whatsgoingon

The first three days were the worst, I was dreaming about booze. I feel now I have overcome my first hurdle and this has encouraged me to push on.

Today I’m at day 7 but instead dealing with cravings I’ll dealing with boredom. Without booze I strangely feel like I’ve got nothing to look forward to. I wondering what am I going to do tonight. That’s pretty sad and just about sums up how dull my life is, which is probably a contributing factor to my alcohol consumption.

This whole alcohol thing has so many layers. It’s too simplistic to say just stop drinking because this in itself brings up so many more questions. I’m asking myself why I drink and what started me drinking and why I’m finding it difficult to stop. That’s what 30 years of drinking does to you. The booze has become an emotional crutch, a hobbie, a best friend or just something to do. I wish alcohol was as demonised in society as cigarettes or cocaine but because its not this only adds to both the confusion and the struggle. On one hand we all know how bad alcohol is for us but on the other hand everyone is doing it! It’s literally the only addictive drug people actually encourage you to do.

Jeez, what a crazy world we live in.

Anyway, enough of me ranting, it’s day 7 for pete’s Sake! Yeah! Go me!!

Hawking22

Congrats, whatsgoingon! 7 days is awesome!

I too also wish alcohol wasn't glamorized or so exposed in society. It's funny, I have such resentment toward the general attitude...If I don't have a glass of wine, I'm a stale prude. If I have half a bottle, I need rehab. Ugh, maybe one day it'll truly be to each his own without the judgement.

Anna

7 days is fantastic!

I think the first thing is stopping drinking, which you have done. Then, for me, I had to do a lot of soul-searching to deal with the underlying issues in my life which caused me to choose alcohol to numb myself. That was painful and sad, but very necessary to begin to recover.

And, not everyone is drinking. It seems that way when you're drinking, but it's not true. I very rarely spend time with people who are drinking.

yinzer

Yeah, you would THINK everyone is drinking, but they aren’t. I drank for over 40 years and it took a while to figure out a new way to live. I would shake it up and go to the gym or movies at night or just go to bed at 7pm. There is a whole non drinking world out there.
Good on you for 7!

D122y

I said the exact same thing at 7 days, 30 days, 6 months....

I believe it is craving in disguise.

I had to develop a new life style...

for example..

wake up without a hangover...yay!

wash up, make quick instant ice coffee, pet dog, play on tablet, more ice coffee, eat breakfast, do laundry, hit gym, take nap...etc etc...

Sober life.

My evenings are filled with shopping, shows, tv.

That is on a day off. Work fills most of the day usually.

Thanks.

tekink

I remember feeling like there was nothing to do without booze. I had trained myself that booze is the perfect fit for every occasion.

Once I realized that I just didn't know how to be sober because I hadn't been in over 20 years things started to fall into place. These days I don't miss it at all.

Dee74

A week is great - congrats

IO agree with Anna - not drining is the first job - but there's more .

I liken it to the tide going out and suddenly exposing all the driftwood that's been lying there on the beach hidden.

The next part of the job is to pick up some of that driftwood.

D