You've got it!

God Bless!

Well done - keep up the good work.

You can do it.

Done!!!

1is2many

Hi April and welcome. 3 days was the longest I was dry for 10 yrs. Even 1 day was miraculous for me. Have you ever asked God, Buddha, the neighbor's cat or a "higher power" to remove your compulsion to drink?

Believe me, I was skeptical too. I didn't have faith in anything outside of me but I was so desperate to stop and get off the merry go round that I tried it and whatever "it" was, my compulsion went away.

I pray you just keep putting one foot in front of the other. You can do this! Hugs, Dianna

Congrats on day 3! I feel like those days are the hardest, but I would give myself 2 day hangovers.

I also have depression and I used alcohol to cope for a long time. Have you come up with some healthier coping mechanisms? I use excercise (running, walking, biking) photography, deep breathing and other things. Prayer, too! I definitely believe in the power of prayer.

Hi April
I agree with gr8tful and icoi that the first days are the worst.
I am only on day 13 myself. But life is getting much better. I have a clear head now and I am able to think now without the fog. I think about how much of my life I have wasted being wasted. I have spent the last 30 years in and out of the haze of drinking. I'm 57 now, and I don't know how much time I have left, and I want to spend this remaining time without alcohol.
April, you are so young and you have your whole life ahead of you yet. I pray that you have the strength to continue sober.
Your depression is easing up and you feel better about yourself after 3 days sober. Just wait, it gets much better!!! I wish you the best!

Hi April, keep going, you have done the hard bit - it's behind you.
Mech, you are doing so well - well done. A great post too for April to take on board.
G.

Well done. 3 days. That can be the hardest. Keep going one day at a time. Each day you will find your health coming back. The alcohol will leave your body and if you are feeling depressed from coming off the alcohol you will feel amazing in a week. Good luck.

Prayers..I know how you feel. I need prayers also

You will always be in our thoughts and prayers, and if you don't feel you can resist the temptation to drink, message one or more of us here before giving in to that urge. We are here to help you and to help each other and in doing so, we help ourselves in the process.

God Bless!

Hey aprilmillett88!

How are you doing now? I see that you posted here over a week ago :)
Sending you my love to you.

I am sober for a year now and can totally relate to what you said. The first two weeks were the most difficult in my life. But I can say that it's definitely worth the struggle. I thought that some of the things I did might be useful for you to stay focused and motivated.
And for now, just stay positive and keep yourself distracted. That's at least how I managed to get rid of booze in my life.

I remember when I decided to quit drinking I didn't know how to live without the substance anymore. It seems to me now that everything I did in my free time used to involve alcohol. The tricks I used were a bit childish from my perspective, but it worked.
If you drink at home, I suggest giving away all the bottles you still have to your friends/relatives or homeless people, whoever you choose. Or just simply throw it away. But make sure that you wouldn't take it out of the garbage. I poured all the alcohol I had into the sink, so I wouldn't be tempted.
If you tend to drink when you get back home after work or at certain times, make sure you are busy doing something when the time comes. I signed up to yoga classes, so it kept me away from home and old habits every other day. When there was nicer weather, I drove to the sea and had long walks on the beach. I'm quite a responsible person, so I know that I won't drink if I have to drive. It made me stay away from shops or pubs. If you're taking someone for a drive, make sure that the person knows that you're quitting. Or take a friend without driving's licence. It will make you feel a bit more responsible.
If you're going out and you know that you'll be tempted to have a drink or two, take a friend with you who doesnt drink. Or drink fizzy drinks. It will fill you up and give you some energy from sugars...
Make a list of things that you really want to do but can never find money for it. It can be simple as buying a new pair of shoes, bike, etc. or big things like going to Spain or Disneyland. Print the pictures of the things you want and put them everywhere, especially the places where you used to drink like in front of TV, etc. And then put the amount of money, which you used to spend on alcohol in a piggy bank every day. The list will keep you motivated and you will get a prize in the end! That's how I found out that I actually love travelling :)
By the way, I heard that going to the sauna 3 days in row helps you get rid of a fair amount of toxins from the alcohol through sweat. And it becomes slightly easier to quit.

I'm not sure if I can post links in this forum, but I want to share a few websites or books which helped me a lot.

http://www.pbinstitute.com/tips-for-getting-and-staying-sober/
This one is simple. Just basic 50 tips on how to stay sober. It helped me realize that I actually drank because I couldn't be myself and that I was bored of my life. I realized that I don't have any passion for life anymore, so I started working on it a lot. Now I travel a lot. I actually spend pretty much the same amount of money for my travels. You probably don't realize it, but booze costs a lot. Try and count how much do you spend on drinks every month. I realized that I could go on adventures at least once every three months.

http://www.positivelypresent.com/2012/07/6-stay-sober-suggestions.html
This article inspired me to truly look for happiness, not only a temporary feeling which ended in horrible hangovers. And yes, it's mentioned that you need to tell someone from your family or friends about what's troubling you. Be honest with them. They actually care more than it seems sometimes. My mom helped me a lot in this. I even used to call in the middle of the night, because I couldn't control the craving sometimes and it made me feel depressed. But she wanted to help and actually helped more than she knows :)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Naked-Mind-Discover-Happiness-ebook/dp/B016JP45PU
If you like reading books, try reading "This Naked Mind" by Annie Grace. She talks a lot about the brain and alcoholism and learning to rewire our subconscious mind when it comes to drinking. Making a conscious decision not to drink and stuff like that. I found it very useful :)

http://healgobody.com/2016/05/25/alcoholfreeforeverreview/
Oh, this one is a bliss. I recommended this book to my friend who was struggling with extensive drinking and he said that if not this book, he would probably be still stuck in drinking routine. I read it too and totally recommend it to you. It step by step walks you through the journey of sobriety. It encourages you to find the reason why did you start drinking in the first place, what can you do about it, helps you to make a detailed diet plan which will help you recover from all the damage dealt from alcohol, etc. Anyways, I'd say this is a must have if you struggle with booze and want to quit.

I hope that any of the suggestions above will help xx
Take care!