Countrylife

I’ve came to this site a couple time and finally decided to register I think I might have an addiction to alcohol not sure but I’ve been a heavy drinker for 3 years been drinking off and on for 15 years but it’s nothing to drink a fifth of vodka on a Saturday or a pint before bed I would drink at night until I blackout I’ve been 3 days sober and I’ve had some withdrawals and wonder if the craving ever go away

Maudcat

Hi, Country.ife.
Welcome.
You will find lots of support here.
Every day you don’t drink is a good day, and each day you will feel a bit better.
Try to get good sleep, drink lots of water, deep breaths through the cravings.
They are just cravings, and they pass.

Anna

Welcome!

I'm glad you found us and decided to post. Having cravings and having blackouts are sure signs of alcoholism. And, yes, the cravings will eventually go away. Do you have a plan for how will stay sober and recover?

nez

My experience is that when all I did was to just stop drinking, the cravings did not go away. When I started working on recovery, the cravings went away. It has been 14 years now, and the cravings are nowhere to be seen, non-existent, zip, zilch. I look at a glass of beer the same way I look at a glass of milk. I don't want either one and they have absolutely no pull on me whatsoever. I have been placed in a place of neutrality when it comes to alcohol. That is true freedom and I wouldn't trade the feeling for anything!

Midwest1981

welcome to SR!

keep reading all you can on this site....it has been a lifesaver for me!

The cravings do go away but it takes awhile. They will lessen if you remember H.A.L.T Don't let yourself get Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired....that will help with the cravings.

Countrylife

No plans still having a hard time thinking about my life with out drinking!!!! my lifestyle involves a lot of drinking and partying on weekends and of evenings to pass time and relax i never thought alcohol was a bad thing its something Thats been around my whole life I would like to control it and be able to have one drink or go out with friends but Im not sure if that be a smart choice

Maudcat

Take it a day at a time, Countrylife.
Try not to think overmuch about the rest of your life without alcohol.
Just think: I won’t drink today.
Stay in the here and now for a bit.
Over time, it gets easier.
Considered AA or some other form of support?

Countrylife

I have thought of AA but not sure if it would work for me I get anxiety and I would be doin it alone not knowing anyone I have done a program but it doesn’t really count I was forced by the court I got arrested at 15 years old for drinking that was my punishment an 8 hour class about drinking and drugs

Countrylife

Guess I should say I’m 28 now I have lived and learned a little since then lol

IsadoraBailey

I'm only 18 days sober, but I do know one thing......an alcoholic simply cannot "have one drink". That was what I've always wanted to be able to do, but it's impossible. Get AA The Big Book asap. The stories there most assuredly showed me this. Real eye opener! You CAN do it.

GabbyP

I am only on day 9, but my shaky hours are between 4 and 8. It's 4 hours. I want to drink so I do. I just drink other things. Water with apple cider vinegar, juice, fizzy water. Sometimes a piece of chocolate because it makes me thirsty for water. I try to keep busy and think I can make it through an hour, 3 to go, 2 to go, 1 to go. Hot bath, glass of milk, walk around the block, read the forum. Anything just to get past the craving because I know how good it feels to wake up not having consumed alcohol and how much more crappier my mind and body will feel if I ingest any more poison. Hang in there.

Mklove

Yes! It was fun until my friends started dying of alcohol related illnesses, I got a fatty liver, and hangovers were ever present. I quit for those reasons but stay sober because it's so much more fun to feel good, get off medications, apologize less frequently.........glad you are here!

least

The cravings to drink go away with time, but it takes longer than 3 days. It took me around 6 months til I no longer had to deliberately "not drink".

And it's easier to stay totally sober than it is to try to moderate your drinking.

Maudcat

Well, it helps to have a recovery plan.
If not AA, then maybe another form of support.
SMART, LifeRing, Refuge Recovery, all good.
Good luck. Here when you need us.

Dee74

Welcome countrylife

That was my life too - and I put off doing something about it til I was 40.

I tried every trick in the book to stick to one drink. Never made it.

What I really wanted was to drink to excess and not have it negatively affect me or my life.

If you can identify with that you just might be a drinker like me.

I could have saved myself a lot of angst and despair if I'd simply accepted it's not normal, and definitely not healthy to drink to black out most nights/every night.

My life changed - a lot - but I wouldn't swap the life I have now for the life I used to lead.

I got the real me back. I love my life now

D

Berrybean

Well you could just give it a go.

I dont think anyone tends to know people there until they actually start going (or dont know that theyll know anyone there at least - what with it being anonymous and all). I didnt think I'd know anyone there. Actually I have bumped into a few folk who I used to drink with in years past - it was good to see them as rumour has it they'd died. There they were, larger than life, full of beans and looking better than I'd ever seen them look.

I don't think you can judge your experience of going when you were a court ordered teen and had no real intention of stopping drinking. The meetings are aimed at those who want to stop after all.

If you could just slow down and have a couple and be happy, wouldn't you have done this by now? I know that just a couple would have been worse than useless to me. I'd always drank for one purpose - to get drunk. To opt out. To stop being me for a bit. Just a couple - well, that's for people who drink it for the taste of it and stuff. Makes me laugh nowadays, I used to drink 'to be sociable'. I can't think of anything much less social than a tanked up Berrybean. Anti-social more like it.

I remember feeling completely fearful and bewildered at the thought of my whole life ahead of me without a drink. Thinking, "but that's what I DO!! How can I just stop??" I realised my life would never be the same again. What I didn't know was that as much as I feared the end of my old life, more importantly I was starting a whole new beautiful life, for which I am very very grateful today. But there was no way to know that. All I could do was take the advise of only thinking about one day at a time. Keeping it 'in today' so I didn't get overwhelmed. We dont have to sort out our entire future, just focus on staying sober each day as it comes.

Wishing you al, the best for your sobriety and recovery.
BB

Countrylife

Thanks for all the advice woke up another day sober After reading and thinking I can now admit I do have a problem!! my drinking habits are not normal and best way to control it is not to drink easier said then done as of now but I’m ready to take it on I don’t plan on drinking today I’m going to try and find ways to stay busy thanks y’all

Dee74

Keeping busy is great, but I have to be honest - that alone rarely keeps someone in recovery cos no one can be busy 24/7

Include a little bit on what you might do if you find your self craving a drink, or what you might do now at the end of a stressful day or a crisis.

The more you can add to an action plan the better

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...very-plan.html (What exactly is a recovery plan?)

D