I keep trying and failing at sobriety. Im 8 days rn, before that i was 5 days, before that i was 16 days, my recent longest was 23 days. I havent made it over a month without alcohol and even at 8 days i miss it. Maybe i need real help. I have tried and failed on my own enough times, maybe i need a legit rehab place yknow. Also im panicking from school and im highly restricting my food intake so i can at least control one tjing in the shitstorm that is my life.
Hi Jay. What sort of things are doing to stop yourself from drinking?
Im just trying to distract myself. Ive tried to find healthier coping strategies, seen a therapist for my trauma, tried counseling. I feel like no matter what i do i cant make it work. I have tried and its exhausting and i know im just gonna fuck up again
Maybe try AA or some other program, before checking into rehab.
I am a form believer in having an escalation plan. When I quit this time, after many short quits before, I told my wife that if I couldn’t do it alone, I would absolutely go to AA, and if I still struggled, I’d go to rehab. So far, I haven’t had to escalate to meetings, but I most definitely will if I fail to say “no” to the drink that matters…the first drink.
I feel like no matter what i do i cant make it work. I have tried and its exhausting and i know im just gonna fuck up again
I felt like this for a long time - and finally realized that I had to have some real help. For me, I had to break sobriety down by the hour at first. I could promise myself “I won’t drink this hour - no matter what.”. That often meant reaching out here for help, calling a sober friend, going for a walk, taking a bath, hitting an AA meeting…I had to do it all. I still do, although now I wake up and not only promise myself but also my higher power that I will not drink today - no matter what.. Who knows what will happen tomorrow? All I know is that I have done this for the last 503 days and am still grateful to be sober. If I drink again, I will not be long for this world. There is nothing good for me left in a bottle.
Please reach out when you are feeling like you need help. We have all been there…
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Yes it is exhausting at first. It’s tiring, it drains you.
I was tired 24/7 for weeks. And for weeks I only did what I had to go get through. The most important thing to me for that time was not drinking. Whatever it took. No drink in the house, not going anywhere to tempt myself.
It’s hard, I would say the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.
Just stick to your guns, and don’t let anything deter you. If you find yourself craving, get on here. Call someone who knows. As you say, distract yourself.
It’s the hardest thing to do saying no to yourself. To borrow a phrase used a lot by Mr @Yoda-Stevie.
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I know for me, I don’t have a lot strength to say “no” to even the first opportunity to act out with my addiction. My willpower is very weak. So I have some very specific “best practices” that I incorporate in my life.
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I set some good boundaries in my life. I seriously restrict access to my DOC. I don’t keep it in my house and I stay away from friends that would be a bad influence. There are many times that I lose all clarity and I want to just act out, and sometimes the boundaries I’ve set for myself in advance is the only thing that stops me.
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My family and loved ones are aware of my desire to be sexually sober and understand that I take my recovery very seriously.
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I’m on TS a lot. I try to read all the new threads. My recent read time still shows 6 days. I guess that’s working for me to keep myself in clarity for longer periods.
I have a long way to go. I need all the help I can get. 170 days sober so far.
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what would you say is the before-and- after changes in your life of the time you remained sober?
Resticting your food intake is hard while trying to stop drinking. Maybe swap it around? So focus on the not drinking and loosen up with the food?
Maybe control the alcohol instead of the food, because the alcohol does more harm?
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The “restricting my food intake” is more me slipping back into my old eating disorder patterns than it is any sort of dieting tbh
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