Riversong

Thanks you all for your welcome well strangely I’m struggling I’ve been a week before without but it wasn’t I’m giving up it was I can have drink at the end of the week and was fine with that now I know it’s never again I’m craving??!! Last night day 1 watching tv just kept thinking I want a drink!

Sober45

So you decided to stop for good and now the cravings are acting up like crazy. That is the addictive voice we talk about. It's screaming at you because it doesn't like "forever". It could also be looked at as an unconscious urge that is ingrained in you from repetitive drinking. If you could wrap your head around the conscious mind vs sub-conscious mind it might help. Knowing the difference has really helped me stay sober (almost 7 months now).

Try this:
-Do it one day at a time. Don't think long term right now.
-I tell my addictive voice I can drink when I turn 75 (get's rid of the dreaded forever feeling).
-Occupy your mind: get absorbed in something if you can. Youtube, reading, movies, gaming....whatever will distract you. All that matters right now is staying sober TODAY. As you build up days your confidence will grow.
-Fill your gut: I consumed a lot of sugar. I think a lot of people on here have done that in the early days. It's a great replacement early on.
-vigorous exercise help a lot of people too...but I'm working on that one!

You can do this. Don't let that little voice fool you into thinking you can moderate your drinking. Non-alcoholics don't even think about their consumption like we do. We are different and that's ok. You can do this. You'll be a lot happier if you do.

Riversong

Thanks I will take it one day at a time don’t want to start eating loads already put weight on during lockdown! Get absorbed in something that’s not a bad idea! As some have noticed yes I’m a whovian! So maybe bit of binge watching in order!!

fishkiller

Welcome river!
I have no idea what a whovian is but if Dee claims it it must not be that bad.

Don't listen to the alcohol. If you wanted a drink you wouldn't be here. It misses you and is trying to tell you whatever you want to hear to get you to come back so it can continue to control and manipulate you.
It is an evil and cunning demon. It will remind you of all the good times you had together. It will try to convince you that you NEED it to get through life. It will tell you there is no way you can stop drinking. It will tell you that you can have a few and stop whenever you want. It will tell you it's not worth the struggle to obtain sobriety. It will basically tell you anything and everything it can come up with to get you back.

I am here to tell you they are ALL lies.

Ignore it.

Read up on AVRT. This has helped me and countless others.

I wish you success. Keep reading and posting. This is a great place full of great people who will get you through the tough times and celebrate the good times with you.

Dee74

fan of the TV series Dr Who, FK.

D

Zevin

Maybe you could have a non-alcoholic drink close by for the first few days. That helped me tremendously with the habit part of drinking. And if it’s coke or a juice drink, the sugar will help calm the cravings.
I’m impressed you started today. Let us know how it goes and remember...you CAN DO THIS!

Riversong

Well I failed back to day 1 yesterday was day 2 I was feeling fine Had craving on the night of day 1 but day 2 none yet wasn’t going to drink then In the afternoon got a call from my elderly mum she had taken the skin off her shin on a raised flower bed in the garden so I dashed round there. It was this strip nearly the whole length of her shin soo much blood so I patched her up calmed her down stayed a few hours then stopped at the supermarket on the way home and got wine. I felt I NEEDED it. I did really enjoy it but boy am I regretting it today!!! Worst hangover worse than I’ve had in a long time! Oh and my mum doesn’t know my struggles always been what I think they call a functioning drunk only drink in the evenings get up the next day etc.

fishkiller

Next time instead of stopping at the store how about white knuckle it until you get home and come here?

I too was a highly functional drunk. But I was still a drunk

Riversong

Hopefully there won’t be a next time! Hopefully won’t have anything as bad as that until been sober a bit but at just day 2 it was too much I didn’t then even think it was like Instinct to stop and get the wine didn’t even think I shouldn’t be doing this!

Hodd

That’s bad luck that your mum’s incident happened early on in your sobriety. I can well relate as I had to take mum urgently to a hospital in central London, the logistics of it really do sound as bad as they were, but my sheer luck I was on day 55 and had those few weeks of willpower under my belt. I drank a few alcohol free beers that night to calm me down. Not everyone likes these products, but it was either that or the real stuff, and I’m still sober 18 months on (during which time my dad then my mum died).

Use the time to get a few weeks of sobriety under your belt. Then when these events happen, you won’t need a drink.

Dee74

By the time I stopped drinking I found the list of things, situations or emotions I 'needed' to drink over was quite extensive so its really important to stop that cycle in its tracks.

I can imagine the whole thing was very stressful - but we absolutely can learn to meet crisis with sobriety - but we need to practice that all we can.

We are all more capable and stronger than we know

I hope your mum is no the worse for wear

D