KOOKS

What's the difference between craving for nicotine, craving for alcohol or craving food. How do you know which one you are craving?

As some of you will know, I've not had a drink for about a year and a half, I stopped smoking 5 months ago and I'm part dieting part bingeing on food ATM.

I don't want to drink, I don't want to smoke and I hate myself for overeating.

I started a new job recently, we lost our family business and home a couple of years ago, so it's been scary at my age to go and find a job and also not to have my husband beside me.

Everything was going well and I was really enjoying it, nervous but hopeful and eager to learn. The other day the boss accused me of forgetting to do something, I'm sure I didn't but can't prove it as it's 3 days later she brings it up. Why she didn't say anything before this I don't know. She has been funny with me all of a sudden, avoiding eye contact when I'm speaking to her and there is always a horrible atmosphere when she is as around. Staff have said she can be like this and not to take it personally, but I do. It started to really stress me out.

Then the next day my husband was 35 minutes late picking me up and I was getting more and more stressed by the minute.

Since then I have been really tearful and upset and I am getting mad cravings that are not going away.

It made me think of the fact that I am in recovery(I forget you see because I don't go to AA anymore)and wondered if I was craving alcohol. I read a bit of the Big Book and as I thought it states that the craving only starts after the alcohol has been consumed.

So I wondered if I was craving nicotine, but how can it be after 5 months?

I'm confused and feel screwed up again.

Can stress trigger cravings?

I have been through quite a lot in the past few years, but the big things I have coped with. How can these little things do this to me and what can I do about it?

I think my aim needs to be to try and live as peaceful and stress free life as possible. I just need to find some methods to deal with these situations when they arise.

sailorjohn

Welcome!!!

For me, being in 'recovery' means that 1. I have an identifiable problem that I can attach a name to-ie. eating disorder, alcoholism, gambling addiction. 2. I have a recovery plan, program, whatever you want to call it, to address these problems.

What is your plan?

Keep coming back, you'll find a lot of support here.

KOOKS

Well, I think that's the problem John, I didn't have a plan. I feel calmer today.

I just got a bit scared there as it all came out of the blue. I stopped smoking and dealt with the withdrawals fairly easy by keeping a positive attitude.

I've stayed sober because after years in and out of AA relapse after relapse having worked with the 12 steps and not, I decided I had wasted enough time being self centred in AA and decided I had to think of my family and get on with my life. I also didn't want to take up religion again or hear about it at every meeting.

Thinking of what I need to do, I would like to do some voluntary work in the community if I can. I would also like to take a counselling course but it costs too much so that'll have to go on the back burner. There is another short course at my local college which I just saw yesterday and I think I can
get funding for it. It's called "Practical Spiritual Living" and I think it may be just what I need.

I'm getting my car back on the road soon so I'll be able to get back to the gym and maybe take up Tai Chi and Yoga.

My new job involves working with people with addictions mostly alcoholics and some who have ARBD, and also some who are still drinking. I don't know if this has anything to do with what I've been feeling lately.

I've also noticed something else which may have contributed to how I felt, I stopped visiting SR (smoking cessation and obvious sweets sections) since I started work, so I plan to keep in touch with the forum on a regular basis as part of my recovery.

Thanks sailorjohn for getting back to me and for welcoming me to the forum.