How long does this take?

[Guest]

I am so tired of craving alcohol. When does the feeling and wanting for it start to fade? How long were you AF before you felt the desire to drink lessen? I'm starting to get frustrated and angry at myself for this.

[roxane]

How long does this take?

GG

i have no idea, but maybe if you post in the longtermers area you could get some asnswers, all of them different probably as i imagine its a personal thing!

roxane

[Guest]

How long does this take?

I think I will. Thanks!

Ahhhh...sod this though. I am going to make some Mac & Cheese and have lunch with my baby girl, them us ladies are going shopping and spending some of daddy's hard earned money on something we don't need but have to have.

[chilli]

How long does this take?

GG
I dont know either, it comes in waves for me, see and add, or a bottle shop, pub, bang there is a craving, I hope its not like smoking, aunty is 83 and still craves for a smoke and she gave up 40 yrs ago, god help us if thats the case. Have you got all the tools sups,cds etc I just started on them today so i will let you know if something miraculous happens ha ha

[Guest]

How long does this take?

GG, I really don't think it ever goes away completly. It hangs around and with our supplements amd MWO we manage it, but to say you won't ever crave it again is impossible. At least with me. Keep trying. I also think emotiomnal triggers we have to learn what they are and have a plan other than drinking to deal with them. I just think we are wired to be drinkers, just like a diabetic has to manage their disease. We manage ours.
Hugs for GG
Mary

[Breez]

How long does this take?

I agree with Mar....

It's adapting & learning to control them. Almost like mind over matter. But they are always there. I bet you that even though I woke up this morning AF, no intention of drinking, no cravings, that if I tried real hard I could talk myself into having a drink. So I flip it around and have convinced my brain that alcohol is poison to me. It will destroy what work I have put in to be AF, my family realtionships where they trust & respect me again, my health, my future. Out of sight, out of mind was what helped me in the beginning. Then just kept instilling my brain with negative thoughts about alcohol and reinforcing positive aspects of my new AF life. Now when I think of a drink I think about how horribly hungover I will be that I can almost feel the nausea. Hang in there.

[ScoobyDoo]

How long does this take?

I wish I could say it better than Mar.. but I can't!

Maybe you need some further help?

Scoobs

[wwbarb]

How long does this take?

I'm starting to think it never goes away, particularly when you get no support from those around you. It's almost like I am expected to drink and the only reason I should try and keep it in check is to keep my weight under control. I don't know why I bother trying.

[gabby]

How long does this take?

GG, To me it's like a death. You never get over it. You just learn to live with it.

Here I am at a year. And I still crave. I will say I do think its mentally and not physically. Tho I dont think I really ever physically really needed to drink. I wouldnt say I was ever a hard core drinker either. I just had a dependancy. sorta. I liked beer. And always will.
Here it is the begining of summer and I gotta admit....it has really been soundin good. And REALLY been smellin good. Now I'm not gonna drink....thats a for sure thing. I have come to far. But thats not to say it doesn't cross my mind.

So a few of my key opinions to your post....

"I am so tired of cravin alcohol"
My thoughts: Good. That means your getting somewhere. Be tired of it and move on. Then the feelin may start to fade if you let it.

"How long were you AF before you felt the desire to drink started to lessen?"
For everyone its different I bet. But for me it was right away because I took topamax. I highly recommend it. Why not make your walk a little easier on yourself?

hugs to you sweetie....hope this helps

[MDBiker]

How long does this take?

I was free of the cravings when I was taking topamax at 250 mg. I absolutely did not want or care about alcohol. The topa was helping with the cravings from the start, but when I went to 250 mg alcohol was not an issue with me. At that point if I had a drink I was more likely to set it down half drank as not. I didn't drink to be drunk. As a matter of fact I hardly drank at all because I didn't want it. I think thisis why RJ is still taking the topa. It regulates the desires. When I stopped taking the topa, in a short time I was back to the craving lunatic I am again. Topa may not work for everyone, but for me it was a wonder drug. I was stupid to quit taking it, and it took a good while of heavy driniking to get back to not living in a drunken state of Hell. It is possible to not have cravings, you just have to find the right combination.

I quit smoking 5-6 years ago, and I don't crave nicotine any more. I am over it. I don't smoke or tempt myself, but I don't think about smoking either. As a matter of fact ex-smokers are the worst non smokers a smoker will ever be around. I think smokers stink. I know I smelled that way before, and smoker cars are almost unbearable. These things do not make me want a cigarette.

This is just my opinion, but I think no cravings is very possible.

bear

[hablur]

How long does this take?

Thanks for this thread GG

GG,

I have been thinking about this for quite awhile. I have figured out that wanting to drink is down to 2 componants: Mental and Physical.

Physical: The craving where your body actually needs it much like a smoker needs the nicotine racing thru the viens. This is our body feeling the rush of alcohol as our brain processes it. The actual "addition" mechanism.

Emotional: The craving of the norm or trigger that tells you this is the time to drink. The pattern that we have set up for ourselves telling us when and where to drink.

I have come to the conclusions that we can conquer the physical with Topa easier than the mental as one is a habit and the other is not. The Topa over-rides what the brain pathways require of us so if we do drink the craving just isnt there or we drink less. That is why Topa is so powerful.

But when it comes to the emotional part of drinking I think it is a completely different animal. We tend to be creatures of habit. How often do you take an alternate route to work? Or change the day you do laundry? Or even change you basic weekly activities? Let's face it we are creatures of habit.

This is where I can totally relate to you GG. Every single night I have wanted a beer at about 8pm. You know why? It certainly isnt because I am physically craving one, it is because I am used to having a beer at 8pm. I am deeply ashamed at myself because I moderated all week thanks only to the Topa but still had a beer at 8pm. My goal was no moderation but just simple AF, but I wanted one. Notice I said wanted one, not craved one. I am being very careful in my words because there is a difference. I did not crave it in the least... I did it completely out of habit.

So, why am I writng all this stuff up... Well I believe now that it is the environment that is a major componant that has to be changed as well in this recovery process. What have I done differently since starting this program to change my daily routine to stop drinking? Not a damn thing.

So, that has to change.

GG. Am I making any sense? Have you changed in any of your daily habits? I honestly think that maybe you should break up your daily routines and try doing different things and you may find that the mental craving go away because they are being replaced with a different activity. At least that is what I am going to try.

[gabby]

How long does this take?

MD, I hate what you wrote. I still take topa and honestly am afraid to quit. I'm not sure I trust myself at all.

Did you quit and now take it again or what?

Double crap!!!!

[Guest]

How long does this take?

GG I have to agree with Mar and Gabby...it is like a death...you never get over it...you just deal with it. Might even cry over it from time to time and miss it forever, but you learn to deal without it cause you have. Topa does help. I have very little cravings. Are you on Topa?

[lushy]

How long does this take?

Bear, I am curious. Why did you stop taking it if it worked so well?

[cassy]

How long does this take?

Hi MD,,funny that about the cigarettes..i stopped 13 years ago and now hate the smell and never crave a fag.HOWEVER..i spent many a year cutting down on fags and yes you guessed right..like the booze it always creeps back up to unacceptable !!

Strange how it was easier to quit the fags than the booze for me....I know deep down as i,m on my journey and at present only willing to moderate.............maybe the day may have to come when like the fags the booze has to go completely too. Maybe then and only then will the cravings go?

Cassy