I'm very new to sobriety, today is day 7. I am lucky in terms of not having any physical withdrawal sypmtoms, but I still crave alcohol mentally. I keep having images of doing things like sitting by the pool with a beer or having a wine night with girlfriends at their houses. Does anyone have any tips or ideas on how to keep these at bay? I've tried taking the daydream further and imagine what would happen in reality (e.g., drinking an entire bottle of wine and passing out on my friend's couch), and that has been somewhat helpful.
Do you have any local support ??? ... have you tried any AA meetings ??? ... interested in working the 12 steps to be free of alcohol for good ??? ... and to have a much happier life, I might add ...
If you're not having withdrawal symptoms, then your drink'n pattern may have been 'moderate' ... heavy drinkers over periods of years tend to have severe withdrawals ... needing the care of a doctor to get their bodies back on track ... then our minds ...
If you are serious about getting 'the cravings' under control, ... then going to AA and reading AA's book, 'Alcoholics Anonymous' and getting a sponsor to assist you, will help you to change your 'thinking' habits to achieve your desired goal ... ... ... or you can try it yourself and continue to make an idiot out of yourself in front of the friends you have now ... (you'll lose your friends if you continue to overdo the drinking ... ) ...(Plus it drag you down both mentally and physically) ...
Sorry to be so blunt, but Alcohol destroys lives, Love ya and God Bless, Pappy
__________________
'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
Hi Pappy,
Thanks for the honest answer! I have started going to AA, and also got the big book and have begun to read. I've only been to a couple of meetings and haven't gotten a sponsor yet, but that's part of my plan also. I guess it's that logically I know all the terrible parts about drinking and how it can destroy everything, I'm just combating the inner desire to still have it. My mind keeps telling me not to, and I'm not afraid that I'm going to drink right now, I just want to not want it, if that makes sense.
Kelly
It's great you've already taken the initiative to attend some meetings ... the thing is, if you're serious and go to any length to stay sober, ... as you work the steps, you'll find the THE DESIRE TO DRINK has been REMOVED ... ... ... you simply must allow yourself, your mind, to change the way you think ... we have to learn how to think right ... and we learn this new think'n pattern through other AA'rs and our 'Higher Power' ... (whom I chose to refer to as God, which was new to me at first) ... (AA is not religious, but it does become 'Spiritual') ...
As with other new things in life, approach your sobriety with an 'OPEN' mind ... ... ... (ya know what they say about the 'mind' ??? .... it's like a parachute, it only works if it's 'open') ...
Love ya and God Bless, Pappy
__________________
'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
Also, ... if you find yourself romanticizing the drink, ... 'play that tape all the way to the end' ... ... ... see where it takes you when you allow the drink to make your choices ... every time I did that, I ended up passed out somewhere, wondering 'what happened' ... and then, 'oh no', I did it again ... ... ...
Soon, your friends and family will distance themselves from you and depression and loneliness will follow you around everywhere ... Alcohol is cunning, baffling, powerful ...
Love ya and God Bless, Pappy
__________________
'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
Hi Kelly;
My name is Marc and I am a Real Alcoholic. :)
Looks like you need milk for your corn flakes.
Go read paragraph three of the Foreword in the 12And12.
