bluhend

hi all you wonderful people ... I am in my hotel room now for work and right about now I'd be cracking open beers or wine and getting into my warm fuzzy comfort zone in front of the tv, slowly medicating myself into the perfect buzz and then into the perfect sleep (more like passing out) ... but here I am at 60+ days sober, this is hard and I am catching my mind comforting myself with the thought "one day, you will let yourself start drinking again, don't worry" ... I guess I am looking for inspiration from people for KEEPING GOING ... how do you contend with this "never going to drink again" idea? It is a daunting thought to me still ... thanks

stephendu

Keep going. You have our support. I try to focus myself on something else when I have some down time. Much luck to you.

Dee74

There are some really inspirational stories in this forum:
Stories of Recovery - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

In fact there are some really inspirational stories all over the forums here

The bottom line is...if you want change you need to make different decisions.

Drinking is all about the now and damn the future - recovery is about the long term view.

What kind of person do you want to be? what kind of life do you want to live?

I could be the person I wanted to be, or I could drink - but never both.

Here are some tips for those cravings too
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-cravings.html

Nowsthetime

Hello: the inspiration results from you knowing that you are making it happen. You know in your heart that alcohol is poison to you so why go back to that crap. it's still really early in your sobriety. Keep pushing and keep reading around. Doing so really helps me.

Bmac

Often times, I will simply tell myself, "I'll wait until tomorrow and if I still feel the urge to drink, then maybe I will". Then when tomorrow comes, I say the same damn thing until the day comes when I don't have to. I can't think about tomorrow, or next month or next year. I can only choose to drink NOW, so it is NOW that I focus on. I just get through the NOW. Eventually, all those NOW moments add up to longer periods of sobriety and more opportunities to grow spiritually.

Anna

I do understand the 'one day at a time' thought and have used that myself. But, I had to fully accept that I would never drink alcohol again, ever. It wasn't until I accepted those words, that my mind began to work in healthier ways to deal with life.

thomas11

First, I just want to say that you should be very proud of yourself in my opinion. You've got 60 days under your belt, and you are not drinking now. Bravo.

As far as never drinking again, the word "never" is a word I avoid at all costs. It something psychological with me (long story). I like to think of it as a choice, and ultimately I believe it is. This may sound like a spoiled brat, but I choose what and when I want to do things. I just TRY to make the right choices.

least

My inspiration for staying sober is my dogs and cats and their good health and well being. I am responsible for them and cannot take good care of them while drinking. My incentive comes from looking at their shiny coats and happy faces. I know that by staying sober I am doing the best for them. Their love is my reward.

FLCamper

Hello, Bluhend! I'm at 6 weeks and had to take a business trip at about two weeks. I was a little concerned that being alone in the hotel would trip me up - it did not. Hotels and trips have a strong association with drinking time for me.

To answer your question: I love getting out of bed feeling great and not being hung over. If having a drink crosses my mind, I remember how bad it is to feel sick every day. The thought of being able to enjoy the morning inspires me to not drink.
Congrats on your 60 + days!

esinger

You can get short term comfort from drinking but it can also provide a life time of discomfort and discontentment. Look at the struggle it's putting you through right now. It only gets worse the longer you carry on. I was on the verge of loosing everything when I gave it up. It doesn't have to go that far.

Just look at all you have to loose by drinking. Then look at everything you gain by living a healthy productive life and life long sobriety will seem like a pretty awesome option.

qzvar

That idea is the last thing you need to be contending with. There are ample trials in your life that you have to struggle with, and this isn't something you should dwell on.

I don't know where you live, so it's hard to make recommendations. I assume it's night time there, now, if you're in the U.S. Try breaking the one habit you have of going to your hotel room/apartment/house, and staying put, watching TV and using your laptop. I just went for a good long walk-would have longer but it started raining. Try a brisk walk. Call a friend while you're doing it, and just have a chat about nonsense while you're taking in some fresh air. Walk your local restaurant row until you smell something enthralling. Get out, go eat some sushi with a big cup of hot oolong tea. Ask for something off menu, so you don't know what's coming. Have a little gastric adventure.

Heck, go to a Hastings, or whatever equivalent and just browse their books/movies, and various other knick knacks. Maybe pick yourself up a Homer Simpson bobblehead to put on your dash, to remind you that this is what alcohol and a crayon lodged in your brain does to a person.

Think on the possibilities instead of letting your thoughts be drawn to your old routine. You've got routine enough at work, commuting, in paying bills, maybe enduring the in-laws, and so on ad nauseum. There's nothing fresh, new, and invigorating to the spirit about sitting in a room, and drinking beer. Not even Shiner Bock.

bluhend

I'm the same way, saying NEVER just brings out the rebel in me and opens a can of worms, I'm more the type of, like someones said earlier in this post "I'll just wait and if I really want it I'll drink tomorrow" ... the beauty of this approach, for me, is that it feels more like I CHOSE to not drink and then when the spell wears off I'm usually glad I didn't ... the minute I start to feel like I HAVE TO not drink, I'm in trouble ...

Dee74

I was the biggest stubborn ass most contrary rebel you ever met.
Still might be LOL

But I realised I had to stop doing stuff that would kill me.

If 'forever' scares you, or pisses you off, take it day by day.
Commit to not drinking today. Then do it again tomorrow....and the next day...and the next...

I've found out it's ok to be a rebel - with the right cause - but it's pretty dumb to let your addiction masquerade as that inner rebel & lead you to decisions that will destroy you.

D

Nonsensical

Same way I contend with the thought that I am "never going to hit an old lady over the head and steal her purse."

tomsteve

".. I guess I am looking for inspiration from people for KEEPING GOING ... how do you contend with this "never going to drink agai" idea?"
Welp, I didn't have to contend with it. I used that line, I quit, I'm done, etc a million times in the past. It never worked.
I do it one day at a time.
But also it has involved more than just not drinking. Changes in me, my attitudes, and my actions has been necessary.

doggonecarl

When I was at your stage of recovery, thinking that maybe my drinking wasn't that bad, I started my inventory. It became clear that I had never been a normal drinker, that I wasn't ever going to be a normal drinker, and therefore, could never drink again. Ever.

For me it was quite freeing. The struggle thought that "one day maybe I can drink" was removed.