day 3 of sobriety
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: tennessee
Posts: 5
day 3 of sobriety
for the past 3-4 years i have been a highly functional alcoholic, it all started with partying on the weekends and progressed to me drinking hard liquor everyday when i get off work till i went to bed until i gave up liquor for beer, 2 weeks ago i hit rock bottom and i sought out help and my wife found a inpatient and outpatient clinic in town but they wanted to send me to their facility in madison alabama i didnt want to be away from my family so i choose to take on the road to sobriety at home, im on day 3 now and i have been lucky to have not had bad withdraws besides last night when i had the first nightmare, if any of you could give me some insight and knowledge to keep going in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated. god bless everyone of you
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,355
Hi and welcome blk06silv 
Read around, post as much as you want - find someone whose approach makes sense to you and follow with that maybe.
A plan is always good too - what else are you doing with your nights now?
D
Read around, post as much as you want - find someone whose approach makes sense to you and follow with that maybe.
A plan is always good too - what else are you doing with your nights now?
D
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: tennessee
Posts: 5
right now instead of secluding myself and drinking i have became more social and if i need to ill call a friend or family member to talk to, i have only had one urge to drink so far and it was cause it was right in front of me last night and i had to tell myself this ment more to me then that beer did, i plan on going back to the gym again and figure out a plan
Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 53
remember how you feel now, and remember those things that brought you here. 6 times i got sober, had several months sober, and forgot. When I forgot I drank again. Each time worse and worse than before. I didnt have terrible withdrawls the first time I quit. The 6th (and hopefully last) my blood pressure spiked to stroke level. Had to go to the ER to get it down and regulated. Take it from many and everyone else on this site, it does get worse and worse. Think of alcoholism as a living breathing thing that, as I type this is at the gym right now training, and preparing to hit you harder the next time you drop your guard. It hit me and knocked me down enough times for me to finally realize I cant drink, ever, period. I hope that doesnt have to happen to you.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,649
I can really relate. It was when I wanted to be sober more then I wanted a drink that I was able to stop. SR has been wonderful. The support here has been amazing. I drank lots of water, and ate whenever I wanted to drink. I found icecream really helped me. It was hardest for the first week for me. Now, I rarely think about having a drink. Sober is so much better. I am so glad you have joined us. You have made a smart choice.
p***enger
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: NYC
Posts: 19,025
Welcome to SR, blk06! You'll find tons of support here and information on getting & living sober. One thing you wrote: A lot of us (me included) find that it's really important, especially in the early days, to stay away from people, places & things that make us want to drink. It definitely wasn't a good idea for me to have booze right in front of me. Too much of a temptation, too bad for my peace of mind. I avoid situations where alcohol has a central role.
Originally Posted by blk06silv 
i have only had one urge to drink so far and it was cause it was right in front of me last night and
Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 1,501
Welcome. This forum is a good resource of understanding and support on your path of sobriety. I am learning this is a long process with many peaks and valleys along the way.
Congratulations on three days. You are off to a great start!
Congratulations on three days. You are off to a great start!
Sober since 10th April 2012
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 6,047
blk, congratulations on reaching decision time about your drinking. It does escalate over time, and that can be deadly. As Clayton has wisely pointed out, motivation can fade over time, as we get further away from that horrible hangover. I'd say that's one of the biggest challenges facing you, and where I've found SR to be the most helpful.
It might help to get some kind of support, be it AA or a counsellor, or maybe another type of group.
Try not to get too tired or hungry, so eat regularly during the day. I'm a sweet tooth and found something sweet helped prevent cravings, but others prefer protein. Alter your routine a little if it contains triggers like drinking at a certain time, or rituals associated with drinking. I kept the rituals but changed my drink to tea, and soon I began to associate tea with relaxing after work.
Remove all alcohol from the house, and for now try to avoid social occasions entered around drinking. If you do have to attend, say a wedding, have an escape plan if it becomes too hard.
My best trick when a craving struck was to take 5 deep breaths, concentrating on my body. It relaxed me and took my mind away from the drink. Never failed, not once.
Don't be afraid to set yourself a goal. Mine was 6 weeks because my doctor said that would be when the anti-depressants would really kick in. Then I made it 6 months, then a year, and currently I'm up to 3 years. At first I would mark each day off on a calendar.
You're doing a wonderful thing, so stay positive.
It might help to get some kind of support, be it AA or a counsellor, or maybe another type of group.
Try not to get too tired or hungry, so eat regularly during the day. I'm a sweet tooth and found something sweet helped prevent cravings, but others prefer protein. Alter your routine a little if it contains triggers like drinking at a certain time, or rituals associated with drinking. I kept the rituals but changed my drink to tea, and soon I began to associate tea with relaxing after work.
Remove all alcohol from the house, and for now try to avoid social occasions entered around drinking. If you do have to attend, say a wedding, have an escape plan if it becomes too hard.
My best trick when a craving struck was to take 5 deep breaths, concentrating on my body. It relaxed me and took my mind away from the drink. Never failed, not once.
Don't be afraid to set yourself a goal. Mine was 6 weeks because my doctor said that would be when the anti-depressants would really kick in. Then I made it 6 months, then a year, and currently I'm up to 3 years. At first I would mark each day off on a calendar.
You're doing a wonderful thing, so stay positive.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Sussex NJ
Posts: 33
Congrats on 3 days & welcome!!! This forum is an amazing resource to have. If I'm feeling bad I go over to the gratitude posts to feel better. If I'm having a craving I go over to Stories of Recovery as a reminder if what I've gone through.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: tennessee
Posts: 5
i didnt know there was gonna be alcohol and i was there with a fellow friend who has given up on drinking and he amended me on not giving in i havent had the urge to drink at all i smelt the beer last night and it didnt even smell as good as it use to
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: tennessee
Posts: 5
i am going to start going to the gym again to take up my spare time and going to start going back to church i had a few friends who have given up drinking as well that are cheering me on and i am blessed to have the support system i have right now, i do plan on going to aa, i have been asked so many times why a 24 yr old is giving up alcohol and all i can tell them until they where in the same boat they will never understand, i refuse to fail and i told myself im not going to drink again
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