I can truly say that in the 3 months, I've not had a real craving. I mean, I've thought, "Boy, I'd like to have a drink!" but only when I'm stressed and wanting to unwind. Throughout the day and evening last night, I really, really, really wanted a drink...not for stress, but for the whole thing...the feeling, the taste, etc. I need to get a sponsor, because I was miserable fighting it. I kept feeling like an awful person...I don't NEED that crap. I know it will only ruin my life like it was doing when I made the decision to get sober. But, I did fight it and I feel better knowing that I did, I suppose.
I hope everyone is having a good Saturday and take gentle care!
I'm sorry that you had a bad craving day yesterday. I guess that that can happen to most of us, especially in early sobriety. It certainly happened to me.
I'm glad that you mentioning getting a sponsor. I have a wonderful sponsor and I know that I can contact her any time of the day or night and she'd be there for me. She is helping me to work through the steps and they are wonderful for helping to keep me sober. I truly would be lost without my sponsor.
What you have done by getting through yesterday without a drink is to emerge stronger and more confident. Every time that I had a bad craving day I learned from it. I learned what was the trigger for me and tried my hardest to recognise it next time it happened. So, those days weren't all bad!! And, today is a whole new day!
Have a great weekend and take care of yourself,
Carol
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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. ~Dr. Seuss
Good job on getting through it. I know what you mean about the reasons for wanting to do it - the feeling, taste, etc. Those are always the reasons I want to.
Whenever I get the craving and let it pass I am always so grateful the next morning. The effects of how I would feel in the morning if I had drank are so clear in my mind.
I have been white knuckling it a bit myself lately..........Do you have a call list? ...... and yes, get yourself a sponsor..........then just hang on, it passes.........Hugs......
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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain.
Hi there, and congrats on getting thru that first craving. I think we've all been there. I know that even now, there are times when I will have what feels like a physical craving, don't even have to be under stress, and oft times I realize that my disease is still so rampant in my thinking--I'll find myself missing the insanity, the chaos that used to be in my life, not just the drink. Sick or what? So, I get busy with stuff, call my sponsor, and make myself go thru the whole mental tape from picking up that first drink to ending up in the hospital. Make myself sick before I ever take action. A trick I learned in treatment. "play the tape out". I'm nauseated before the tapes done....a big hug for getting thru it, Wren
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"Never argue with an idiot... They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience..."
And Good for you. The cravings come up in the first year, only sort of natural, after turning to that stuff everytime we need to ecsape what was going on.
And thinking it through, with the Think, Think, Think, is to me the real heart of what is Experience, Strength and Hope. I am an Alcoholic, and with some time in the program, which seems to deminish (as far as what is really important,) with the "amount of time" down to, ALWAYS going to be an Alcoholic, and as Wren said, and I agree, it is not so much the actually cravings, that will bit me in the Butt, but how the thinking will start feeling like a boat that is getting off course, and have to do the work, mandatory, to get back into the right stream of thought, I use the "Your Will, not Mine, be Done". Have been having some days, more than the usual amount of days, in the last months, with the feeling of getting off course in my "Thinking". That to me is the Screaming Red Light Flashing in me, and do that simple Prayer, hundreds of times a day, and the "Letting Go, and Letting God" will bring me back on course.
So, my take is in early Recovery it is the Craving Triggers,that we must tackle with each moment to moment of that Craving, just like you did, then with some time, it turns into the Thinking Problem. If the "Thinking Problem" is not addressed, (Fortunately I feel this is an Emergency way). For my wrong thinking is sitting right in front of the Compulsion just sitting there in Wait.
Someone said a few months ago, something that really stuck with me, because it really scared me, that was, "Our Disease is in the Parking Lot, doing Push ups, while we are inside an AA Meeting"
This Disease that we all share, is a Disease that requires that we never ever drop our Guard.
The Steps of this Program, Steps 1, 2 and 3, and moving beyond those steps, or using the Third Step Prayer, will be my guide. For if I am putting God First in Everything, in my Thinking, then I will come to a place of complete Humbleness and Gratitude to God, for my Sobriety, one day at a time. And I can feel some relief in the saying of "A truly Humble and Grateful Alcoholic, will have a good chance at staying Sober". That is where the work comes in for me, not humble and grateful in my thinking, but deep inside my Heart, with each breath I take, turning My Will and my Life over to the Care of God, as I understand God.
Awe, this Board is so full of Miracles, and thank you so much for your sharing you E.S. & H. with me this morning, just what I needed to hear.
Hope today is a better day, than yesterday, clinging to this Program, as "men, who has lost their legs". That never changes. Working with you Sponsor, is a great place to start. I have heard hundreds and hundreds of times, people talking about their cravings in a Meeting, and it does seem to take the Power OUT of the Craving.
Glad you and I are here with the others, is this 24 hours today.
The fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so called will power becomes practically nonexistent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against the first drink.
The almost certain consequences that follow taking even a glass of beer do not crowd into the mind to deter us. If these thoughts occur, they are hazy and readily supplanted with the old threadbare idea that this time we shall handle ourselves like other people. There is a complete failure of the kind of defense that keeps one from putting his hand on a hot stove.
From 'There is a Solution'
Speaking for myself these cravings are very hazardous. Talking about them is a wonderful thing. Congrats on that one! These thoughts are more powerful than me. Until I tell another alcoholic, in person or over the phone, these thoughts will continue to have power over me. I can't tell you how many times I've heard people talk about wanting to drink at meetings. After talking about it these thoughts no longer have power over us.
The Big Book tells us that we have the compulsion to drink and once we have taken the drink that the craving kicks in. The craving for alcohol only starts after that first one. Until then it's only a compulsion or a desire. Once the craving kicks in all bets are off! See ya when I see ya!
The thing that scares the bejesus out of me is that this compulsion to drink can easily be turned into action or reservations for a drink at a later time. I must talk to other alcoholics (in person) to gain a perspective on this.
These are just my ramblings. I hope you can take something from them!
Justin said all of what I wanted to say....when I have a craving, I have to talk and listen to another Alcoholic....because if I sit in that craving for too long, I'm sure I'll go drink. Without talking and listening to another Alcoholic, I narrowly dodge the bullet-meaning the craving/compulsion/desire will return again and likely with a vengence because my thinking alone can take me out to drink in a nanosecond.
Good for you for talking about it. Now go get a Sponsor!
