Starting Again
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: West Coast
Posts: 54
Starting Again
I haven't been on here in a while. I stopped drinking in August, made it a few months, got complacent, then football season and the holidays rolled around with the usual delusions that I can drink normally here and there. Now I'm back to drinking every night and feeling awful about myself. Gotta work on a better plan.
What can you do differently this time to avoid the trap of thinking you can drink normally?
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: West Coast
Posts: 54
Yes - slow but steady progression. I'd say I "moderated" for a few months. Started with drinking at a football game and no drinking during the week. That worked for a stretch so I figured I can drink on the weekends now and keep it in control. No problemo. Then work functions here and there and happy hours started to get sprinkled in during the week. Then it was the holidays and the wine, rum and eggnog, and everything else was flowing. Since then I've had alcohol on hand in the house so I started drinking every night again. I've fallen into my old habits of having extra stashed in the garage so I can go take a few pulls now and then so I can get the buzz I want without my wife knowing how much I'm drinking. I've started to have bad acid reflux and I know its from the alcohol.
My old plan was essentially to replace drinking with other activities and set goals that were incompatible with drinking. Lifting goals and working out 3-4 days a week helped a lot. Making plans to ride my motorcycle. For a long stretch I was also diligent on reading recovery materials. Books, the forums here, podcasts.
I don't know how to stay diligent. I've done this a number of times and each time I fall into the same trap. Its so stupid. What makes me so angry with myself is I've gotten to the point a few times where I really don't miss the booze. I've lost weight, feel good, have established better habits, and then slip up into thinking I've somehow proven to myself I can quit so it won't hurt to have a few on some special occasion or something. Dumb.
My old plan was essentially to replace drinking with other activities and set goals that were incompatible with drinking. Lifting goals and working out 3-4 days a week helped a lot. Making plans to ride my motorcycle. For a long stretch I was also diligent on reading recovery materials. Books, the forums here, podcasts.
I don't know how to stay diligent. I've done this a number of times and each time I fall into the same trap. Its so stupid. What makes me so angry with myself is I've gotten to the point a few times where I really don't miss the booze. I've lost weight, feel good, have established better habits, and then slip up into thinking I've somehow proven to myself I can quit so it won't hurt to have a few on some special occasion or something. Dumb.
Do your best
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 67,047
Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: East Coast USA
Posts: 120,877
Welcome back, RustyBanjo. The links that soberwolf posted are very, very helpful. Among those links, I have found the three links below to be the best with respect to the formulation of a plan:
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...at-we-did.html
https://store.samhsa.gov/shin/conten...0/SMA-3720.pdf
https://store.samhsa.gov/shin/conten...SMA12-4474.pdf
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...at-we-did.html
https://store.samhsa.gov/shin/conten...0/SMA-3720.pdf
https://store.samhsa.gov/shin/conten...SMA12-4474.pdf
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
