Hey folks, just hit my 6 month mark and thought I would drop in and say hello as I rarely post much.
Some things I have learned during this extended sobriety (longest I have ever went without it) that can hopefully help others. I owe this to this website and things I learned here.
The cravings won't completely go away, but they WILL be easier to deal with, promise! What startes out as an elephant on your chest constantly will turn into the rare occasional gnat buzzing around your ear if that makes any sense.
Get yourself a couple of really good books that will change the way you see alcohol and drinking: Alan Carr's Easy Way to Stop drinking, and Jason Vale's Kick the Drink Easily. Neither of which are "magical" cures but will really change the way you and particularly what society thinks about drinking. It will make it that much harder to pick up that drink. You will even start to see people who do drink and society's perception of it differently.
Keep it real with yourself. By that I mean, don't put yourself in situations where you might be tempted. No, you cant be a leper, but don't exasperate the situation. Change some of your old habits, you might just amaze yourself at what you can do.
Find somebody on here you are slightly ahead of can mentor/be mentored (thanks Littlebeagle!, you are more awesome than you know!)
Laugh at yourself, ALOT. Especially when you start to rationalize drinking (ex.."well I made it four months no issues, I can certianly have this drink and be ok!") Yes that's absurd and laughable, you want to start all over buddy?
I am constantly amazed at the fact I no longer have to wake up wondering what I said or did. Just dont have that problem anymore. No longer have to wake up feeling like shit, planning to go places and wondering about the transportation, getting back, etc. No longer making an ass out of myself, spewing verbal diaharrea, wondering if the wife is pissed off at me after waking up on the couch...list goes on with that one.
If I said it was all totally unicorns shitting rainbows, I would be lying though. All your friends know you as that beer making/drinking buddy, its a bit awkward at times being that token guy who "doesnt drink" but really who gives a shit in the end eh?
Once the big problem is dealt with you have every other aspect of your life to clean up as well. People are only so patient with you (uh hum...hello women), so you have to get your ass in gear on all the other things you have never dealt with because drinking overshadowed everything. Just joking about the women comment, women are great! :H
Sorry for the long post, but my point was, you can do it, you can keep it, and you wont regret it!
Keep on keepin on!
Rip
Some things I have learned during this extended sobriety (longest I have ever went without it) that can hopefully help others. I owe this to this website and things I learned here.
The cravings won't completely go away, but they WILL be easier to deal with, promise! What startes out as an elephant on your chest constantly will turn into the rare occasional gnat buzzing around your ear if that makes any sense.
Get yourself a couple of really good books that will change the way you see alcohol and drinking: Alan Carr's Easy Way to Stop drinking, and Jason Vale's Kick the Drink Easily. Neither of which are "magical" cures but will really change the way you and particularly what society thinks about drinking. It will make it that much harder to pick up that drink. You will even start to see people who do drink and society's perception of it differently.
Keep it real with yourself. By that I mean, don't put yourself in situations where you might be tempted. No, you cant be a leper, but don't exasperate the situation. Change some of your old habits, you might just amaze yourself at what you can do.
Find somebody on here you are slightly ahead of can mentor/be mentored (thanks Littlebeagle!, you are more awesome than you know!)
Laugh at yourself, ALOT. Especially when you start to rationalize drinking (ex.."well I made it four months no issues, I can certianly have this drink and be ok!") Yes that's absurd and laughable, you want to start all over buddy?
I am constantly amazed at the fact I no longer have to wake up wondering what I said or did. Just dont have that problem anymore. No longer have to wake up feeling like shit, planning to go places and wondering about the transportation, getting back, etc. No longer making an ass out of myself, spewing verbal diaharrea, wondering if the wife is pissed off at me after waking up on the couch...list goes on with that one.
If I said it was all totally unicorns shitting rainbows, I would be lying though. All your friends know you as that beer making/drinking buddy, its a bit awkward at times being that token guy who "doesnt drink" but really who gives a shit in the end eh?
Once the big problem is dealt with you have every other aspect of your life to clean up as well. People are only so patient with you (uh hum...hello women), so you have to get your ass in gear on all the other things you have never dealt with because drinking overshadowed everything. Just joking about the women comment, women are great! :H
Sorry for the long post, but my point was, you can do it, you can keep it, and you wont regret it!
Keep on keepin on!
Rip
Congrats on your 6 months.
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