URGE SURFING

[K9Lover]

URGE SURFING

Hi Jennie!

Instead of "I don't GET to drink", I tell myself "I don't HAVE to drink". I am free! You can be too! Good job on getting to day 3. Brushing your teeth and putting on PJ's is a hell of a lot better than what I used to do...pass out and not remember how or when!

I'm glad you're feeling good...embrace it and remember how BAD alcohol made you feel!

K9

[mario]

URGE SURFING

jenniech;1360830 wrote: Day 2 and first urge has hit me. Need to workout as soon as work is done for the day.....need to refer to my list of why i can't drink anymore......YUK.....But, I must remember : I do not drink.
:upset:

Urges to drink, or cravings, can be triggered by things you see in the environment that remind you of using alcohol. Physical signs may include tightness in your stomach or feeling nervous through your body; psychological signs may include increased thoughts of how good you would like to feel from using alcohol or drugs, remembering times you used alcohol in the past, planning how you would go about getting a drink, or feeling you need alcohol.

An extremely important point to remember is that craving and urges are time-limited, that is, they usually last only a few minutes and at most a few hours. Rather than increasing steadily until they become unbearable, they usually peak after a few minutes and then die down, like a wave. Urges will become less frequent and less intense as you learn how to cope with them.

Skill Guidelines
Learn how to recognize urge ?triggers? so you can reduce your exposure to them.
1. Common triggers include?


?Exposure to alcohol itself.
?Seeing other people drinking.
?Contact with people, places, times of day, and situations commonly associated with drinking (such as drinking buddies, parties and bars, getting home from work, weekends).
?Particular types of emotions (such as frustration, fatigue, feeling stressed out). Even positive emotions (elation, excitement, feelings of accomplishment) can be triggers.
?Physical feelings (feeling sick, shaky, tense).
2. Some triggers are hard to recognize, and self-monitoring can help you recognize them, keep a note of triggers in your blog.

3. The easiest way to deal with cravings and urges is to try to avoid them in the first place. This can be done by reducing your exposure to craving triggers (getting rid of alcohol in the house, not going to parties or bars, reducing contact with friends who drink, and so on). However this is not always possible or desirable and certainly not as a long term strategy.
:goodjob:

[jenniech]

URGE SURFING

Thank you all for your support!! Went to an AA meeting during lunch today and now have a sponsor. We spoke of avoiding situations where urges hit....She also spelled it all out so clearly for me:
I am lucky and grateful to be a top bottom alcoholic...nothing horrible has happened in my life but because of my childhood experiences (father died at 57 from alcohol) I recognize this is progressing, it will only get worse, it makes me feel physically horrible and I don't really like my drinking self - plus my children are getting to the point where they don't like me much as a drunk either (who would?). I want to be free but freedom comes with a price.....lots of hard work and I am ready and willing this time......excited even!! Just wish this initial phase was over......but felling very hopeful...