SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information - Burning question

- Newcomers to Recovery (https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/newcomers-recovery/)

- - Burning question - what are your thoughts? (https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/newcomers-recovery/383680-burning-question-what-your-thoughts.html)

You guys are all awesome! So much information and support here.

Thank you all. Very grateful.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dad23 (Post 5760551)

These trips had forced me to peel away the layers of the onion - I wasn't chemically addicted - I was psychologically attached to my expectation of a drink. As soon as that expectation was gone - I could stop drinking...

I know that this will sound over simplified - but it has not been. Granted, I've had to deal with some of the health issues arising from my chronic alcohol abuse and the PAW symptoms have been rough.

Sounds good, but just to play the devil's advocate- Why would you have PAW symptoms if you were not chemically addicted?

All I can say is congratulations, have no idea what the answer is but millions probably wish it was this easy for them, myself included.

Andrew

After a couple of months not drinking, it became easier not to drink and one of the reasons for this was that I had broken the habit of nightly drinking and no longer EXPECTED a drink. It wasn't my thinking that resulted in the change in expectations, it was my behaviour.

However, I also made the mistake of anticipating that things would get easier still after 90 days, which seemed a 'significant' period of sobriety for a lot of drinkers. When life continued to have dullness and little point to it after 90 days of sobriety, I lost sight of the conviction I had when I first quit drinking. I started to think "why am I doing this to myself, I'm not an alcoholic etc etc". So I 'decided' to start drinking again. I actually chatted to my husband about it and decided! Screwed up.

Anyway, that was a couple of years ago. I have never achieved 90 days since and my intake is significantly more now than it was then. However, I am here on SR, reading again. Not sure the point I am making with this post, but your post got me thinking. And typing. Thank you.

Two months is really good. Well done on that. I can see how what you're talking about could work for drinking. The thing is, I had a lot of other bad habits that went with it including smoking and being irresponsible with money. I had to find ways of gaining more insight on those issues and changing my behaviour. The not drinking is a foundation but it's a pretty basic one and after that when you rebuild your life, it gets a lot easier.