So almost day 3 and my Husband has asked the last 2 days if I want a drink, he’s just as bad as me but in his eyes there’s not a problem. We both drink daily, well we did. I gave up last year, I was going great and I was losing weight, feeling better, less depressed then I lost a great friend in a tragic accident that affected me so badly I started drinking again. It wasn’t just losing her it was how she died and the fact she left 6 babies and a Husband to be behind. It’s changed my whole outlook on life. Anyway fast forward to now. I’ve started back at work this week after a month off and I’d really like to stick to my plan. I’m sick of waking up feeling like shit and pushing through my day, I want to feel better for my kids too. I think today is hard because I have a day off tomorrow so I know I could drink and it wouldn’t matter, but it really does. Help!? How do you curve cravings?
Hi kitty,
I still struggle with the cravings months in as well as others, my success has been in refocusing my thoughts, creating creative outlets to occupy my time until the craving subsides, often I get too focused on what I’m doing to even stop after the craving released,
HTH
I can relate my first few attempts getting.clean failed for the exact same reason. I had 6 friends od and die just in 2020 alone, i think in total in the 12 years of my addiction i had a total of 14 friends/acquaintances die from ods, and i used it as a reason to numb myself and continue using the same damn shit that killed handfulls of my buddies…honestly i was so fucked up that if someone did od on something then i knew it was really good and thats the stuff i wanted and went and got…so stupid looking back. But i used it as a excuse to relapse and that only made things worse and my addiction spiral more out of control. But for me staying busy and doing anything productive helps. Also meetings help alot with the mental struggle and i mean alot, dont ubderestimate the power of good meetings.
Thanks Fury x I’ve recently reopened an old online business that I used to run, it has definitely kept me occupied sorting through stock, creating and posting ads etc. I’m also making items for my store which is great because it’s keeping me busy as well as being satisfying 
Tbh I think I’m struggling today particularly knowing I could write myself off tonight because I don’t have to work tomorrow 
Thanks Doug x 2020 was a nightmare, sorry to hear about your friends, I lost 3 people as well, all within months of each other. It’s crazy how addiction affects us, losing my friend was an eye opener, I was already there as I had been many times before, I just needed to be pushed over the edge. I’m definitely ready as my health has been affected. It’s time to get healthy again 
Hey! You might have seen this already, but if not I would recommend having a read through the links posted in this thread -
Lots of great info!
Also…
Does not line up with…
Hang on to these motivations. Have your list (actual or mental) of all the reasons you want to stay sober and make sure you can pull them out when cravings strike.
Thank you I will check it out. No they don’t line up but that would be my way of justifying drinking. Thank you I will 
When cravings are really bad, try HALT.
Are you
HUNGRY?
ANGRY?
LONELY?
TIRED?
usually when my cravings are really bad, I am one of those things. I address that (naps are the best) and the craving lessens or goes completely
@littlemisschatterbox I dub you Queen of Infographics. I really love them - they clarify so much about our recovery!
@Kitty80 I feel for you. The early days are delicate - like learning to walk. The difference for us is we’re adults and we feel embarrassed to feel so helpless 
You have to step - or stumble - through these days one at a time. You also need support. Talking Sober is helpful; so are other online recovery spaces:
Online meeting resources
As many people have said before me: don’t crave alone. If you’re craving (or romanticizing about) alcohol, just come on here and read and chat, or join one of those online meetings. Be prepared to get that devil off your shoulder: he’s a tricky bastard and will try to trick you into drinking any way he can.
Don’t let his BS about you “feeling better after one drink” get to you. He’s full of shit. Tell him you do not need him, and that you are good enough, on your own, to live your life, fully present and sober. Yes you feel sad sometimes, yes you feel down, yes you feel happy, but all of it is sober.
You’re a good person and you deserve a safe, sober life where you can be your full self.
I am so very sorry about your friend, that sounds like a horrible situation for her family and so very painful for them and for you. Grief is such a deep emotion…I hope you have allowed / allow yourself to feel the pain of your loss. So often we can get stuck with our pain if we don’t allow it its due.
I think you are wise to return to sobriety. You certainly know its benefits. We all know its drawbacks and how it strips us of so much.
A few things I did when craving…walk in nature, sugar free peppermint Life Savers, flavored fizzy water, bake and eat sweets, go to bed early, soak in the tub, listen to meditations and meditate, restorative or yin yoga, come on here and read or reach out or both, puzzles, bike ride. Mostly…I ate or slept at my cravings…went full on baby…
It helped!!
So glad you are working on getting healthy and healing!!
Thanks littlemisschatterbox x I do notice I crave more towards the afternoon, I just need to get through those couple of hours and I find when I do I feel fine! Thanks for the tip, I’ll definitely take that on board x
Thanks Matt, coming on here has already helped a lot. I’ve been reading through a lot of comments and can relate to so much. I’m very grateful to have found this app, I’ve used them before but never had the option to interact with other people going through the same thing. As for the devil on my should let he can stfu lol. I just keep reminding myself about how shitty alcohol makes me feel. I actually got up early this morning, I feel great and am currently working on my online store
Awesome! Keep it up.
Write down that list of how shitty alcohol makes you feel, and keep it somewhere where you can review it when you need to. That can help when those cravings come. Sassy keeps hers here - maybe you can relate!
Thanks Sassy x I took a month off work to process my emotions, I work in customer service as well as admin and I just could not face customers or people with how I felt at the time. Losing her rocked me to the core and put my life into perspective. I’m a very spiritual person so it hit me on a whole other level that some people probably won’t understand, specially in my retail job. I’ve been meditating, going to the beach, pottering in my garden and trying to keep busy even before I decided to give up again. I’ve got the tools I just need to keep going. And omg eat lol. My appetite has come back so much, I feel like I’ve never been this hungry before in my life lol, well at least not for a very long time 
I’m so sorry about your friend. I know grief and loss all too well, and it’s so confusing.
It just tips the scales unexpectedly and sporadically and is really really heavy. Especially when theres kids and family involved… it’s A LOT!
What helped me, during the worst of my grief in 2019, was working out, going on a walk, replotting plants, baking, sobriety podcasts, or forcing myself to do a project.
I rearranged my house SO MANY times during that time. I still do it a lot, honestly.
If I have a lot on my mind, I will completely reorganize or rearrange a room in my home.
It kills a few hours and I’m usually exhausted by the time I’m done.
I will lol. I read Sassy’s story I can relate so much and just reminded me of all the shitty things I’ve done while drinking! The blackouts were the worst and then the embarassment of my Husband telling me what I did the night before but had no recollection of, making ‘drunk’ plans I had to cancel or couldn’t even remember and the messages to people 
omg. Yep I don’t ever want to go back to that! I’ll get myself a journal today and in my weak moments I’ll write my thoughts and feelings down
These little illustrations always helped me.
Cravings are just a part of the deal. I’m a year and a half into my quit and I often get cravings, although they’re milder now and not as frequent. I’m one of the ones who are angry for having been fooled by alcohol into addiction, so I use my anger to squelch cravings. I actually welcome cravings so I can ridicule them. I say, “Oh, it’s YOU again, you pathetic piece of sh#t! Is that all you got? Well, f#ck you! I’m in charge now, so take your lies somewhere else!” Sometimes I actually walk down the alcohol aisle at my grocery store so I can flip the bird at my favorite brand of beer (Samuel Adams). Best wishes, Kitty! Keep your quit! 
Omg I love that! 
Thank you