3 weeks down. I feel pretty good. Been getting bad cravings on Saturdays, as that's when I would historically drink all day. The alcohol counseling has been helping. I'm worried about 2 work trips I have in April. Bahammas 1st week of April, Seattle last week of April. Work trips have historically been filed with lots of drinking.

Life is better without the booze. Feels good waking up Sunday/ Monday morning without a hangover. I need to keep going with this.

have you given any thought to an action plan GoodLife?

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...ery-plans.html
D

Good life, you did mention AA (as in your therapist suggested it). Did you actually go at all yet? It's likely to be very helpful, esp on those business trips, as there will be English speaking meetings where you're going, and they'll have the same format as the ones in your home area, so it means that wherever you go there is a ready made support network waiting to greet you. I'm always kinda jealous of the the more well travelled AAs in that regards as they get to meet so many people. Where their work trips were historically filled with lots of drinking, now they are filled with lots of meetings and fellowship.

BB

http://www.12stepbahamas.com/nassau-aa.html
http://www.seattleaa.org/directory/directory-index.html

Are you just gritting through all of this? Sounds tough.

Made it to 8 weeks off the booze. I feel great. Mentally strong, and physically even better. I've been doing a lot more fun things on the weekends with my kids, since I haven't been focused on drinking. Not being hungover on sat an sunday morning is the best. I feel like a million bucks heading into work on Monday mornings.

In terms of a recovery plan, I have been attending alcohol counseling weekly, and reading on SR daily.

I feel strong, but to be honest, I haven't really been tested. I have steered clear og my friends, or most other social events, where drinking used to occur. I have 2 work trips coming up that I am worried about. Going to Bahammas in early April, and Seattle in late April. Heavy drinking is the norm/encouraged on these trips, so this will be a struggle for me.

Congrats on 8 weeks

if you feel your action plan needs a little beefing up, there are some good ideas here:

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

D

Good job! As for the trips the only thing I can say is be prepared to go to your room early each evening. If you hang around into the night you know you'll be tempted. Make a plan buddy

Thanks for the advice. I am planning on dissapearing to my room/ gym/ beach as often as possible, should I get uncomfortable.

One of my problems with the booze, is that when I'm in social situations where everyone is drinking and I'm not, I get extremely uncomfortable. It's crazy, because I'm not a shy person, and I am comfortable in most other situations.

On another note, I've been speaking with my counselor at length at how long term drinking effects ones dopamine and brain chemistry. That is why when I think of booze, I automatically associate it with a good time. Alternatively when I think of doing something fun or a vacation, I automatically think of booze.... Crazy how the mind works. How long has it take l taken some of you for the brain/dopamine to get back to normal.

I started to feel really good about a year in, now at 2 years my moods are very stable, no depression, and overall just way better. I am so darned happy sober. I wish I had done this years ago.

The thing for me was booze was associated with a distant memory of a good time, and I always went back drinking with the idea that this time would be the same as the old days. Sobriety, on the other hand was not a good time. It was uncomfortable, and the longer I was dry the more uncomforatble it got.

As it turned out, it had nothing to do with brain chemistry and everything to do with the selfish way I had been living my life. Selfishness does not bring happiness, it brings remorse, guilt shame, regret, discomfort, frustration and resentment. I sought the good time to feel better, but it was an illusion.

I had to find a way to live sober and contentedly, without all the negative baggage that alcoholism brings. When I did find a new way of living, the alcohol problem disappeared.

I need help right now... i had 3 months sober, but I completely slipped up this weekend. I am at a work trip in the Bahammas, and I have been drinking non stop since Friday. I also used cocaine, and lost a lot of money gambling in the casino.

I am sitting in my hotel room right now with horrific anxiety. I just wnt to cry. My whole body/ mind feel awful. I have one more night here, but i really just want to go home now and see my wife and kids. I feel so lonely and confused. I'm supposed to attend a dinner tonight... i really need to stop.drinking. i can't live like this.

Why not go home?

I understand how you feel about anxiety being around others who are drinking. I had to learn to stop worrying about what other people think. You don’t want to drink. Your loved ones don’t wish this for you. Why would others matter?

You might learn that one of two things is the truth: that others don’t really care of you’re not drinking, or that anyone who does care is not someone you want to associate with.

Be well. You’re worth it.

I can relate to this. I am very similar. I have been sober now for 6 months and before that for about a year and the one drunken relapse I had was at a work event, away from home. Yours sounds particularly crazy - coke.. at work?!

Don't be too down on yourself, you have been doing brilliantly! Recognise this event for what it was. A relapse. Put down the bottle and get back on the wagon. You can prepare yourself better for the next one. It's maybe time for you and me, just to tell our respective colleagues that we don't drink anymore.

I still resist telling colleagues as I feel it exposes me to ridicule, etc.

Wishing you all the best and 'chin up!'. Keep going, you can do this.

Been there, done that. It sucks. The good news is you never have to feel like this again.
Drink a lot of water today.
Breathe deeply. I like to close my eyes and envision the air I am breathing in through my nose is blue, clean, and refreshing. The air I blow out through my mouth is red and contaminated with the toxins causing me anxiety. Every breath cleanses a bit. Square breathing. Draw breath for 4 seconds, hold 4 seconds, out for 4 seconds, hold 4 seconds. Try that for a few minutes. It helps some.

Best of Luck on Your Journey. :ring

Thanks for the kind words. I made it through yesterday not drinking, as well as today. Had a flight back to the states this morning, and I am back at my house. The event was a work top producers, "presidents club" trip. It was basically a fully expensed paid trip to the Bahammas, for the top producers of the company.

I was doing so good with my sobriety up until this point.. My problem is that when I drink, I have no self control.. i am very ashamed of my actions, especially the cocaine usage. I will do anything when I'm drunk. If I keep this up, something really bad is going to happen to my life..

I feel okay today. I'm hoping I feel better tomorrow, and I can start focusing on my sobriety.

I used to hit bars with drinking "friends," and ended up in random places with strangers. And of course those horrid detoxes and hangovers, especially at the end.

Now, I have nice lunches in the patios of bars/restaurants and drink mineral water with lemon or lime. Either I'm by myself when I want alone time, or with similarly sober friends. The few people who I know drink know my new stance on not drinking and don't try to tempt me. That poison almost ruined my life, and it took 18 years of my life to finally realize that it didn't have a place in my life if I wanted to move forward. I finally wanted to be sober more than I wanted to be drunk.

But like many people say on here, don't regret the time wasted. You have to push on and live in the present and project yourself into the future. When you're sober, there's a brighter one.

You knew that before you went to the Bahamas, and you drank anyway.
I would give serious consideration that this might just be a symptom of a different problem.

Best of Luck on Your Journey. :ring