5 days easy, Now struggling

[MattJG]

Have been 5 days without a drop, now can’t stop thinking about having a drink and restarting tomorrow. Any tips to help

[IcanIwill]

Hey. What’s your day look like? Are you in any company? Can you get out and do something? Maybe write down why you’re feeling triggered at this moment. Pros and cons of what picking up a drink would look like.

[Nordique]

Welcome! My best advice is to try to create new sober routines for yourself. My drinking was almost completely centered around routine and once I broke out of those routines and created new ones, it was much easier to stay sober.

Also, you’ve done 5 days so you know without a doubt you can do 5 more, and 5 more and so on

You can also find a lot of helpful info in this thread:

Frequently asked questions about sobriety for newcomers

Below is a list of common questions that newcomers to the community ask. This FAQ is a Wiki and is maintained by our long term community members. Anyone of Trust level 3 and higher can edit and contribute to this. Advice for the newcomer Advice for the Newcomer and Constant Relapser (Different Aspects of Recovery) Resources for our recovery (What was anyone’s experience in the first month of sobriety?) (Tips for getting and staying sober) (Good riddance to hangovers! (And other things I d…

[Sparkle]

Welcome. This is a great community so you are in the right place. This is my 5th day. The advice I’ve had on here before is keep busy, and play things through in your mind. So think about how you will feel tomorrow if you drink today, physically and emotionally.

[WCan]

Hey, good for you with 5 days and posting here. Im at day 5 two and have been struggling with all over the place emotions today. Although it’s not my first time fighting for it so I had a plan.

• have a plan for when mixed emotions and/or craving occurs. Firsts days and week I allow myself to do ANYTHING that I usually prive myself of doing, or something that will mimic the mood I was when drinking, which was basically cancelling the day. So I allow myself to choose : binge watch movies, call for pizza and 6 Pepsi, texts people, call people, take a way too long bath while reading, go to sleep, do anything that makes me feel good , even if it can be “not good” on the long term - it’s always better than drinking myself out and restarting all over again tomorrow.
• plan your day, weekends, and most essentially for the moments you are alone
• have multiple things to put your mind to.
• practice meditation and/or and/or belly breath work read and/or reflect about how your brain / your thought process work.
• talk to yourself: it’s not because you think of drinking that it’s going to happen. Does it helps you to think about this? No? Then change the subject in your head and look somewhere else.
• stick on this forum for too long , abuse of this like it was your best DOC if you have to, it’s temporary.
• ITS TEMPORARY: take it one day at a time, and even do the 2 minutes challenge: challenge yourself to say what will happen if you sit in this feeling/craving/thoughts without acting out; challenge yourself to wait 2 minute before giving up a task you try to work on again and again and again
• get tired fighting and go to bed.
• wake up sober and proud of yourself and remember that pride all day long.
• remember why your doing it
• play the tape of your last bender, then the one before, and then every one you had in the past years and how you want more than this for your life
• be kind to yourself: what would be a good decision for me right now? What do I need , under this craving? What do I want in my life? Take time to think about that, it’s not a waste of time : it’s never a waste of time to think about what’s best for you and where you want to go in life. What is thought a waste of time is avoiding doing so by drinking and postpone those insightful moments to later, tomorrow per say.
• if you can’t love yourself today, give love to someone. Call a loved one and give soothe. Sometime self-soothing is just not at sight. It’s going to be there right in time for you.
• give you time.
• you
• can
• do
• it.

[MattJG]

Thanks for all the great advice, it’s easy to advise yourself what I need to do, yet there’s nothing better it coming of others that have been their. I’ve got a load to think and write about. Cheers all

[WCan]

Actually I came to re-read the whole thread as I started to feel weird, emotions all over the place for no reasons. That’s why taking it a moment at a time sometime is a good way.

I also forgot to write in my list : it’s ok to cry. It does help.

[Dan531]

The first few days are rough… you never have to go through them again if you stay sober. We could all drink and start again tomorrow, problem is the only thing we’d be starting tomorrow is more drinking.

[AprilFools]

I’m on day 5, I think it’s the first time I am not looking forward to the weekend. My social life involved drinking, relaxing was having a glass of wine. I have lots of soft drinks and juices in the fridge and so much chocolate, yet the pull towards the supermarket for a bottle will be strong. I’m keeping busy gardening and decorating my bedroom.

[anon79808082]

I echo what @CapriciousCapricorn says; the first time you push through an old habit is really hard, but you’ll be so proud when you do! We’ve all been there, April. We’re all gonna be standing right beside you when you need strength.