many good suggestions here. Personally, during one of those unexpected urges, I would have a snack. That always curbed the urges. What is it they say, never be thirsty, hungry or tired?
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,442
Hi Cecillia
I think Carl has the fundamentals just right.
For me I had to learn that a craving a trigger or a feeling - whatever it was- did not have to end in a drink.
That wasn't easy and I had to sit with some pretty unpleasant thought feelings and urges for a while until I learned to deal with them without alcohol. Sometimes my knuckles would be whote from gripping the chair and not going to the bottle shop.
That why support is so important, and using it is even more important.
It's all about going to whatever lengths you need to go to, in order to not put that glass or bottle to your lips.
Have you considered rehab at all?
D
I think Carl has the fundamentals just right.
For me I had to learn that a craving a trigger or a feeling - whatever it was- did not have to end in a drink.
That wasn't easy and I had to sit with some pretty unpleasant thought feelings and urges for a while until I learned to deal with them without alcohol. Sometimes my knuckles would be whote from gripping the chair and not going to the bottle shop.
That why support is so important, and using it is even more important.
It's all about going to whatever lengths you need to go to, in order to not put that glass or bottle to your lips.
Have you considered rehab at all?
D
Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Chattanooga TN
Posts: 596
To quote Dee, "It's all about going to whatever lengths you need to go to, in order to not put that glass or bottle to your lips."
You want to stop. So stop. The hard part is figuring out what you need to do to replace it. The time. Catching a buzz has taken so much of out of you that you don't know how to live without it. But you can, you just won't know it until you do.
You are here, so continuing on isn't your plan, so what is? I can tell you what I did but we are all different, and it won't mean anything to you and your situation.
Put your parachute on. If you need a Dr, get one. if you need rehab, find one. Do what it takes.
It will be easier than hating yourself for catching a buzz as your life plan, I promise.
You want to stop. So stop. The hard part is figuring out what you need to do to replace it. The time. Catching a buzz has taken so much of out of you that you don't know how to live without it. But you can, you just won't know it until you do.
You are here, so continuing on isn't your plan, so what is? I can tell you what I did but we are all different, and it won't mean anything to you and your situation.
Put your parachute on. If you need a Dr, get one. if you need rehab, find one. Do what it takes.
It will be easier than hating yourself for catching a buzz as your life plan, I promise.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 349
Thanks for all the replies on this everyone. Sorry it has taken me so long to respond, but I have been busy with work.
Many, many good pieces of advice here and I did read them all.
Truth be told, although I thought I HAD admitted I couldn't drink, I guess I really hadn't.
The more I have tried to get and remain sober, the more my excuse to drink has been that "I only drink two days a week and X amount of beers isn't THAT bad." But it IS that bad. When I DO drink, I am drinking 10 beers at a time, twice a week. (I used to drink about 4 days a week, so this is my justification for me be allowed to drink 2 days a week.)
Somehow, my addiction has fooled me into thinking that since I only drink 18 or 20 beers in a week, I am not that bad. Then I go through this process of averaging out how many drinks that would be per day (what? LOL) and then I feel like it "o.k." and not that big of a deal. I have been doing this for quite a while now, actually.
So, after reading all these posts, the next time I crave a drink (I am on Day 3 now), I am going to ask myself, could I drink three drinks (which I think is somewhat "normal" for a woman) and leave it at that.
And the answer? "No." Of course. The answer is no because I am an alcoholic.
Many, many good pieces of advice here and I did read them all.
Truth be told, although I thought I HAD admitted I couldn't drink, I guess I really hadn't.
The more I have tried to get and remain sober, the more my excuse to drink has been that "I only drink two days a week and X amount of beers isn't THAT bad." But it IS that bad. When I DO drink, I am drinking 10 beers at a time, twice a week. (I used to drink about 4 days a week, so this is my justification for me be allowed to drink 2 days a week.)
Somehow, my addiction has fooled me into thinking that since I only drink 18 or 20 beers in a week, I am not that bad. Then I go through this process of averaging out how many drinks that would be per day (what? LOL) and then I feel like it "o.k." and not that big of a deal. I have been doing this for quite a while now, actually.
So, after reading all these posts, the next time I crave a drink (I am on Day 3 now), I am going to ask myself, could I drink three drinks (which I think is somewhat "normal" for a woman) and leave it at that.
And the answer? "No." Of course. The answer is no because I am an alcoholic.
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