The Line

[tumadre]

Where is the line drawn between habit, and craving? Even with all the supps, meds and tapes, I still feel the pull towards the bottle...Is it habit, or addiction? You can answer that while I go and get a refill.

[Lizzie Mouse]

The Line

Hiya
I have often thought that too. I think that it is just a habit, and a learned behaviour. Even now, I have to have a glass of juice in front of me all of the time - otherwise I feel a bit panicky. But juice is better than the sauce Hey?

Good luck and lots of love
XXXX

[fsophiah]

The Line

This is why I think the 30 days of abs (or maybe even half that) is so important. You're right. Changing habits is really hard. What the 30 days gave me was the experience of making new habits. In my experience, your question is a really important one.

[Hawk]

The Line

For me, its habit. At one point I had 12 AF days. I truely did not want a drink but I really did not know what to do with myself. I failed to plan something for the trigger time. So I had a drink and that was that. But my habit is to drink the bottle of wine once it is opened. So I drank it. I didn't want it, I didn't enjoy it. This time, I am not falling into habits -- I usually replace the wine I drink from the cellar so husband doesn't know how much I drank. Not doing it this time because when I do that, I know its there and I get tempted in weak moments. So, its uncomfortable but I am trying to have other things scheduled for my usual drinking hours. For me, once I got past the cravings, it was all habit. May not work for everyone, but that's how it is for me.

[YoungAtHeart]

The Line

I always have to have something to drink. It doesn't necessarily have to be alcohol once I'm past the initial "oh no, what will I do without booze:eeks: ?" phase. I always have a glass of water, a diet ginger ale or SOMETHING to drink....

I'm insistently oral!:H

Kathy:l

[Andy1111]

The Line

YoungAtHeart wrote: I always have to have something to drink. It doesn't necessarily have to be alcohol once I'm past the initial "oh no, what will I do without booze:eeks: ?" phase. I always have a glass of water, a diet ginger ale or SOMETHING to drink....

I'm insistently oral!:H

Kathy:l

Oh baby, lol. I agree, I think it's more habit than anything and my doc said as much yesterday. Of course, if you've been drinking since 10 and you're say 50, you might say there is a physical addiction there!
But with most of us, it's a bad habit. We need behaviorial modification. Simply as that, allthough we all know it ain't simple. Good topic!

[vinophile]

The Line

Great question!!!!!probably no one has a definitive answer. It's like the question of what comes first ....the chicken or the egg.
When it comes to alcohol I feel like a moth with a lit lightbulb; if it's there and accessible, I'm attracted to it,dive right in and eventually get burned

janet.

[tumadre]

The Line

My dad drank for probably a good, hard 30 years. I didn't live with him, but when I'd visit, there would always be a cooler on the front seat next to him, filled with beer and schnapps. About 15 years ago, he quit, cold turkey. However, the cooler remained, filled with diet Pepsi. He always had a can in his hand.
About 5 years after he quit, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Even at the end, when he wasn't very lucid, on IV's, unable to eat, he'd still ask for a can of Pepsi, we'd bring it him, and he'd just sit there and hold it...

[I Like Brandy]

The Line

I'm not sure there is a line between craving and old "stinkin drinkin". I just need the thought and depending what's going on I may or may not drink. I have a new job that I wanted for so long and now I've been there three weeks and I've done more drinking in the last 18 days than I've done in the last few months.

Habit or craving!

:h
Brandy

PS. I seriously need words of wisdom!

[dilayne]

The Line

Brandy, sounds like the stress of just being in a new job sounds like it has you turning to the A..if stress is a trigger, you might look for some other ways to deal with it..just knowing that A will just make it worse if you are crossing your moderatine line..it makes you feel bad, then you feel bad at work when you want to be operating at 100%, that's stressful..a viscious cycle...I think it's really hard to stick with it when tough stuff comes up in the beginning, hang in there, you can do it...and AWESOME getting the job that you wanted!
d

[I Like Brandy]

The Line

Thanks Dilayne;

I'm sure that everythng you said is correct! Today I decided to come home and have a few cups of herbal tea...The feeling like crap is definetely what I felt like after a night of drinking. The old track of not drinking at night when I have to work the next day is what got me into trouble. I only drank when I didn't have to get up the next day. But the hang over seems to last so much longer, especially since I had really cut down over the months.

Thanks for the inspiration!:h

Brandy