Good morning! Not sure if I mentioned that I’ve been knocked down with a horrible cold for 3 days now but it’s a tough one. Anyhoo it has given me time to check-in with a few folks and I wanted to mention something here that I’ve never heard or was aware of. I was told that:
A relapse is feedback saying your recovery plan wasn’t quite right.
Tbh everybody I had no plan. How can I have been so ignorant? I went in with the same mindset as before. BIG MISTAKE!!
I understand I’ll make mistakes but this kind I cannot afford. I need to learn the skills and that means I need to study and commit. For anyone that is new here and has relapsed…please learn the way, make a plan, and don’t give up! Find support. My ONLY support is here, in this app and a small Facebook group.
I’m leaning on the love and care of strangers to help and see me through. I can’t do this alone and I won’t try. So on and upward today. I’ll focus on the hours before me and not stress about what’s to come. As we know it’s ODAAT
Good stuff here, Country. Everyone needs sober tools in their particular toolbox . They vary, it almost always include community, cuz it is hard to do this alone. Reading quit lit is another biggie. Self care is another. Having a plan for what you are gonna do when cravings come up. Every relapse is an opportunity to learn more about ourselves, the nature of addiction, and what more we can do to recover our true selves.
Really got me thinking. Will be 5 weeks on Monday, until yesterday I have done this on my own. Will continue to visit here to be inspired and keep motivated and learn that some things are normal, some are unique to me and others are shared.
Congrats, you’re doing great. It’s hard to do it all by yourself. I come on here several times a day, sometimes just to read posts. Everyone is so supportive. We all need each other x
Hi, @ComplexityQueen strategies to beat cravings? Recognize they will arise and don’t be afraid of it when they do. It is normal, doesn’t mean you’re weak .know they will pass.
Have a book ready to open and read, or come here to TS and read or post when you need help. Listen to a podcast. Take a walk, have a bath, eat a gummy bear, do a meditation, vacuum, clean the toilet, organize a closet, call a friend , anything to distract or redirect.
Hope this helps!
Awesome work, your 5 weeks. I applaud your recognition of how each journey is unique and I thank you for saying that. We are all on different journeys of sobriety but all on the same path Its never a one-size fits all and the beauty of it is our shared support.
I wish I could give you a good answer but I was a binge drinker and compulsion is an issue with me. Tbh I’d run and hide until it passed when I was around people. I’m working on self-awareness and recognizing patterns but cravings…I don’t know. It’s a good question I should sit down and talk to myself about. Sorry I can’t be more help.
As Patricia said cravings are normal…we have literally trained our brains to reach for the booze at any given opportunity so its not gonna just go away…accept that it comes…you dont need to run from it or do anything about it but know that it will pass…sometimes i talk to mine in my head…oh its u again…what are you doing here just pipe down and do one! Lol nowadays when i get a craving i try to think what it is im wanting to escape or comfort myself over then attempt to deal with whatever that might be
Haha! Whatever works!! The important bit is just accepting it for what it is …just a thought…and to know that nothing needs to be done about it, they always pass, i think as addicts we got so used to running from every little thing and reaching for the booze we forget wether it is even necessary…im pretty sure the fact that i didnt particularly like a Tuesday didnt require me to drink a bottle of vodka…
Haha…yeah, Just gotta let that Tuesday pass…ok thanks, you have a good point there, I guess it’s much like dealing with those uncomfortable emotions I have been running from for my entire life, just gotta sit there and let it happen. I’m just someone who often thinks there’s always got to. be some big solution and often over think stuff, which is not always helpful…simplify it, maybe
in their particular toolbox 
. They vary, it almost always include community, cuz it is hard to do this alone. Reading quit lit is another biggie. Self care is another. Having a plan for what you are gonna do when cravings come up. Every relapse is an opportunity to learn more about ourselves, the nature of addiction, and what more we can do to recover our true selves.
). Easy to see reminders!!
Its never a one-size fits all and the beauty of it is our shared support.
