Zanna

You can do this Taplow - trust me, if I can anyone can
I used to do crazy things to 'break the moment' back in the early days - things like shoving my head under the shower so my hair was soaked and I couldn't go out (my hair is very long so takes ages to dry)
Another time I literally threw my car keys down the garden, in the dark, so I couldn't find them until the morning, when ' the moment' had long gone.
Another time, I gave all my bank cards to a friend, with the instructions, not to give them back until Monday morning (I was a weekend warrior)
Another time when I was feeling 'good', I knew I wouldn't later in the day, so put all my paper money into an ice cube tray and FROZE it (couldn't go out with soaking wet dosh)
Basically it's all about finding what works for YOU to 'take the choice away' It literally is a fight with yourself but once the choice is taken away, it becomes a lot easier.
I failed to mention the hours upon hours, I would spend in the SR 'Arcade' (it's up top) I highly recommend ' Lightning Pool'

Good luck!!

DriGuy

LOL I am impressed. This may be the most creative alcoholic thing I've ever heard. So did it work?

Zanna

Oh yes - well, I'm coming up to the 3 year mark, so I guess it must have

Tetrax

Wow how did I never notice that?! It's a great idea for distraction on a recovery site. Impressed.

And good luck Taplow, you're just gonna have to get some sober days under your belt and experience the difference yourself methinks.

silentrun

I'm sorry it's got ahold of you so bad. I've struggled before with nicotine addiction, sugar and general laziness and how you described it is exactly how it felt/feels.

The alcohol was different for me though. I was so terrified of being an alcoholic and all that meant that I'd suffer anything just to gain my freedom back. I couldn't get far away fast enough. Even with that recovery has been a long process. I hope you have a moment when you realize that this is worth it no matter what.

silentrun

Awesome! Whatever it takes. Luckily for me, liquor stores close at 10 pm in Minnesota. In the early days, I could be tensed up, in the grips of full-blown cravings and they would magically disappear at 9:55.

tomsteve

something to think about on this thought:
notice ya type whenever he wanted to get off heroin, his dad locked him up. apparently it was more than once.
locking him up was only a temporary solution.
there has to be more action and you can do it if you want to stop drinking for good and are willing to go to any lengths to do that

taplow

I read some excellent replies here and then I went out and bought some lager and got drunk. I thought it was not the best idea to post back yesterday. People who'd generously given time and thought to help me probably wouldn't appreciate it too well I thought. You buy someone a present, they tell you it's really great, just what they wanted, but have you got the reciept.
Anyway I've come back and read through the posts again. I feel I've got some real support and good practical advice there. I feel that something's registered.
I'm certain that I won't be drinking today. There's not long to go anyway, shops close early on Sunday - lazy bastards. Just get though today and don't think about tomorrow. Remember the longest journey begins with a single step; just make sure you're not pissed when you take it.
Thanks all.

boreas

tap,
One thing I’ve learned, and try to practice, is that a gift I can give those around me is the ability to own their own actions and emotions. My mom is very reactive, and I remember multiple times when I was suffering as a kid (either from my own mistakes or the hatefulness of others)...the response I got from her was typically along the lines of, “Don’t you know how much it hurts ME to see you like this?!”

Your choices aren’t about me, or us. I hate to see anyone come back from drinking to say anything along the lines of, “I’m so sorry for letting you people down.” Drinking=suffering for an alcoholic, and the last thing anyone needs is additional guilt or remorse for not fulfilling some imaginary obligation to others. Wise words from people here helped me get sober, and if I can help reduce someone else’s suffering then that just is extra warm fuzzies for me.

I had a thought on my run this morning...I’ve been doing 20 minute sprint workouts for over a year, and hated every minute. I couldn’t run longer than 2 minutes of so before walking just due to it feeling like crap. Then I read a quote that changed it all...”The first 10 minutes of any run sucks”. My whole mindset changed. I realized I kept doing the hard part over and over...just the sucky part but never got to the feel good part. Early sobriety is like that, and I think that is why people who continue to get sober a few days, then relapse, over and over...that’s why they suffer so much. They do the hardest part over and over and never get to the good stuff.

So I ran 5 miles today. 3 months ago, that was inconceivable. Don’t get stuck in that first 10 minutes! It really does get better.
-bora

Obladi

Really good stuff, bora