I heard a great piece of left field advice the other day that has genuinely helped me through cravings.
Many pregnant women stop drinking completely for nine months even if they are heavy drinkers because they know that there is no other option. So, even if youre a man, try and get in that pregnancy mindset. You wont drink because you cant, and that’s that.
A few times now i, a man, have tried to channel my inner pregnant lady to get through cravings and it has actually worked!
Anyone else heard some wonderfully off the wall advice?
It’s not really off the wall so much as a paradox. Something I realize now sober that seemed baffling to me before I quit.
At first we make out staying sober to be this big, complicated thing. Like, how can I even make it through one day without a drink?!
The truth is though, I wasted a lot of mental calories drinking. Planning my days around it, trying to act sober even when I was drunk or hungover (lying), managing money around it, consider how to get from point A to point B inebriated, making up for things I screwed up or missed drunk. The list goes on and on.
I think in hindsight, the truth is, it’s actually a lot simpler to live life sober.
There’s no doubt I’m thinking clearly (relatively speaking). Wake up clear headed and ready to go everyday. I’m not wasting time or money or having to make up BS about why I behaved some certain way. When someone asks if I’d like a drink the answer is just “no.”
It’s just… actually easier! My baseline anxiety is below the floor now compared to when I was drinking, even if it was rough at first.
Its so true as well. For all the mental acrobatics i do while drinking - only at weekends, only expesive wine, only after 6pm were some favourites i slways broke - it is just so much easier to not
Im a very sensitive soul so im trying to build resilience at the moment… i am Teflon lady! Something bugs me i imagine im wearing a blue Teflon boiler suit complete with a massive T on the front and everything slides off me
This isn’t about my addiction but health in general. I’m fairly overweight and getting rid of some of it + living healthier are issues I try to incorporate into my daily. So, when I need to find motivation to cover short distances, I remind myself of “the Fat currency”. Simply put, I can pay for a trip in two ways: either with actual money (gas, a bus ticket, a taxi) or with physical effort. So, when I’m cycling to work and it’s 1,5 km uphill all the way, I’m sweating like a pig in head wind, I say to myself: I’m using my fat currency for this trip and I’m still rich LOL.
Sometimes i have to say “stop” out loud to make my mind focus.
Ive had great success with the Automatic Negative Thought approach from Smart recovery in the last week.
When you have an automatic negative thought to something you try and identify it - judgemental, catasrophising, self critical etc - then you write it down and think if that thought really makes sense in reaction to whatever is happening.
Ive found it a great way to stop my thoughts doom spiralling and get a bit of perspective because i am very prone to thinking the worst possible outcome is a certainty.
