Four months sober :)
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 8,674
To answer your direct question, yes, everyone needs a program. Of some kind, with some support, and recovery focused. That's in my experience, observation and the general consensus around here from those staying sober.
Exercise, healthy diets, new hobbies or removing old ones (ie your wine in front of the TV) aren't a strong enough foundation to sustain a life of sobriety. Our thinking has to change, whether that's in seemingly small ways or as I strongly feel, "bigger" ones for each of us. Two examples from your own posts:
"....at least you had two or three nights off..." to another poster - sobriety doesn't take nights off if you really want a life in recovery.
"....my cravings have hugely diminished" - what happens when they come back? what will you do?
It's the job of each of us to keep ourselves sober. Being around a non-alcoholic spouse, or in my case one in recovery, is awesome. Yet it's still up to me and how I choose to live. I use all the support available to me (and new avenues I discover along the way) and especially early on like you....building the foundation of sobriety was the best "assurance" (not a form of cowardice) that I will not relapse.
I'd kindly suggest that you read around and see what others have to say about their journeys of both success (staying sober) and relapse (or restarts or changing methods or...). Lots of wisdom in these pages to help us remember another thing you are saying - you're not a special snowflake. That idea pops up again and again along the way, for plenty of us - we do start thinking we aren't the typical alcoholic along the way, usually when we stop doing things that take us further away from a drink rather than closer to one.
Just my $0.02. Or more.
Exercise, healthy diets, new hobbies or removing old ones (ie your wine in front of the TV) aren't a strong enough foundation to sustain a life of sobriety. Our thinking has to change, whether that's in seemingly small ways or as I strongly feel, "bigger" ones for each of us. Two examples from your own posts:
"....at least you had two or three nights off..." to another poster - sobriety doesn't take nights off if you really want a life in recovery.
"....my cravings have hugely diminished" - what happens when they come back? what will you do?
It's the job of each of us to keep ourselves sober. Being around a non-alcoholic spouse, or in my case one in recovery, is awesome. Yet it's still up to me and how I choose to live. I use all the support available to me (and new avenues I discover along the way) and especially early on like you....building the foundation of sobriety was the best "assurance" (not a form of cowardice) that I will not relapse.
I'd kindly suggest that you read around and see what others have to say about their journeys of both success (staying sober) and relapse (or restarts or changing methods or...). Lots of wisdom in these pages to help us remember another thing you are saying - you're not a special snowflake. That idea pops up again and again along the way, for plenty of us - we do start thinking we aren't the typical alcoholic along the way, usually when we stop doing things that take us further away from a drink rather than closer to one.
Just my $0.02. Or more.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2019
Location: UK
Posts: 3,920
Thanks hpdw, and to you too.
I’m keeping an open mind. At the moment, things are good, and my urge to drink is rare. If that changes and I really start craving a drink in the future, I’ll get help.
I should’ve mentioned this in my opening post, but it was already too long
but I saw my GP about drinking too much. I’d already researched drugs such as Antabuse and Campral so went well prepared. I was referred to a local addition agency who gave some counselling (minimal, not so useful) and prescribed Campral, a drug which reduces alcohol cravings. I took the Campral for five weeks and stopped. I didn’t need it anymore.
A drinker really must stop themselves drinking as no other person or drug can do so.
I’m keeping an open mind. At the moment, things are good, and my urge to drink is rare. If that changes and I really start craving a drink in the future, I’ll get help.
I should’ve mentioned this in my opening post, but it was already too long
but I saw my GP about drinking too much. I’d already researched drugs such as Antabuse and Campral so went well prepared. I was referred to a local addition agency who gave some counselling (minimal, not so useful) and prescribed Campral, a drug which reduces alcohol cravings. I took the Campral for five weeks and stopped. I didn’t need it anymore.A drinker really must stop themselves drinking as no other person or drug can do so.
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