When it’s so bad only a drink will do-what can I do? Weekenders 19-22 February 2021
Magsie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: UK
Posts: 26,641
When it’s so bad only a drink will do-what can I do? Weekenders 19-22 February 2021
Welcome to the Weekenders 
When it’s so bad we think only a drink will do.
We honestly told ourselves everything would be okay after that drink?
We think we’ve got this...we’ve got it in the bag.
Remember why you’re here?
Remember, not drink 1 but drink 10 and 20?
But that’s all our bodies need and we’ll be okay!
I remember many day 1’s and for me they got harder, the urge to drink got stronger, the want to stop got weaker.
How can you beat this beast? 
Have you had the ‘ping’ yet? When you realise ‘Nope, Never again and meant it?
And more importantly ‘how do we get there and how do we stay there? 
If this is your first weekend sober, or many, come join us for support and chat...as we know the weekends can be a struggle sometimes. (We’re here all week too!)
When it’s so bad we think only a drink will do.
We honestly told ourselves everything would be okay after that drink?
We think we’ve got this...we’ve got it in the bag.
Remember why you’re here?
Remember, not drink 1 but drink 10 and 20?
But that’s all our bodies need and we’ll be okay!
I remember many day 1’s and for me they got harder, the urge to drink got stronger, the want to stop got weaker.
How can you beat this beast?
Have you had the ‘ping’ yet? When you realise ‘Nope, Never again and meant it?
And more importantly ‘how do we get there and how do we stay there?
If this is your first weekend sober, or many, come join us for support and chat...as we know the weekends can be a struggle sometimes. (We’re here all week too!)
Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: London, England
Posts: 7,057
Thanks Mags.
At times people who have some sober time struggle too. No matter what that beast throws at us we mustn't give up. I for one have come pretty close to succumbing, hanging on by my fingernails and riding the storm.
And then the sanity and light returns.
At times people who have some sober time struggle too. No matter what that beast throws at us we mustn't give up. I for one have come pretty close to succumbing, hanging on by my fingernails and riding the storm.
And then the sanity and light returns.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 25,373
In.
Thanks, Mags and love the images Kaily.
I remember when I drank I thought of alcohol as my highest power. It was the best and highest thing I could eat or drink. It was what I looked forward to and it was what solved all my inner fears. I have to admit the thoughts can get overwhelming at times in sobriety and there's nowhere to run with them, so I just try to relax my whole body when A Fear steps in. I find it so empowering to realize that every thought I have is just a wisp of neuron activity and really means nothing at all. The more I do that the fewer are the fearful thoughts.
In this moment.
That's where I'm safe.
When it's so bad only a drink will do? Psssh. I never went far enough from a drink to think that, because every day was drink-time. In the end every day all day was drink-time. Therein lies the danger.
Thanks, Mags and love the images Kaily.
I remember when I drank I thought of alcohol as my highest power. It was the best and highest thing I could eat or drink. It was what I looked forward to and it was what solved all my inner fears. I have to admit the thoughts can get overwhelming at times in sobriety and there's nowhere to run with them, so I just try to relax my whole body when A Fear steps in. I find it so empowering to realize that every thought I have is just a wisp of neuron activity and really means nothing at all. The more I do that the fewer are the fearful thoughts.
In this moment.
That's where I'm safe.
When it's so bad only a drink will do? Psssh. I never went far enough from a drink to think that, because every day was drink-time. In the end every day all day was drink-time. Therein lies the danger.
Giving up is NOT an option.
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 7,808
I'm in! Thanks, Mags.
Been feeling pretty anxious for a few days. It'll pass, and I have my tools. Just neural activity, and I did let it get to me on Tuesday night a little. But a chat with my man friend, and remembering to take things one at a time, and I didn't totally freak out. I like to pretend everything's fine, and that can catch up to me. Anyway, no thoughts of drinking, because for me, that causes HORRIBLE anxiety. Really, there's not much in my life that alcohol wouldn't make worse.
I have a massage scheduled for today after work. I made the appointment weeks ago, right after the last massage I had. The timing could not be more perfect. I'm going to use it as meditation time. Usually I chat with the masseuse, but not today. I'll tell her what hurts (she really already knows) and then try to shut my brain down for an hour.
Been feeling pretty anxious for a few days. It'll pass, and I have my tools. Just neural activity, and I did let it get to me on Tuesday night a little. But a chat with my man friend, and remembering to take things one at a time, and I didn't totally freak out. I like to pretend everything's fine, and that can catch up to me. Anyway, no thoughts of drinking, because for me, that causes HORRIBLE anxiety. Really, there's not much in my life that alcohol wouldn't make worse.
I have a massage scheduled for today after work. I made the appointment weeks ago, right after the last massage I had. The timing could not be more perfect. I'm going to use it as meditation time. Usually I chat with the masseuse, but not today. I'll tell her what hurts (she really already knows) and then try to shut my brain down for an hour.
Say cheese!
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Scotland
Posts: 3,379
I havent really been here on the weekenders thread, but it did pique my interest with the name of the thread and mags1 in what u wrote x so im in for this weekend x i will not feed the beast x
Samantha
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 2,031
If I make it, tomorrow is 7 weeks sober for me. But I'm only taking this a few hours at a time right now, the cravings have been that bad! I've been praying, relaxing, working out, working, cooking, AA meetings on zoom AND in person, working the steps. But, I still want to drink. WTF?
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 25,373
Wanting to drink and drinking are two completely different things, Samantha.
If you don't drink, you've done it right. Keep going, it dies down.
Seven weeks is as good a time as any to just accept the thoughts, and let them go on by. Accept the fact that drinking is not the Solution.
If you don't drink, you've done it right. Keep going, it dies down.
Seven weeks is as good a time as any to just accept the thoughts, and let them go on by. Accept the fact that drinking is not the Solution.
Giving up is NOT an option.
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 7,808
Samantha, I think most, if not all of us, can tell you that those periods of intense cravings will come and go, almost no matter what tools we throw at them. The important thing is that you know this, and not panic or feel like you are doing something wrong when you get cravings. When I was in early sobriety, I would get upset if I had a drinking dream or a craving, like "I'm doing all the things I'm supposed to but I still want to drink!" But I learned in outpatient treatment that there are lots of physiological reasons for the cravings, and it was not because I was not working my program "right." So I just kept doing the right things and resisting those cravings, and the more time that went by, the more infrequent they became. You're building sober muscles (and new neural pathways) every time you resist. Your hard work WILL pay off. Promise.
Magsie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: UK
Posts: 26,641
Hiya Erratic welcome to Weekenders
Nonsensical, same here for me too!
Marty did you get your bathroom completed?
Samantha, 7 weeks sober is brilliant.
I needed to get in a different mindset to eventually stay stopped, changing ‘hope I don’t drink’ to ‘I don’t drink’.
Nonsensical, same here for me too!
Marty did you get your bathroom completed?
Samantha, 7 weeks sober is brilliant.
I needed to get in a different mindset to eventually stay stopped, changing ‘hope I don’t drink’ to ‘I don’t drink’.
Giving up is NOT an option.
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 7,808
Oh, Mags, the bathroom project will take several more weeks. It's a full remodel, so there's a lot to be done. And since I'm trying to do most of it myself, it's slow going. The one guy I have hired to do a couple of things I don't know want to bother with is taking his time (i'm not terribly happy about that) so I will be lucky if it's done a month from now. It's ok. It's a "spare" bathroom. No big rush.
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