Day 4!
 

As some of you read, I got through yesterday by taking two bike rides, one to a friend’s house, going to a meeting, working, cooking and reading SR and also just allowing myself to sit through and feel my pain.

Today I’m only working 3 hours. I’m trying to figure out what to do to deal with the urges. I think I’ll go shop and treat myself to a new piece of clothing, and maybe with the money I saved from not drinking today I’ll go have lunch. Wash my car. Change the fish tank. Do laundry. Get on the treadmill. Call my dear old friend who lives in another state. Take another bike ride. Do my make up extra fancy. Listen to music. Lately my think is Native American flute music while I’m driving. I just have to keep busy and do some satisfying things or I’m going to hear my AV and I don’t want to hear a word from it!

And I’m going to pub trivia tonight. I got this, I promise you guys. I won’t let you down, and more importantly I won’t let myself down! How are you newcomers going to keep yourselves busy today? I feel like that’s the key for me. Even just reading SR helps so much just to silence my AV.

Hmmm, sometimes my reactions to drinking situations were delayed. So, I’d make it through the event, but then the obsession with alcohol would rebound two-fold and in excruciating fashion.

I have no doubt that you won’t drink tonight. In worried about the days after.

I didn’t become a total hermit when I started getting sober, but I slowly learned that there were some things that I was ready to do and other things that I wasn’t. Example: I hosted a dinner party for 10 girlfriends and they drank. No problem. Same girlfriends went to DC last weekend for a girls’ trip - no way was I going to that, despite the fact that I really wish that I could have.

So be very careful is my advice.

I basically became a hermit for 2-4wks in early recovery. I had tried to 'test' myself several times in prior quits and could/did pass them for a while. Then the "just one" would start the whole thing over again. I had to change people,places and things for a while to get to 18-19mo(minus one night).

Everything sounds great so far except for this.
4 days is fantastic, but it's also just barely getting started, and going this early to the wolf's den is a very bad idea.

Congrats on day 4 truthseeker. It sounds to me like you have plenty of things on that list that you could do instead of going to the pub, i'd steer clear of there for a while.

same!

You definitely do not need to be going to any alcohol establishments especially a pub this early in your recovery. Don't let your AV trick you into thinking this is okay.

And I’m going to pub trivia tonight.

youre working at getting away from temptation and walking smack dab into it.
is there a meeting you could hit tonight instead? there HAS to be a HUNDRED things you could do for recovery.
i truly hope you change your mind about this. we've read way too many threads from people that this was disastrous for. way too many pub visit, concerts, parties from people who promised and knew for sure they would make it through.
some of them were fortunate to make it back and get into revoery.
some of them havent been back.

Agree with Scott and all the others.
Besides, isn't your newly x-boyfriend going to be there? I would definitely avoid him at all costs.

Congratulations on Day 4 - you're on a roll now. :)

So believe me, I have an enormous amount of personal experience with the insanity of addiction. So no judgement .

You don't want to hear from your AV, but I'm pretty sure it's the one calling the shots. Respectfully, you did everything but burpees and jumping through hoops to keep from drinking last night. You were in the ER 4 days ago. Why on gods green earth would you go to the pub tonight? I mean, I like trivia as much as the next guy but, um, why would you do that to yourself? Oh my.

"I got this, I promise you guys."..Oh man..How many times did I beleive this? and sometimes I'd muscle through it just to prove others wrong..What's the old saying? "Play stupid games,win stupid prizes." That was me trying to test myself and being overly confident in early sobriety(in your case it's like not even 200hrs yet)..I can hear your bar boyfriend ordering you drinks and pizza now. I don't say that to be mean...I say that because my exAgf of 10-13yrs kinda kept me drinking,until I broke the toxic cycle. Because at the end of the day it was I allowing it to continue. OWN IT!