Spider

Happy ending. If/when you find the filler for the boredom and self loathing, please advise. You're not alone. I have been out in my mind for weeks now. On a moto ride, I actually dropped in to my haunt to look around. Staff said their warm hellos and I said I'd be back as I never drink while on the bike. Still sober. I actually emailed my therapist too saying thanks, but it didn't work

sobersolstice

I've been in the same mood lately because something in me 'misses' the roller coaster, but I need to train my brain to realize that's not the normal state of being..

Being in caloric surplus is one of the keys to my sobriety. If I hit caloric deficit, I get shaky, anxious, and weak, so I carry snacks at all times.

Boredom is an issue too. I own a business and try to lift weights 3x a week, but it's sometimes a challenge. I always want to go out and mingle... My confidence in public faded a bit, so it's harder to meet folks. Hopefully this will subside.

MLD51

It's OK to eat sweets for a while when urges hit. It's still better than drinking. I overdid it for a while with the sweets (and the shopping) because it was easy and fast and I really didn't know what else to do. I did find healthier ways to get past urges after a while. Some of them take practice. One thing I found worked for me was to do a quick centering exercise when I started feeling antsy and shaky. I actually learned it in my IOP program. It goes something like this:

How to do it
The body scan can be performed while lying down, sitting, or in other postures. The steps below are a guided meditation designed to be done while sitting.


Begin by bringing your attention into your body.

You can close your eyes if that’s comfortable for you.

You can notice your body seated wherever you’re seated, feeling the weight of your body on the chair, on the floor.

Take a few deep breaths.

And as you take a deep breath, bring in more oxygen enlivening the body. And as you exhale, have a sense of relaxing more deeply.

You can notice your feet on the floor, notice the sensations of your feet touching the floor. The weight and pressure, vibration, heat.

You can notice your legs against the chair, pressure, pulsing, heaviness, lightness.

Notice your back against the chair.

Bring your attention into your stomach area. If your stomach is tense or tight, let it soften. Take a breath.

Notice your hands. Are your hands tense or tight. See if you can allow them to soften.

Notice your arms. Feel any sensation in your arms. Let your shoulders be soft.

Notice your neck and throat. Let them be soft. Relax.

Soften your jaw. Let your face and facial muscles be soft.

Then notice your whole body present. Take one more breath.

Be aware of your whole body as best you can. Take a breath. And then when you’re ready, you can open your eyes.

This works as a quick "re-boot." Since learning how to do this, I now meditate often. All it takes is about 10 minutes here and there and it has really helped me with anxiety and racing thoughts.

Eating something when I start to feel like a drink might be a good idea usually really helps. Something to keep in mind is HALT. When you get an urge, ask yourself: Am I Hungry? Angry? Lonely? Tired? If you can identify any of these (sometimes there's more than one at a time, and thirst kind of goes with hunger) fix it. Or at least recognize it, if you can't fix it right away.

matrac

Pearldoor,
Don’t worry about food choices. I ate what I wanted when I first stopped drinking. I thoroughly enjoyed the taste of food sober!. After I had a little time sober, I went on a diet and lost all the weight I wanted to loose. You are healthier eating chocolate than you are drinking!
Best wishes
Bonnie