Sammy1980

I am just going on 5 months sober. I have been having a lot of thoughts of wanting a drink now that the weather is so nice. I am not fighting myself about picking up a drink ( I just won't do it!) but this past week I was thinking about how nice it would be. It went on for most of the week but as of yesterday it has past. After 5 months it seems like I have more of a craving then I did in the beginning. I think boredom is a big part of it. I am still working and I am walking up to 4 miles everyday but as soon as I am finished I am bored. LOL.

Noam19

Hey Sammy. Same here. The weather has been gorgeous and "working outside" used to be one of my excuses to drink all day. That's why I'm here this morning and did my check in for another sober 24 hours. Just going to drink a lot of water and stay hydrated while I'm out there.

Surrendered19

Good for posting before giving in to it. Think back and I think you will recall that your cravings after 5 months are nothing compared to what they were when you were drinking. Those cravings were ever-present and you had lost control over them. These present cravings you are controlling and thinking through. I hope you enjoy the spring and summer sober, active and healthy, as springs and summers are meant to be enjoyed.

cantsleep123

I am experiencing exactly what you are. I'm about to hit 5 months and the thoughts have crept in ever so often. I reason with myself and help "play the tape forward" on what life would be like if I started back up again. That has done the trick for me so far. A couple of days ago the weather was absolutely gorgeous so I decided to cook some food on the grill for the 1st time since quitting. As I lit the grill and smelled the smoke and charcoal I was hit with a really powerful craving for beer. In the past grilling and drinking beer was inseparable. I was shocked. Now I know to expect that feeling and to grill out more often to break the association.

Anna

I think that nice weather can trigger those kinds of feelings. The main thing is that you're aware and determined to stay sober.

DriGuy

It's been awhile, but I have had a few thoughts about how nice it could be, and I think it might even be true,... if I could drink like a normal person. But I don't/can't drink like a normal person, and that is enough to pass on the idea. This is the alcoholic voice talking. It wants you to remember the good times, and forget about the bottomless misery that made you quit.

sugarbear1

Search Urge Surfing. Practice it. Also 4-7-8 Breathing Technique, they work wonders. Try not to romanticize the alcohol, remember, it turned on us and our goal is to stay stopped.....

Hodd

If you were to time that craving feeling with a stopwatch, I reckon it would be less than five minutes a day now, but I would bet it was longer at the start of your five months. Imagine how much shorter and weaker cravings will be after ten months or a year.
Of course, if you drink again, those cravings will come back to day one levels.
Ignore the cravings for the few minutes a day they appear. I promise you they will be gone in a few months.

On The Road

Thanks for posting. Â I would recommend that you give yourself a task when you start romanticizing about drinking. Â Go for a run, get some ice cream, read a book, watch comedy on YouTube. Anything to switch your mind from booze. Remember there’s nothing romantic about the train wreck that’s waiting to happen.........