We have to accept that we are alcoholic and drinking in moderation is as likely as jumping out a 2nd story window and flying. Once I know I'm alcoholic, admit it, accept it, I can live with it.
I've had some drinking thoughts, pretty regularly, but I don't have to entertain them or act on them.
I hope I never believe my own bullshit enough to pick up a drink. I know full well I'm capable of it, so I look for daily reminders of who I am, and what will-not what might- happen if I take even a sip.

Yes, daily reminders...that's why I logged back in here.

well i'm glad you did too. it is an everyday thing we have to remind our subconscious that we cannot and will not drink booze for any reason. i kept fooling myself until i had liver issues. partly due to booze, mostly to a hereditary metabolic condition. big wakeup call. once my liver got back to normalish, i could technically have a social drink. but in the real world. i can't have just one, ever. i only have one year, and my brain still tries to create ways to sabotaging my happiness. once appropriately depressed that should be a good reason.. not.
remember to keep hydrated ( juice's and water type hydration). be honest, be aware, and absolutely and prostidamnlutely, you should try again. you are worth it. we aint no bitch to mr. booze no more. right?
well you take care and take it slow and easy. take up a hobby. i tried tap dancing, but i kept falling out of my tree.
we are here for ya.
dc

I have so many hobbies, and they do suffer when I drink. I skipped skiing because of a hangover, and I skipped reading because I couldn't focus. I now know that I can't ignore alcohol, I have to be cognizant of my willpower to not drink. I'd rather just forget it like it doesn't exist, but that plan didn't work out for me.

Hi! Glad you posted. I yearn to drink, too, and wish it would go away. I am slowly learning, that for me, not drinking takes more than will power. I can't let anger and sadness fill up my head, because they are triggers. It is easier said than done. Don't know if this helps or not, but your posts helped me.

Good luck! Stay strong!

I found that I went through some shifts in my sobriety. The first weeks were just muscling my way through. The next few months were about dealing with cravings that would occasionally sneak in and whack me on the head so strongly that I felt dizzy. By six months I was dealing with lots of different situations where others were drinking and I was tempted, but I had internal and external resources (like DS) that I could rely on for support. At about nine months I realized that I had changed. I was no longer a drinker who was not and could not drink, I was a non drinker. So thinking I can drink socially is pretty foreign now. I am a non drinker so that is not part of who I am. Not sure if that makes sense.....

It changes. At 2+ years I feel like I have to pay attention to my thoughts about drinking -- make sure they are healthy. But I don't yearn to drink. I don't even think about it much.

Keep posting, keep talking about it. Alcohol ran your life while you were drinking. It is going to take center stage for awhile when you quit, but not forever.

Thanks for checking back in! ...While my path did differ from ExJersey's the urge actually has gone away. I no longer have any physical or even mental craving for alcohol. It took over a year of complete abstinence for that the happen. I still need support and continue with my home group at AA for that because I want to be able to tap into that support if/when I "really" need it. Now and then I have the thought that "gee a drink would be nice" but I always am able to think it through. I DON'T want to go back to that place so am very happy not drinking.

I think it depends at where your at in your sobriety. Early times it does nag at you alot and then tapers off but don't be fooled. It is patient and always ready to pull you back into the snakepit. I try to take it day by day and I have learned to me its the best way. I fell off alot by not taking it seriously but every time it also strengthen my desire to move forward and get support. Every time we go back out it just postpones our recovery and we are worth getting sobriety. We have beat ourselves up so much and now is the time to do whats right.

I think that is the reason we are all here, isn't it?

It does make sense that sobriety occurs at a slow pace, and in stages. But drunkeness happened for me very quickly. That's why I'm expecting it to go away just as quickly. But it isn't, and I appreciate your support at DS. I'm thinking of stopping by at a church that advertises an addiction program with a big ole sign out front. And then next I'm thinking I can just do it on my own.

seaq; my sis, who is a 30 year non drinker and trained in rehab counseling , is my main resource for my rehabin. well she says that it took us a long time to get this far into this forest of life. it may take just as long to walk back out. don't be hard on yourself. you can do it by yourself to an extent. i found DS and yall here.
you just have to really not just want, but need to stop. we really can be happy and enjoy life without booze.
when i first started to quit , i stopped drinking at all the usual events etc, one at a time. i learned how to live life without booze. i didn't know i could fish sober!!?? and for the first time in many years, i didn't embarrass myself and family at family events. i have just spent my first sober year.
you will too.
keep strong.