Jess1998

I'm about 36 hours sober and I just got hit with a huge wave of guilt and needing to drink. God I want to drink so bad. But I have to stay sober, I have to do this for myself. I need to take care of myself and keep clean. It's just so hard sometimes. I was distracting myself yesterday with Tetris but today it isn't working, if anything it is making it worse. How do you guys deal with cravings?

aboveangel1967

Cravings are tough. Some ideas:

1 - list the positives and the negatives.

2 - I agree - distract. When tetris does not work, go or a walk. Play with your dog. Clean (I get a lot of cleaning done). Nap if you can (I find lack of sleep is a big withdrawal symptom for me.

3 - vision - imagine yourself healthy and strong.

4 - meditate

5 - journal

6 - Avoid triggers. I thought I knew what mine were but today find other ones (as in almost everything triggers it)

7 - Sweat. A good work out (something I say but have been procrastinating on.

8 - read - I find this tough but...

9 - I set my timer for 20 minutes an do a task. I can do anything for 20 minutes. often the craving passes.

Stay strong.

Snowydelrico

Crawl through this stage.
Cravings last around 9 mins.
You can do this.
You have to do this.
You will do this.
Do not let that thing that controls you put you back in that cage.
Be kind to yourself.
You are a brilliant person and deserve all the good real things in life.
Be strong and take care.

Snowydelrico

I promise it will pass.
You will feel proud that you got through it.
Just keep chipping away at it.

Komplex

Ask yourself - “Am I okay right now”. The reality will be you are! Just get through this craving, you are way way stronger than it!!
Talk a walk, do twenty jumping jacks
Look up tacky knock knock jokes
Suduko?

daredevil

I employ the delay and distract technique. All cravings, despite their intensity, invariably yield to the unyielding commitment to sobriety.

ScottFromWI

Lost of different ways to do it Jess, coming here and asking for help was a great start - so give yourself credit for that. Taking a walk, getting something to eat, reading a book, watching a movie, cleaning the basement, there's a million things you can do instead of drinking.

Also remember - cravings are simply thoughts inside your head. You have 100% control over how you react/respond to them. "needing" to drink is simply a trick your addiction plays on you - no one "needs" do drink. You can absolutely choose to do something else.

mandypandy

I had this . I can tell you what I did. But I don't believe a "one size fits all"
I went in the bath (because I find that relaxing and soothing, almost like floating in the womb, not that I can remember floating in the womb)

I watched Kevin O'Hara on you tube, because he is a great motivator for me.

I wrote on here.

I ignored the urges, didn't try to fight them, reason with them, nothing..just carried on doing what I was doing as if they weren't there.

I read a book I like about what alcohol does to you, and how it doesn't help at all with stress and anxiety and why it doesn't

I just kept in mind it would pass (Once one was gone another came, so it did seem like ages) But it went in the end. Afterwards,, having not drank in the face of it, I felt really proud of myself, a feeling better than any drink could give me.

Also, before I even had any urges, I had written a plan on what to do if they came...see above!

That was a week gone Friday and haven't had any since, so it's hasn't turned into a constant everyday thing.

You can do it

Forward12

You did the best thing by reaching out before you did something stupid, well done!
The AV is nothing but a child living in your head throwing a tantrum. It does get very annoying, but you are always in control.
You can tell it to go to hell, curse it out (it's ok, actually encouraged) whatever it takes.

Pete6256

Stay strong Jess, keep posting on here. I find it helps.

Josie321

Hi Jess,
Remind yourself, cravings are only fleeting. We have all had them (I still get them, have one right now actually) and we all have to find ways with dealing with them. Distraction or replacement.

My way of dealing with them: Is telling the AV in my head to feck off and when I feel like a drink, I go and get a drink...normally tea, herbal teas or fruit juice.

Keep posting!

Dee74

There are some great tips here Jess:

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...-cravings.html (CarolD's tips for cravings)

PennyLane76

Eating sweets really helped my cravings in the early days. Lots of ice cream. Not joking, tried and true! The sweet tooth does level off... When AV really started getting to me I would remind myself that its only goal is to kill me. It exists just to kill us with alcohol as the murder weapon.

Dee74

Hows it going Jess?

D

PalmerSage

In the very beginning, every time a craving surfaced, I said "NO" out loud. I refused to allow myself to romanticize drinking, and instead tried to conjure up my worst, most desperate moments as often as possible. It's not easy, but it can be done. Eat, sleep, watch goofy videos...just don't drink.