Day 4
 

So at Easter i started my sober journey but on day 5, i had a difficult day at work and i relapsed.
I started back on the wagon on the 19th and each day I've been very productive and I'm happy. I've not had a lot of cravings but in honesty i know its because i have very little money to enable my drinking. I get paid this Wednesday which will be my Day 7. I'm really worried having money will tempt me.
In saying that, I've really astounded myself with what I've achieved in this last 4 days. This weekend I've been up early on both days and got loads done round the house. I still am not sleeping great though but i hope that this will change with time.
Any advice for the looming payday trigger?

Thanks x

Congrats on making it this far!! I know what you mean about having money be a trigger... The thing about alcohol is that it's so easily obtained and can is a quick, cheap way to get totally obliterated.

I think the safest way to avoid the money burning a hole in your pocket is to get to an AA meeting and ask for someone to sponsor you. Or, if you're not into AA, at least designate someone with whom you can be honest and who will answer your call when you start feeling tempted. Take advantage of every possible resource!! It's great that you're recognizing your own trigger, now you just have to be accountable - and for those of us who struggle with alcoholism, that usually requires involving others who won't enable. Reach out - it helps all alcoholics to be there for one another! :)

Thanks. Tbh no one knows about my addiction and i don't want my friends to know. I know it sounds weird but I'm a very private person.
I've been making a list of things i need to buy and trying to budget next month's expenses. I owe money out so i cant afford to drink but i was looking at different things that i would consider a treat to keep me going without the booze.
It probably sounds stupid but buying a new book, dvd or t-shirt would be something i haven't been able to do and would be a treat. Or getting a Chinese instead of a bottle is actually something i really look forward to that for months I've not been able to afford. It's crazy how alcohol can just drain you of your money and your life.

I was a bit annoyed yesterday as i was watching TV in the early afternoon and there was a Smirnoff advert on. Seriously!?! I thought alcohol ads were meant to be after a certain time.

Hi Zombie ,
Pay day as a trigger ?
hmm make sure you don't have cash or cards in your pocket , pay all your bills first .

Dont pull out a big chunk of cash, i used to take out £10 at a time and go shopping with that for groceries , in the UK spirits cost about £15 a bottle so i was safer .

if you get paid into a bank account set up a standing , order , regular payment automatically on pay day so you don't see the cash .

Leave any cards at home and go shopping with just enough cash for what you need .

Go shopping with someone who knows your problem and can help keep you accountable or plan it so your busy on pay day.

I found a tub of ice cream helpful as a get home treat after a days work , only 1 scoop though ! i put too much weight on ..

Alcohol adds tend to bug most people early on , generally it's just a phase and it gets better the further you get from day 1 .

keep on :You_Rock_

m

Cheers mecanix!
I'm in the UK too, the £10 cash tip is a good idea, although the contactless is very handy for doing a bigger shop. I'll definitely give that a go!
I've already got some ice cream this weekend. But I've had it with fruit so it ain't all bad. When i look at what i was drinking- sometimes it was a bottle of Captain Morgans on a sat and Sunday or 3-4 bottles of wine per day, a bit of ice cream should be fine!:-)

I completely understand what you mean about wanting to keep it private; it's not an easy thing to discuss and many people don't understand. I don't know about your circumstances, but for me I thought I was hiding it for years, but everyone close to me knew. Sometimes I would even meet people just so I had someone to drink with on the sly, but my closest friends knew. I'm sure people would be very supportive of your decision to give it up!! Money may always be a trigger for you - we have to get creative to not slip up. Give AA a try! You'd probably be pleasantly surprised :)

I think Mecanix made some excellent points i was going to say maybe entrust it to trusted friends or family also if that's possible

Have you thought about making a recovery plan Zombie?

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...very-plan.html

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ery-plans.html

D

I've had that as a trigger. I would give my cash and cards to someone I trust for a couple days or have them ride with me if I go out to the store or whatever.

Recovery plan is a good idea!!I know for me I need solid structure and routine to not falter. It also helps track progress and allows you to celebrate victories both big and small :)