Stupid mind tricks!!

[poe1013]

Hey everyone. I'm still kind of new here, I posted for the first time a couple weeks ago, read the book (great read) and have been taking l-glut and kudzu (which don't really seem to be working very well for the cravings). Anyway, I am wanting to try the 30 days and it's just not working. I go 2-3 day AF fine. I've never really had a problem with the physical withdrawl symptoms so at least I don't have to deal with that. For me it's like it's all mental. The cravings after work are killers. Amazingly enough, I don't even really get to many cravings on the weekends any more.

Anyway... so I mentally fight through the cravings on the first couple days, then BAM... my mind tells me everything fine and I'm ok to drink if I want, and I don't even try to fight it!! It's like some JEDI mind trick bullshit!! Then of course the next day (today) I feel like shitty (not physically, but mentally). Thinking, why didn't I try to fight it, because if I had, I would have one more day!!

So what's the deal and how do you get your mind back in that "fighting" mode. :thanks:

[Cinders]

Stupid mind tricks!!

Poe,

Boy, that is the $1,000,000.00 question.

We all go through that.

The mental cravings are the most insidious ones to deal with but must be dealt with in order to get some sober time under your belt.

I am sure others will log on and give you some great ideas. I don't know if you are planning on trying to moderate in the future or go completely AF but..

Tell yourself you can go one more day. If you want, tomorrow you can drink. See if you can get four days under your belt, for example.

Change up what you do during your witching hours. Go to a movie, someplace where you cannot drink. Something you enjoy doing.

Put in place an exercise routine for the times you want to drink. Take a walk, run, go to a gym. Whatever. Replace that time of day in your head with something positive.

Have no alcohol in the house. Jump into your pajamas as early as possible. Make it difficult to go out and buy alcohol.

These are just a few ideas. I am sure there will be a lot more.

Also, there is the Toolbox thread. You should give it a peek. Here is the link: https://www.mywayout.org/community/f1...box-27556.html

Good luck and :welcome:
Cindi

[daybyday]

Stupid mind tricks!!

Hi Poe;

Having a plan really seems to help for those witching hours. My worst was after work as well. Not going home right away really helped for me. Just going shopping or for a walk or visiting non-drinking people helped. It seemed if I could get through those hours the AL "voice" went away. Once 7pm came and went I was fine. I had a huge stack of movies to watch as well and that took my mind off the evenings. Changing it up in your life seems to be key. If I felt down ever I took a nap. I'm sure you'll get many more great suggestions on here from others to help you on your new journey!

[poe1013]

Stupid mind tricks!!

Thanks Cindi,

I completely do one of the things you mentioned, get in my pajamas shortly after I get home from work so I can't just "run out" to the liquor store. Of course last night I had to go to the grocery store and just "swung by" the liquor store on my way home:sigh:

We actually haven't kept alcohol in the house for a long time. Which definitely keeps me from drinking even more than I do.

[dancelot]

Stupid mind tricks!!

Hi, Poe -

Have you heard the saying HALT? It stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. All these can be triggers. Hungry for example - at the end of the work day - how long has it been since you've eaten? I know lots of us had or have that "end of the work day let's have a drink" thing going on. And maybe not consciously, a lot of us liked that extra kick of AL on an empty stomach. If that's the case, have dinner as soon as possible (maybe have something made up in advance). Also keeping healthy snacks close by - stuff you can keep or carry with you.

Also if you have fewer cravings on weekends, is it possible that you used AL to decompress or de stress as well? Maybe find a different way. Even learning breathing techniques - there's a thread here on "One Minute Meditation" (that may not be the actual name) that teaches you to get in the habit of doing this. I find it works well, and it literally takes only one minute, and you do it anywhere. I use it as a quick anytime stress reliever.

Exercise is good - even a walk after dinner can be very relaxing - plus I think it helps when we replace AL with something with positive benefits. I told myself I am making positive changes, making my health better and in the process looking better.

On L- Glute and kudzu - I found the doses had to be adjusted up until I found the best dosage for me. I also spread them out through the course of the day. Anyway, I wish you luck on your journey. Take care. :h

[anon]

Stupid mind tricks!!

Brilliant thread. I am only on day 2 again but can empathise so much. Not so much to say as I am so new at all this. It is 5 30 pm here and this is the time the urges start. So following the HALT idea (new to me) I have had something to eat and then I am off for a long walk and then dinner with some Orange juice and soda already in the fridge waiting.Good luck Poe

[Guest]

Stupid mind tricks!!

Remembering HALT is a very useful tool. I found the only way I've been able to do it has been to NOT think about tomorrow, or even yesterday just think about this minute. You are ok yes?You aren't drinking and that's all that matters. For me if I dared project I would decide to drink and that would be that.

It works. Hot baths, soothing music, walks don't do much for me regards cravings - even though I adore music, bath bombs and keeping fit I can do all of those whilst planning a drink. What does work for me is switching that ole brain off. Keeping things simple with a hot sweet drink, duvet and iplayer to watch. Tell myself it's off to sleepy land. That's what works for me. When I wake up it'll be another day.

[eire go brea]

Stupid mind tricks!!

