Strategies for changing our thoughts.

[KateH1]

Strategies for changing our thoughts.

Wow....great topic! I believe that getting and staying sober is ALL a MIND thing! After the first week AF, the "cravings" are not physical, they are mental and emotional, they are habitual. I used the supps religiously. I meditated morning and evening. Every morning I began each day by planning how my day would look and feel....beginning with, today I will live as a non-drinker. I will breath through my anxiety, and work through any obstacles...etc. When I would get an urge, I would dismiss it with thoughts of how good it felt at that moment being alcohol free, if the urge got stronger I would go walk and contemplate the pros and cons of having a drink.....the pros always won! I also read 2 great books about life transformation.....the first is called....A Year By the Sea.....the second was Eat, Pray, Love.

I would take a bath early, prepare some herbal tea and put on some great music and read.......at times, I would come here and read and post and sometimes I would go into chat. Most of all, I stuck with those here at MWO who were AF, those that I knew would offer me no excuses.....no..."It's OK tomorrow is another day"......I wanted sobriety, I was comitted to living as a none drinker!! Now, going on 9 months living as a non-drinker.....I am so grateful to have taken these steps...so grateful to have found MWO and the people that supported me during my process.

[A Work in Progress]

Strategies for changing our thoughts.

Wow, Kate! That is a BEAUTIFUL description of How-It's-Done. What you described is, of course, your own particular way, but it demonstrates, for ALL of us, the central message that, yes, this is a MIND thing... and it is also a WAY OF LIFE thing. There are a lot of things we just need to do differently, day to day, to make any major change, especially one that involves letting go of something that we have become so profoundly attached to and wrapped up around.

As you said, it is crucial to begin "living as a non-drinker," even before we BELIEVE we are non-drinkers! I believe that this is exactly how it works... it could even be called "faith," or the trust in things not yet seen, but for which we have some evidence, and a lot of hope.

wip

[KateH1]

Strategies for changing our thoughts.

Exactly WIP!! I realized that for me, thinking about how much it sucked that I could no longer drink or thinking about when I might be able to MOD...or how much I wanted or deserved a drink......would do nothing but make me miserable! And of course, any of those thoughts would eventually lead me back to drinking.

During the second level of My program I read and did exercises using the book The Sedona Method...I found the information in that book truly helpful! I still refer to that book quite often!

The bottom line for me has been, concentrating on enriching my life as a non-drinker, rather than an alcoholic trying to live AF!!

[Mags]

Strategies for changing our thoughts.

Great thread Cindi

But you know what I do. I call you and bug the hell out of you!!!

I do the hot baths, and bicycle rides also. Sometimes that works. But a lot of times my brain is too manic for that. Then I actually sit down at my desk and start working chemistry problems. They are so soothing and keep my mind busy. They are puzzles and are fun. Eventually I will get tired and go to sleep (hopefully - you never know with me). But they help put the world back into order. I need order. It's a nerd thing.

[river0123]

Strategies for changing our thoughts.

I do the CD's. If I start around 4:30 (prior to the witching hour), I can cruise through the hypnotic or clearing and then take a little snooze if I'm lucky. When I wake up, it's too late and I don't even feel like it anymore. And of course I spend an unbelievable amount of time on here reading, which has been a huge source of strength!
Oh, Starting Over, I know what you mean about that feeling - sometimes I'm downright euphoric. I catch myself grinning like an idiot at the store or someplace just odd. I suppose soon I'll start talking to myself in public- LOL!:flush:

[Cinders]

Strategies for changing our thoughts.

Mags,

You never bug the hell out of me. Rhonda told me that it is important for me to have women friends.

She is right. With my traveling, I have very few close friends.

I am downright grateful you call me.

I am also downright grateful you answer your phone when I call.

Love,
Cindi

ps. Okay, I will admit you are a nerd. Chemistry problems??

LOL, that is about as exciting as the database problems I start working on. Geez.

Two nerds.

Mags;398331 wrote: Great thread Cindi

But you know what I do. I call you and bug the hell out of you!!!

I do the hot baths, and bicycle rides also. Sometimes that works. But a lot of times my brain is too manic for that. Then I actually sit down at my desk and start working chemistry problems. They are so soothing and keep my mind busy. They are puzzles and are fun. Eventually I will get tired and go to sleep (hopefully - you never know with me). But they help put the world back into order. I need order. It's a nerd thing.