Hi everyone, I don’t normally write things on forums as I have no clue what to say …but basically I binge drink, and i have done for the last 20 years…I normally get home from work on a Friday (today) open a beer and then cant seem to find the off switch, I dont think I have one 
…anyway I would then wake up on a saturday and continue to drink to offset the incoming hangover and before I know it I’m drunk again and then I’d turn into an arse, and then continue on a sunday and miss work on monday and go into work on a Tuesday hungover and then be ok weds and Thursday and then repeat …I really hate myself when I do this, when I sober up, when drunk I dont seem to care, but I guess that’s just the inner twat inside of me…but anyway it’s that time of week again (Friday) and I have that burning, belly crushing feeling that I must get a beer…I have tried to keep busy by doing things around the house and garden but now that I have done everything, I’m sitting constantly craving that crap 
…I was just wondering how people manage to deal with the urge?. just looking for some tips…I managed to stop for 6 weeks before but I thought I would have been cured and had a beer one night and it all crept back in again and ended up back at square 1…I really really dont want to fail again…any ideas would be much appreciated, thanks in advance 
That was my routine for 20 years. I think you have to really want to quit and train your mind in order to. I had come to the point where I hated everything about alcohol, so I was ready. If I get a craving, I come here or go to an AA meeting. It helps me thinking no matter how miserable I get sober, it beats how I’d feel if I drank. Best of luck
I am sorry that you are struggling. Good that you have identified your difficult time. What do you do when the urge hits? You made it 6 weeks so you started to find something that worked, right?
They are hard. It’s hard to break up the routine. It’s like learning to walk again! 
One nice routine to start on Fridays - join the Friday Thread! Hours of fun seeing the shenanigans here 
No great tips from me and my experience is a little different to yours. I don’t crave drink but when I do drink, I sometimes cannot stop. I am accepting thst binge drinking to the point that I do is not healthy or safe, despite perhaps how common.
So just a post to say hi 
and show some solidarity. I have never posted on a forum either…but already people here seem to be so very helpful. Best of luck this weekend. I think you can do this.
I think just writing my wee post out kinda helped, weird how that works 
, the urge is still there but not as bad. I would go to an AA meeting but I’m absolutely petrified that someone who knows me might be there and people I.e work and other family members will find out about my problem. I’m still embarrassed about it all really.
The last time my wife moved out and left me so I had to chose between her and our kids or drink and I chose her…this time I’m trying to do it without all of that turmoil and stop it before it gets to that again…hopefully I can do it for good this time
Thank you for your show of solidarity sometimes all that we need is a little belief thrown at us , even if it’s from a stranger
I’m gonna give that a blast right now, thanks for the advice
If today is too long a time, cut it down. The next hour I won’t drink. Do not get out buying booze. Get rid of any booze in the house. Make it as difficult as possible to access it so that before drinking you have plenty steps to rethink, come here and get help.
Many of us did it. It is possible. You have the switch. Maybe not yet found. But you have it I am 100 % sure!
Thanks for your input…think I’m going to he fine tonight, it seems to come n go in waves , dont have any alcohol in the house anymore and I also threw my beloved pint glass in the bin as a kinda first step to try an emphasise it to myself that I dont need it anymore , maybe comes across as silly to other people, but I think that maybe in the future I will remember that image of myself putting it in the bin and will reinforce determination in myself to not pick up a beer when that moment of weakness arises 
your drinking sounds a lot like mine. day 1 i started the 90 meetings in 90 days. set the tone for my recovery. i highly recommend. 
Oh my gosh!!! You just said exactly what I am dealing with! Uhhggg. Weekends are such a trigger. I keep catching myself making plans to go get beer, but I know the misery that it will bring. I just can’t go there again.
Thank you for the info, il take a look at it
Its unreal is it! I have to keep telling myself in my head that it’s not a good idea, it’s almost like a wee battle going on in there. Managed this Friday to stay away from it, went to bed early and I feel good for it. Hopefully you succeed also
Well done! How awesome is it waking up hangover free?
I found the book ‘This Naked Mind’ helped me to change how I looked at alcohol. There are tons of great resources available, lots on this list -
I also found reading this forum, a lot, was such a big help to me when I first got sober. To be honest it still is! Just seeing other people’s experiences and realising how much I could relate to, helped me understand how toxic alcohol had become. It was also amazing to see that there is another way.
This is my life in a nutshell too. No advice to give as I havent figured it out either. But you’re not alone
I trained my mind to think of all the bad times I’ve had with alcohol whenever I start to have cravings.