Hello! Day 25 here. During the first few days of sobriety, I couldn’t even think 5 minutes ahead because I would become too overwhelmed. Now that I have a few more days under my belt and I’ve found things to do that don’t involve drinking, I am able to think further into the future about goals/dreams…it’s awesome and bizarre to think of the future with less anxiety. I do wonder what it is like for those who have been sober for years. I know its different for everyone, but you found the cravings to be less frequent? Do you ever go days without thinking or making a conscious effort to stop? Though my life is better, my hope is to one day never think about booze in any regard. Just wondering
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Here is a good read for you 
i find it true myself, i have been alcohol free since Dec 1, 2016.
“Long-Term Recovery: Triggers for Use
The long-term recovery journey gets steadily easier, though the time it takes varies from person to person. Some addicts feel almost normal after six weeks. Others need six months. Most addiction specialists say it takes a year to fully recover, because after a year, you will have faced down most of your triggers for use. You may continue to experience periodic cravings as you encounter more triggers – such as places where you used to abuse drugs, stressful life events, or people who remind you of your old life. But every time you face a trigger and don’t give into temptation, you get a little bit better at it. Through this process, you can finally get relief from your cravings.”
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@frances, I’m close to triple digits and the cravings seem to get easier to handle as time goes on (for me at least). Busying myself and staying positive have really helped. I also regularly attend AA meetings and have changed my behaviors leading to trigger situations.
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@frances. I’m a little past 6 months and I don’t experience cravings. But I will tell you I didn’t crave much really. I drank for 25 years last ten years 1/2 gallon every two days. I’m so glad I’m not in that fog anymore.
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thank you! Great idea to do some research in how horrible it is for you! Funny, how we don’t think of that when we are drinking.
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Congrats on being close to triple digits! That is great to hear. I think a meeting once a day is what I need too.
At over 6 months, the physical cravings are completely gone. The mental thoughts pop up every once in awhile when stressed (escapism patterns like @Forged mentioned) But it’s fleeting and not screaming at me like it used to. Meetings and readings get me out of my own head when I notice old behavior and thought patterns popping up.
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This is so so helpful—thank you! Thank you everyone for reading/listening.
It feels so good to relate to a community
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I remember once an interview with Rob Lowe. He was asked "do you ever just wish you could have 1 glass of wine. He answered “no, because I know it would never be just one”. I think he was saying that the cravings don’t ever go away but if you focus on the reality of it all that it becomes easier to not give in to the cravings. Hopefully it isn’t such a battle to get through the cravings.
I hope. 
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My cravings have almost gone away. Those that still occasionally pop up have been much less powerful as well. I would estimate them to be 98% gone.
I agree with @Forged that I still sometimes get “cravings” for escapism. That is I sometimes feel kind of “petulant” aka. grumpy and entitled. This makes me want to skip out on responsibilities or avoid thinking about something. However alcohol hasn’t been my DOC in these cases. If I lapse it has been into “retail therapy”, mindless internet browsing, self isolation etc. I find that I catch this “addictive” thinking more quickly than I used to and it is still an improvement. I used to do these things PLUS drink too much. Being sober makes me more aware of this entire self-involved mindset.
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I am only 25 days sober myself but i can draw on my experience giving up cigarettes a number of years ago.
I stopped smoking and much like stopping drinking the first 30 days are the hardest for me. I have not smoked probably for 3 years i rarely get a nicotine craving… but when i do… its such a small deal its unreal… i can just shrug it off and say to myself… “yeah… i remember when i used to smoke…” then it goes away.
The human body and specifically the brain are incredibly resilient to abuse.
Time really IS a healer.
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I am coming up on day 1000. Seems crazy to think how much the craving has changed. Everyday you go without, your brain will continue to (remap) the pathways that your addiction has created. Just know that just getting through today leads to a month of todays, then a few months, then years. I can assure you, the cravings will get better. Stay in the fight! Many prayers your way.
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