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[AlwaysWishing]

One way to build up successes over alcohol that helps me and which i learned from the book Rational Recovery is to think of whatever drink you'd like to have right now and follow the thought all the way to going to the store and getting it, opening it, pouring it and drinking it. Then choosing not to. I have poor impulse control and think the only way to reprogram is to be aware of the impulse and live in it, then choose not to follow through. I can feel myself getting slowly stronger because I'm recognizing that choosing to have a drinking thought and not following it through to the action of drinking is a success. I used to try so hard not to think about drinking. I'd come up with crazy amounts of distraction just to avoid the thought. Because if I had the thought, I would drink 9 out of 10 times. The one time I didn't would probably be circumstantial. No car, a Sun and all liquor stores were closed etc. All of which made me feel weak and powerless. My sister in law often says life is about powerfully choosing. This makes sense to me. So often my actions aren't chosen. They are reactions. But that is changing.

[bestlifeldms]

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Always,

You are so right. To do something, proactive, rather than reactive! I often think of Pavlov's dog. When it became late in the afternoon I would begin to think about my evening drinking. I actually would begin to have physical sensations that drinking alcohol would normally create, without the alcohol! Not, the buzz, unfortunately.

But, this shows how powerful this thing called AL is, and what an effect it has on our brain chemistry. Just the thought can create physical reations, because of our brain. Pretty scarey stuff!

Thanks for the thread!

:h Best