Hi Poe, very new to this too! It's the psychological craving that trips me up every time. Had heard of HALT but, of course, conveneiently forgot it - would always defer dinner until my " dose" of AL was done! I'm on day 1 and now is my witching hour but here I am posting instead and going to go get my pizza and fizzy water in a few minutes! I'm not familiar with Kudzu (yet)but came accross the following article RE Gabapentin( an anticonvulsant) that appears to be gaining some evidence in helping with cravings and sleep when used off licence ( i.e. not to treat seizures) Also like the attitude of the doc commenting that all the standard treatments don't really focus on making the alcoholic feel better. Don't know if my attempt to copy the dang thing will work as am not techie at all. My point is, thought that if craving is your stumblingblock then have a plan, whatever planthat works for you. MAYBE you have a doc who might consider something like gabapentin, if they consider it suitable for you. In any event the best of luck to you!!
By Sue Mulley

HONG KONG (Reuters Health) Jun 09 - Gabapentin reduces relapse rates in newly abstinent alcoholics, according to research presented at the 27th World Congress of the International College of Neuropsychopharmacology.

Dr. Barbara Mason and her colleagues at Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, reported that gabapentin improved depression and sleep disturbance scores in this group of patients.

"By the time someone is an alcoholic, they are not drinking for the buzz, but because they are anxious and depressed," Dr. Mason said in an interview with Reuters Health.

She and her colleagues randomized 150 outpatients with current DSM-IV alcohol dependence (but no other major psychiatric disorders) to 12 weeks of double-blind treatment with placebo or gabapentin (900 or 1,800 mg/day) and weekly counseling. On average, subjects were abstinent for 3 days before study entry.

After 12 weeks, significantly more subjects in the gabapentin group wanted to continue therapy and believed treatment was helpful with their symptoms, Dr. Mason said.

About 20% of subjects on 900 mg gabapentin and almost 24% on the 1,800 mg dose completely abstained from drinking compared to about 16% on placebo. There was a significant linear dose response trend (p

[Cinders]

Stupid mind tricks!!

Eire Go Brae,

Just as an FYI, I take 1800 mgs/day of Gabapentin (aka Neurontin) for my Cluster Headaches and have for several years. It never helped with my cravings at all. 1800 mgs/day is the maximum dosage.

The only thing that has helped me, so far, has been Baclofen. In the Meds Forum, there are a number of threads on Baclofen, Naltrexone, Campral, etc. You might want to go in there, read a bit, and Google a bit more.

Remember, though, any med that can affect your brain chemistry is a serious medication. I use my GP and a doctor who is up on the Baclofen trials to work with me.

Good luck with whatever path you choose.

Cindi

[patrice]

Stupid mind tricks!!

Hi, all great suggestions here because I am new too. I still am struggling with day 1, I'm not sure why I can't get past that day but I'm finding it really hard...but Day 1 again...its almost as if in some subconscious way I want to delay feeling better, looking better, dealing with life more constructively. Because I know I will immediately feel better even after day 1... mmm the brain is strange.
For me doing exercisse early in the day makes it less likely for me to drink later and eating really well early in the day too because then I feel I have been good to my body so why ruin it with AL.
Also getting into PJs early with numbing TV for me is great!!!

[hillsidetime]

Stupid mind tricks!!

Hi Poe, I really understand how you are feeling. For me, that is how my attempts at moderation went for like a decade. Also the times I quit forever, never lasted past Thursday. I wish though, that I had quit without having to go through so much pain, reaching rock bottom. I hope t that if you (and anyone) are not yet at rock bottom, that you can stop now.

Through people here I learned the concept of urge surfing, and it was the key for me. Once I could think of an urge as a wave, that I know will be coming along, I gained power. The urges will come, in different sizes. Some stronger, some last longer etc, BUT they will pass. Sometimes I had to close my eyes and think this in my mind to fight the urge, but I got through it.

If you can get through a couple of weeks I will bet it slowly improves for you. All the best,
Hill

[Doggygirl]

Stupid mind tricks!!

Very good posts so far! I found it important to have very specific plans in place. I made a written list of things to do. There was a wide variety of stuff on my list. When strong urges would hit, I didn't have to think much (was not capable of much thinking under the grip of a strong urge!). I would just pull out my list and pick something.

Research has shown that distractions are an excellent way to cope with urges. ACTIVE things (exercise, go for a walk, clean a closet, go shopping, etc.) are more effective than PASSIVE things (reading, watching TV) at distracting from urges. But I had both types of things on my list and it seemed the important thing for me was to do SOMETHING different. My urges got worse if I just stared at them.

DG

[poe1013]

Stupid mind tricks!!

Thanks so much to everyone for the advice! Knowing about HALT I think will help. I notice I am hungry when I get home so I'm going to start actually taking a snack with me to work and eating it on the way home so hopefully that will help.

I'm one day one again, ( had a big birthday party for my sister yesterday). The nice thing is, Sundays are the best day for me to start because we can't buy liquor on Sundays in my state so I don't even get the urges. I'm going to experiment with dosages of l-glut and Kudzu and see if I can get it down right to help the cravings. I really don't want to go down the medication road. I'm always looking for herbal or supplements for all ills before getting on medication.

Hopefully this week goes a little better.:thanks:

[spuddleduck]

Stupid mind tricks!!

poe, ive just posted in the newbies nest about fast forwarding in you mind the scenario if you have a drink. go forward an hour, 2 hours, 12 hours and see how the picture pans out. it often stops me having that first drink