One Week - What was your first one like? What can I expect next?
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Join Date: Mar 2015
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One Week - What was your first one like? What can I expect next?
I have now been drink free for an entire week. The first several days were really rough; very emotional and I was physically exhausted. I'm not sure if it was from the mental change or because I've really been hard on my body for the last several years with all the drinking and maybe not having it made me very aware. Probably both.
So I feel pretty good right now about it. Feeling strong about my resolve. Will this last? What should I look out for?
So I feel pretty good right now about it. Feeling strong about my resolve. Will this last? What should I look out for?
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
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Hi Pasttime 
Glad you're feeling better.
As for what to expect - we;re all different. I felt pretty much like death for 10 days or more and then not much better for the rest of my first 30 days.
Earlier in my drinking career tho, I'd feel good after a few days, & rationalise that if I felt this good so soon I'd obviously overreacted...all I needed to do was not drink as much..and I'd start drinking again.
watch those kinds of rationalisations, Any idea that drinking is a good idea is a lie.
D
Glad you're feeling better.
As for what to expect - we;re all different. I felt pretty much like death for 10 days or more and then not much better for the rest of my first 30 days.
Earlier in my drinking career tho, I'd feel good after a few days, & rationalise that if I felt this good so soon I'd obviously overreacted...all I needed to do was not drink as much..and I'd start drinking again.
watch those kinds of rationalisations, Any idea that drinking is a good idea is a lie.
D
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 3,190
Pasttime I'm at about the same time in my quit attempt. (8th day). I've done this several times over the last year or so and I always seem to stumble at 3 weeks. As an alcoholic I've learned that I will always be an alcoholic! I made it for a year one time and relapsed. So I must forever be vigilant.
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Originally Posted by Pasttime 
So I feel pretty good right now about it. Feeling strong about my resolve. Will this last? What should I look out for?
Look out for thinking you aren't an alcoholic, that your drinking wasn't that bad.
Look out for thinking maybe you can control your drinking. You've made one week, two weeks, three weeks. Maybe you can take this new found knowledge gained in sobriety and apply it to moderation.
Look out for missing drinking, for missing the fun of alcohol. Look out for doubts and fears about never drinking again.
Look out for the next social event that brings you in contact with alcohol. You know, the event you absolutely can't miss. Look out for thinking you can handle being about drinking and drinkers.
Look out for boredom and that restless feeling that comes up when the polish of sobriety dims...
Just look out...and stick to your decision to get sober.
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Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 154
Week 1 for me was tough, sleep bad, sweats, crazy dreams, hunger and felt lost.,guilt and exhaustion, although mentally felt good about my decision to quit so that helped my mood a lot and made it bearable. 2nd week was a bit better and head started to clear. 3rd week started to feel more positive and clear headed, looking forward to future and making plans. Found the Saturdays tough and occasional strong cravings which came from nowhere but I got there. Yesterday I hardly thought of alcohol the whole day, didn't realise it til today. So I am 3 weeks sober today and it feels great. Good luck!
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Originally Posted by Dee74
Hi Pasttime Glad you're feeling better. As for what to expect - we;re all different. I felt pretty much like death for 10 days or more and then not much better for the rest of my first 30 days. Earlier in my drinking career tho, I'd feel good after a few days, & rationalise that if I felt this good so soon I'd obviously overreacted...all I needed to do was not drink as much..and I'd start drinking again. watch those kinds of rationalisations, Any idea that drinking is a good idea is a lie. D
Glad you're feeling better. As for what to expect - we;re all different. I felt pretty much like death for 10 days or more and then not much better for the rest of my first 30 days. Earlier in my drinking career tho, I'd feel good after a few days, & rationalise that if I felt this good so soon I'd obviously overreacted...all I needed to do was not drink as much..and I'd start drinking again. watch those kinds of rationalisations, Any idea that drinking is a good idea is a lie. DI quit in September and had these "I can handle it thoughts". Wrong! Leaving it all together is the best way
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Anna, can you please give me that link again...it just goes to the main page and I couldn't find what you were referring to. Thanks.
BeerBGone; I have sort of tried quitting before, but not really. This is the first time I am serious about it. Always before I quit for a few days and thought I did good! LOL! It scares me to think you can quit for a full year and then go back to it!
Always staying vigilant seems to be the theme to these answers, but how does one stay vigilant? What do you do when the idea to drink creeps back in?
BeerBGone; I have sort of tried quitting before, but not really. This is the first time I am serious about it. Always before I quit for a few days and thought I did good! LOL! It scares me to think you can quit for a full year and then go back to it!
Always staying vigilant seems to be the theme to these answers, but how does one stay vigilant? What do you do when the idea to drink creeps back in?
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For me the first three days were difficult physically and then everything looked up in that department. That was when the cravings started to hit, and for me the frequent and strong urges to drink were the most difficult part for a good while. I had them for quite a long time, sometimes intensely other times less so. So the focus of the work for me was mostly on how to ride out the drinking urges and based on my experience, if you are similar at all, I would suggest that you develop different strategies to fight these and not to give in no matter what.
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