I hate alcohol
Guest
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,802
Jillian I can really relate. I have felt like I am being overwhelmed by a relentless force after having no craving s for days. I then end up drinking for a couple or few days. Don't beat yourself up. Hangovers are bad enough. Just move forward again. Good luck.
Guest
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 8,674
Glad you are sharing. You can do it this time - personally I do not believe we get an infinite number of chances so I hope this is your last start.
To the comments about harshness and 'never again' and all - a never ending struggle and such......I am a dedicated AAer- my recovery is absolutely the center of my life before my fiance who is the love of my life, my family, EVERYTHING - and my problem has been removed. I don't struggle with alcohol, period. I sometimes struggle with feelings and continuing to grow in new ways of handling them - I have learned better problem solving, and rational AND spiritual resources for creating the life I want, my list could go on.
For me, sobriety was an absolute, all or nothing, there is no room for relapse, and no doubt about that allowed in my mind - to get started. Immediately following, physical healing (I didn't replace alcohol with anything, rather I ADDED exercise to now at 20+ mo strenuous hot yoga 6x a week and a 5K or two a month), sleep, diet, "secular" learning (non AA stuff like Carr, or Fr Richard Rohr of the CAC), friendships with a network of sober people who are alcoholics in recovery, or non-problem drinkers.....everything comes after my sobriety.
Some might think I see things too simply, or too black and white- but there is no room for shades of grey in my world when it comes to alcohol.
To the comments about harshness and 'never again' and all - a never ending struggle and such......I am a dedicated AAer- my recovery is absolutely the center of my life before my fiance who is the love of my life, my family, EVERYTHING - and my problem has been removed. I don't struggle with alcohol, period. I sometimes struggle with feelings and continuing to grow in new ways of handling them - I have learned better problem solving, and rational AND spiritual resources for creating the life I want, my list could go on.
For me, sobriety was an absolute, all or nothing, there is no room for relapse, and no doubt about that allowed in my mind - to get started. Immediately following, physical healing (I didn't replace alcohol with anything, rather I ADDED exercise to now at 20+ mo strenuous hot yoga 6x a week and a 5K or two a month), sleep, diet, "secular" learning (non AA stuff like Carr, or Fr Richard Rohr of the CAC), friendships with a network of sober people who are alcoholics in recovery, or non-problem drinkers.....everything comes after my sobriety.
Some might think I see things too simply, or too black and white- but there is no room for shades of grey in my world when it comes to alcohol.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: UK
Posts: 634
I hope you don't mind me jumping on here? I've just joined this site.
I basically have an alcohol counsellor (1:1) on the NHS and also attend a course called Acceptance & Committment Therapy (ACT). ACT is for severe anxiety but I've also found it useful re alcohol.
My counsellor did say to find replacements, but not necessarily sweets etc, more like hobby/exercise. ACT is about accepting things, e.g. My anxiety or desire to drink, but creating techniques to manage it & get through it. I know it isn't for everyone, just a way that has helped me so far...
I basically have an alcohol counsellor (1:1) on the NHS and also attend a course called Acceptance & Committment Therapy (ACT). ACT is for severe anxiety but I've also found it useful re alcohol.
My counsellor did say to find replacements, but not necessarily sweets etc, more like hobby/exercise. ACT is about accepting things, e.g. My anxiety or desire to drink, but creating techniques to manage it & get through it. I know it isn't for everyone, just a way that has helped me so far...
Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Eastern Us
Posts: 1,366
Hi Jillian. There are lots of ways to stop drinking. I tried many. But I had to find a way to not start drinking again after some abstinence. Allen Carr’s book tries to change the way one views alcohol: from something desirable to a poison. And this works for some. AVRT and AA work for some. What worked for me was to just stop swallowing alcohol regardless of what my mind was telling me at the time.
It isn’t easy, but it gets easier with time. I had to learn to just sit with uncomfortable feelings and strong desires. And if I just rode those feelings out, they passed. I really hope you stop drinking. It is such a wonderful thing to be free of addiction.
It isn’t easy, but it gets easier with time. I had to learn to just sit with uncomfortable feelings and strong desires. And if I just rode those feelings out, they passed. I really hope you stop drinking. It is such a wonderful thing to be free of addiction.
No Dogma Please
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: SoCal
Posts: 2,562
Originally Posted by August252015 
Some might think I see things too simply, or too black and white- but there is no room for shades of grey in my world when it comes to alcohol.
You have to really want sobriety and are willing to go to any lengths to get it. If you can do that, it's attainable.
I haven't read Carr's alcohol book, but I credit his smoking book with a large chunk of how I was able to kick THAT monkey off my back.
Keep posting Jillian. You can do this. This is not something that ANYONE can do alone.
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