stopping the av from echoing in my head

[allswell]

Hello All,

It's been a long time since I've been here. I quit for 10 weeks at the beginning of 2010 then became complacent in my recovery and allowed the addictive voice to echo in my head. The end result - drinking everyday since.

I'm ready to get back on the horse seriously. I've been reading Rational Recovery as well as Allan Carr's book but have to ask the long term abstainers out there how long did they have that voice in their head before recovery was simply second nature and not something thought about a dozen times or more a day? I seem to be motivated to a point then find myself constantly thinking about alcohol which normally is around the 45 day mark.

Thanks so much for any advice or experiences shared.

[Lavande]

stopping the av from echoing in my head

Hello allswell,

Welcome back! This is the place to be!!!

I am looking forward to my 2 year AF anniversary in 3 months. I can honestly tell you that quitting drinking is just the first step. Next is changing your thinking about AL. I used the Hypno CDs for many, many months to help facilitate that change. Thinking in terms of gratitude really helps as well. Everyday I remind myself how wonderful it is to be hang over free, anxiety free, panic free, etc. I feel & look so much better, my B/P is improved & most importantly - I can be totally present for my family, especially my grandson.

I found it easier to ignore the addictive voice as time went by. I would say it probably took about 6 months to feel completely 'free' but the wait was worthwhile! I still have the ocassional fleeting thought of 'wouldn't it be nice to have just one' - then I remember that I never was able to have just one drink. And the same goes with the smokes.....never could have just one.

I made a firm commitment to myself to be free of these addictions for the rest of my life & I'm sticking to it - no matter what

Go back to the Tool Box, revise your plan & make your commitment - you can do it!!

Wishing you the best!

Lav

[hillsidetime]

stopping the av from echoing in my head

Hi allswell, it is good that you are ready to fight the battle once again. You are right about the voices in the head issue, it is real. I found that by the time I had reached about 6 or 7 months of no alcohol, that I had got used to the new habits, the new lifestyle, and my brain and body had got used to living without alcohol, the voices really decreased and changed.

It takes a couple of months (your 45 day mark is right in there), I found for your body to get used to being poison free, and than for it to get used to its normal setting. The voices in the head are strong for sure. In addition the anxiety about being sober in society among friends and family etc takes up a lot of voices in the head time too.

Hang in there, the voices decrease in time, and change context, you can do it.
Hill

[medic]

stopping the av from echoing in my head

Hi allswell,

I have been at that stage before in the past where the voice lost its power. The hard truth is that it can come back years later even after you think you are beyond it. I am not saying this will be the outcome for you if you abstain, I am more trying to convey that any kind of complacency is your enemy.

It took me a long time to accept a life without alcohol. I can say that, initially, reading self help books, exercising, being a Henry Rollins addict instead of an alcohol/cigarette addict, turning vegetarian all helped. Then circumstances in my life became harder and I dropped a lot of my recovery as a coping mechanism for my pain. I know I will return again to my recovering status because those changes profoundly effected me but the old voice will always be there. You have to find a new stronger voice to drown it out and that is pretty much it.

Find a cause greater than yourself, look after your body and mind, get involved in life, and see your new voice emerge. The old one will pipe in from time to time. Hopefully your life will be so much better and your circumstances fortunate enough to keep that older one at the door. Pain thresholds are relative too. I may be softer than you (laughs).

Good luck my friend.

med+c

[allswell]

stopping the av from echoing in my head

Thanks both of you for your shared experiences and support. Normally around this time I would make the committment to quit on New Year's Day after another party however this year I'm not waiting. The sooner I start the sooner those first few sleepless nights are over with and I can move forward into the new year with a clear head and a committment to quit for good. Rational Recovery and Allan Carr's Easy Way talk about alcohol as the enemy and the beast. I'm going to fight those voices.

[janka]

stopping the av from echoing in my head

Great ideas Allswell!!! The sleepless nights and debilitating voice WILL stop. Think about it, and look at the facts ... MANY, MANY people have gone through it and have come out to a better side!!!! Look at the successes you find here at MWO!!! All will be/is well. Peace, and take good care of yourself, j

[allswell]

stopping the av from echoing in my head

Thanks everyone for the info. When I quit smoking 13 years ago it took about 7 or 8
months ( incidentally I had to quit drinking first before I could quit smoking) to finally rid myself of the temptations to smoke. I remember saying to myself "now I can finally drink again". It's time for me to get to work again.