crown86

Curious what folks think about quitting during this time frame. I drink both ways - at home and alone and prefer it that way. It's my most destructive drinking. I also go out with friends and get T'd up. I find breaking the cycle is easier during this lockdown as I can get away from my most destructive drinking and really see it for what is has been. I also think as the days start to rack up and keep the commitment strong it will be easier when things return to normal and I can say no to going to bars with the boys. In weird it's kind of nice to kept away and give me some time to build a foundation on. Curious what others think?

Lines

Having time away from my normal work schedule has been a blessing. I was having a difficult time trying to stop while working. The first couple weeks I was exhausted and so I had time to rest. Time to have skype sessions with my Dr. Time to spend with my wife. Time to think. To use this site and read. Time to heal.

I'm already thinking about when I go back to work. Will try to make any changes I feel is necessary beginning on that first day. Also slowly doing more work from home in order to gear back up.

Guess I will remember this pandemic for more reasons than one.

Anna

I think if it helps you to get your sober footing, that's great, and then when things do go back to 'normal', you will have some good sober time behind you. I always drank at home, alone and never anywhere else, so it probably wouldn't have helped me.

Lucinda2

Crown, I think we are all learning new ways of being during this time and it sounds like a great time to quit to me. It is still early days for me too and while I am very saddened about what is going on out there I have also found it a nice just to be able to be with no social pressure.

crown86

It is kinda like my own personal Rehab center for free and was forced to have the time. I get groceries delivered, quitting smoking also so no cig runs, I really don't leave the house cept to walk around neighborhood and and the 1 trip up the mountains to fish.

Its tough to be house ridden but I figure I am going to use this time to my advantage.

Thrillhou

Personally I have not been able to get sober during this mess. Posting on here is about all I can do during a lock down and that alone is not nearly enough.

Misssy2

At first it was really bad for me I didn't know what to do with myself being on "lock down" basically...all I knew how to do was to drink.

But 10 days ago....I was at a point of physical death again....and I thought...well good thing I have no where to go...and I can recover....so this part is working well for me right now...don't have responsibilities...actually being told to stay home...by State...

But I can imagine many alcoholics are struggling staying sober right now with all this down time.

Leana

If it was Christmas Day, wedding day, birthday, happiest day of a person's life- an alcoholic would have an excuse not to quit. So a pandemic- hell what better excuse could we have to "need to drink". Every day in life will have some issue whether happy to celebrate with a drink or upsetting to calm the nerves with a drink. What day is a good day for an alcoholic to quit? The day they say they want to.

JustTony

I’m lucky I became so very ill through drinking that the physical pain that I was in (stomach) meant it was impossible for me to drink for a few days during the lockdown. I fear if this hadn’t happened I would have progressed into full time, all day drinking. However once I got through the first few days - the pain was SO bad I didn’t notice the anxiety or shakes that I normally get when quitting - then the lockdown became a blessing. I don’t want to go out, buy wine and get the virus and infect my wife. Maybe COVID-19 has saved me in some perverse way?

DriGuy

You are sobering up during social distancing and stay at home orders. My guess is that normality, when it returns, will be a trigger. But that's just a guess. At any rate, be prepared to face that challenge.

I've had kind of an odd reaction to "stay at home." I got hooked on cigars for a few years, and when I finally got disgusted with myself, I had my last one two years ago. There was at first the tussle with cravings, but I haven't given them a thought for the last 20 months. Now I'm having thoughts about how relaxing it would be to light one up. I understand this is a fantasy, and I'm not going to let that happen, but something about this stay at home is acting like a trigger. I think the best and only way to react to a trigger is to get past it, put away any ideas that I can just have one, and focus on something else. I know better than to think I can get away with it. That's a start. Following through on avoidance is the critical behavior and the solution.

Sober369

It's been much easier for me while not working and while being off work and stuck at home. I'm using the time to get healthy in every way. Time to plan and fix healthy food, pray and meditate, spend lots of time here, write in a journal, get things done that I've put off way too long. I'm exercising, having quality time with my grandson and dogs, talking to my kids.
I also drank almost exclusively at home. But, this way is still so much easier for me. Being tired and feeling overwhelmed were big triggers. I want to get strong enough now so that when I go back to work, I will have a better chance of staying sober and fighting the virus.
I'm grateful for this time away from work.

PeaceManic

I stopped about a month before the lockdown, but yes it would be asburd to drink now. I mean it's always been ridiculously dangerous, but given I was in hospital earlier this year (more or less thrown there by family), it would probably be safer for me to camp on the motorway right now rather than drink.

brighterday1234

CRRHCC

The Pandemic is deja vu for me. When circumstances in life made me feel overwhelmed with feeling helpless, trapped, powerless and out of control, I would regain control of my emotions with a quick fix or mood changer of drugs and booze. Addictions always serve an emotional purpose. Once I understood the psychology of addiction, I learned to regain control of my intolerable helpless feelings with a more healthy high value behavior that was important to me. Stopping four decades of abuse was not so hard once I found new values and purpose in life that were important to me. We can all do this, if we look deep inside.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Thrillhou

Four decades? You're lucky. I only got 11 years before my stupid body got mad at me. I was ripped off. I will never not be mad about that.