chowchow

I managed to NOT drink last night. I found that getting home a little later helps. After about 7 pm I don't think about drinking. But I wake up today and I don't want to drink. Then a few hours go by and I really want to drink. Is this going to be a constant battle every day? I hate it.

dwtbd

Not if don't want it to be.
That 'battle' is the AV , that little voice in your head screaming about how IT wants You to get more booze.
Learning about AVRT( great threads here on SR in the Secular Connections forum on these ideas) helped me gain a new perspective on that 'battle' and how to just let it be, let it blow Itself out, by me starving IT out. Maybe check out some threads there.
wish you well and hope to see you around

JJ991

I was like this before I quit. Every morning I felt awful & said "no more" but by the end of the working day that had gone out the window!
I had a failed attempt at moderation during which I obsessed about drinking every, single day. When I quit the battle stopped oddly, I was just not going to drink. I did use some therapy techniques to quieten down the AV though - "thanks very much for your point of view but you're wrong" - accept the AV is there but don't battle it, it enjoys the battle.

Just realised I've said pretty much the same as the previous post!

time2shineagain

Honestly, I find the first 1-2 weeks to be like this. A fight to get my head down on the pillow without having a drink. During this time having activities planned in the late afternoon/evening is paramount. After about 2 weeks the cravings get less frequent and more manageable. Then after a month or so I find them easy to brush off. This is just my experience, everybody is different of course. Unfortunately, I'm on day 4 of yet another attempt to quit so I'm in the throws of purely getting through the day without a drink. I know it will get easier with time. Try to stay focused and having a plan is really important. Good luck!

Eddiebuckle

It is going to be a part of your thinking for a while. It takes time to become an alcoholic, so it shouldn't be terribly surprising that it takes time for the thoughts and habits to fade. They become less and less frequent, and one day it will occur to you that you haven't thought about drinking for awhile. Most importantly - when the urge to drink comes on (and it will in the early days, part of the process) do whatever you need to do to not drink. Run, call a friend, go for a drive, eat some ice cream, watch a favorite movie, whatever.... usually the thoughts and urges only last 15 minutes or so and start to fade. Just hang on, grit your teeth, and don't drink. It is in those brief periods that our drinking brains go into overdrive, and then wear themselves out. It's not fun, but it's a whole lot more pleasant than relapsing. Eventually, being sober will be your new normal and you won't see your life as an endless battle against your addiction. Just trust the process, and let time do its thing.

Good luck, you are exactly where you should be.

Dee74

It might be this way for a little while> but no it's not always going to be this way

It gets better - I drank for years and I feel a lot better at 3 months - thats a pretty good deal.

I have no battle going on now. I'm happily sober - you'll get there too

D