Just trying figure out the best way to go about this… any suggestions are welcome
Just stay sober for right now. Participate in places like this, or just read. Feed your sobriety like you fed your alcoholism and you’ll see success. Best wishes and welcome my friend.
Thank you Ik it’s gonna be a tough journey but I also know I can do this especially with help from others
You’re right, the journey will be tough but also beautiful and totally worth it. The friendships and knowledge gained along the way are priceless.
Acknowledge the Saturday, Sunday, Monday and sometimes even Tuesday mornings when you’re fresh and not hungover. Acknowledge the extra money in your pocket. Recognise when you’re doing good and recognise when you’re not and learn to deal with both those things.
Don’t get too overwhelmed on all the post’s and advice you’ll read for now. Just start with taking a sober day by day and build some time and systems.
Welcome @Jamac51
Checking in on this forum, reading and sharing, and AA helped me kick a 20year drinking habit that was progressively getting worse.
Its possible. Keep trying until you find what works because sobriety is pretty awesome!
Take it minute by minute. Each minute that goes by, is a victory. You got this 🫶🏽
Get rid of any alcohol in the house. Have a lot of non-alco things that you like to drink in the fridge. In early sobriety I chewed a ton of gum and had mints on hand. Also find ways to spend the time so you aren’t thinking about drinking. Read, binge watch, walk or work out. And not having to do it alone is key. This is a great community. And AA works for a lot of us, myself included, for finding people who have been where you are. Good luck!
I have removed all alcohol from my house and have been relying on water… And praying
And I’m going to start AA today thank everyone so much
What really helped me in the first few months was to set purchase goals, decide what you want, pair of shoes or a new coat (whatever you fancy) work out how many days of drinking it takes to buy that. Once you hit that point sober reward yourself, over time make the rewards bigger and the times longer.
A tip i got from here was, dont think of it as for ever, for ever is huge and very scary to picture, think about today and tomorrow, i didnt drink today and i wont drink tomorrow Or, i didnt drink yesterday so i dont need to drink today.
congratulations on making one of the best decisions you could ever make for your life. my greatest success tool for sobriety is the recovery part - i had tried sobriety so many times but all i was doing was “trying not to drink” - this time is different because i’m actively recovering myself - dealing with feelings, learning how to relate to them differently, learning forgiveness of self and others, learning kindness, gentleness, slowing down, breathing, feeling, processing trauma and pain & all the things i used alcohol to try to escape. these things will come up and out of habit and fear your brain will be like “get me the hell out of here” - but remembering that sobriety is a tool to help us grow, and that introspection is the real work, that’s what has helped me stay sober. using the feelings of discomfort and pain and desire to escape, as tools to look and feel deeper and learn how to respect and care for ourselves - that’s the recovery part that makes sobriety possible long-term. hope this helps
I was there 20 days ago. Have tried many times before. Get through the first few days. For me it seemed like thoughts of drinking were near constant for the first week or so. They’ve started to get less. When the cravings hit I jumped on here and read.
I felt the first weeks I stopped drinking my mind was consumed by thoughts of drinking. But to be honest even when i was drinking my mind was consumed by it. Constantly thinking “should i get some?” “Do i have enough?” “Will there be breath testing stop?” “Have I had enough to be buzzed, but not enough anyone can tell?” “Have I hidden my empties?” And thats not to mention the thoughts of regret and anxiety the next day.
It was exhausting, I told myself that giving in to the thoughts of drinking wouldn’t silence my mind but lead to the same old obsession over drinking
Be honest with yourself…be comfortable with being uncomfortable and accept that you are and always will be an alcoholic.
Be well on your journey.