Reset..again

There are definitely some things in my life that I need to deal with so you make perfect sense

Facts. That is the reality of it. We are willing to give away everything that would otherwise make us happy for the “feel good” of an artificial high. I’ve made that choice thousands upon thousands of times, that how powerful addiction is.

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From what I recall, you usually only drink on Fridays, but tend to over do it and pay for it on Saturday, perhaps even into Sunday.

That shit feeling you have the next day, the nausea and vomiting, headache, dizziness, tiredness, soreness, anxiety, guilt, anger, frustration, sadness all that, you probably would be happy to never go through again, right? But the problem is, like with anything bad, or challenging, we forget how bad it really was a few days later.

I’m sitting in the dentist office while my daughter gets her wisdom teeth extracted. Before they took her in the back, I told her, “It’s not that bad”. It’s been 6 years since I went through the same, my recollection was that it was not that bad. But I went and read the Facebook posts on it, and it actually was pretty sucky, I wouldn’t want to do that again!

The point is, the further away you get from that shitty feeling, the more you forget how bad it sucks. So, I would recommend writing down a brief sentence or two about how you feel, every hour for the rest of the day.

Next friday, before you pick up your bottle of wine or whatever you drink, read what you wrote. If you choose to drink, start writing the next day when you wake up. And keep this going.

I wrote down everthing for a week, it was hell. It was that bad! I can prove it because I documented it, and I never want to go through that again. I read it every now and then to remind myself what I went through to get here, and what I’ll have to go through again if I slip.

Good luck! You can do it. I know you can, YOU just need to know you can.

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I thought the same exact thing this past year when i was having to deal wuth my dad and all his health issues, that on top of being a parent. If i had been drinking theres no way i would have been able to handle all of it.

I hope things ease up for you soon. My kids are still young so my issues with them are as minor as it can get.

Im kind of dreading that time…

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I’ve sorta started doing that. I have a journal app but maybe I’ll give physically writing them out on paper a try.

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I am definitely trying. I remind myself constantly that they are only this small for a short time. They still can make me pull my fuckin hair out at times though :wink:

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Since Fridays are your high risk days, some things to try would be to make it as difficult as possible to buy booze. Like, leave your money at home on Friday. Go home using a different route if at all possible. Make plans to do something Friday after work, like an AA meeting or plan a walk with a friend. Maybe even take a day off on a Friday to reduce the stress.

Also have an accountabilibuddy, someone you can check in with on Fridays, someone who will check in on you. That helps a lot too.

I think getting over that hump of one or two weeks is the hardest, once you are over it, it becomes easier and easier.

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That is a must. When I quit, i told the lady I worked with. There was no way I was buying beer after I was done for day. She would have slapped it out of my hands.

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Maybe find something else that makes you feel better, that you can look forward to. Yoga class. Dessert at a nice restaurant. A massage…or my personal favorite, martial arts class.

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I really hope so. I keep reminding myself that the first couple weekends will be the hardest

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They are, but like anything, the more you do it, the better you get at doing it. Wanna be good at pull-ups? Do pull-ups. Spanish? Speak Spanish. Knitting? Knit.

Want to be good at being sober? Be sober.

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And that makes it a lie. The end result isn’t happiness.

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Was there for months and months, years even. Eventually it will kick in, something will happen or you will suddenly make that decision. Being accountable helps, tell people you are quitting. I did that and it helped because I would rather not drink than explain myself and let people down. I did start sneaking it a couple weeks ago, which made me feel horrible and strengthened my resolve. Each person has their own journey in this, but we can all relate in one way or another. Keep coming here, dont give up

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Really like what you said. Your desire to quit. That’s exactly what my problem was. Wow that really hit home to me.

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Im in the same boat. I took the day off yesterday just so I could drink all day. I cleaned the house, made an amazing meal for my family, grocery shopped…but in the end I let everyone down. Being a mom is so hard. Im on reset today as well. Day 1…good luck to you, hang in there. We are worth it!

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Glad your here. What’s your plan for when the cravings hit? The first few weeks are though but you can do it if you have a plan.

the last time I did this my plan was to call my husband when I had a craving. Well I never followed thru with that. I need a better idea…

This is what I did. Maybe it will help you too.
Went to AA
Got numbers
Got rid of all alcohol
Stopped going to places for a few months that had alcohol. Stores restaurants parties etc
Got medicine from my dr to help with cravings
Told my family and close friends I was quiting
Educated myself on the effects of alcohol (documentaries books podcast)
Came here everyday sometimes for hours
Organized everything lol
Meditate/yoga
Change my idea of how to relax
Found a non alcoholic drink, bubbly water was my choice
I’m sure there was more.
I had to put my sobriety first
I had to admit that I had a problem
I really did not want to fail and that stressed me out because I had failed before. Telling people I had a problem was embarrassing and difficult but necessary
The first month was tough but it does get easier
Stick around. We can do this together

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Footwork, hard work. Work. You worked damn hard. Love it

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