Yes I got you on this, listen real close okay. I did it on my own for 30 days in a motel by myself with every reason to go and drink this is how I did it. Tell yourself "I am not thinking that way anymore I am turning my life in a different direction." I myself struggle with drinking and thats what I did everytime the temptation would come, you gotta find that inner strength I know you have in there and push forward. There is going to be nothing that will fully take away the feeling of wanting to drink, all you can do is let the time keep going. Watch as the time goes and keep telling yourself that phrase untill it goes away and every time the feeling comes back start saying it again and again. It will be the hardest 30 days of your life but I believe in you man I know you can fucking do it!!! do it!!!! I believe and know you can do it if you want, take that want and fight those urges everyday will be the hardest days of your life but in the end it will be worth it. Then keep going from there on, the farther you get without it the easyier it gets; although, temptation will always rise but you will find you can tell yourself no and everytime you do is a victory for you!! do it I know you can!!! I KNOW IT do it!!!

find something that will make time go by, it won't take your mindset off drinking and the feeling; although, the longer you go, the more you beat that feeling. It really sucks that the feeling of wanting to drink doesn't necessarily go away by keeping you busy, it is just to make time go by. The more time you can make go by faster by doing anything gets you further and further from touching it again. I also would highly recommend push-ups specificly because it helps you for the moment and makes you feel better but not every time. The main point is to make every hard day to the end of the day. Everyday will be the ultimate personal victory for yourself!! and tell people about it, people will be happy for you!!!

Have you tried googling a local AA meeting? That is where I found all kinds of support from people who had been in my shoes and understand exactly how I was feeling, people who shared their strengths, and their wisdom from years of sobriety! People that welcomed me with open arms and were willing to do anything they could to help me stay sober. People who handed me their phone numbers and told me to call them anytime day or night and they would answer and I have to admit, there were a few times when I called my AA sponser late at night and he talked me out of taking a drink each and every time! That was 9 years ago! Today I have a great life and I have never been happier!

AA was the support that worked for me!

God Bless

Hello Carat127,

The first thing to remember is that even though life seems bleak right now, there is hope for the future. Not only can you stop drinking but you can actually start living a life of freedom.

I tried hard to do it on my own but had to admit that I could not do it. When things got desperate enough I went to AA meetings and have not had a drink since. Why do you have no support? Can you get to meetings in your area?

Stopping drinking without treating the underlying issues is just like sweeping dirt under the carpet – it is out of site for now but your house will soon begin to stink. I had to make changes to my way of thinking but I could never have done it without help.

You can do it too but it takes a willingness to change. Why not start today by going to an AA meeting?

You should read The Lies Alcohol Told Me. I got it on Amazon for a few bucks. I think there is a online program that you can get too but I just read the book and it really changed my perspective. I am a heavy drinker, definitely headed towards some kind of health related problem if I don't put the bottle down, so I empathize with you. I drink, have a hangover, drink, have hangover, repeat with a mixture of piss poor decision making sprinkled on top. Try the book, try a meeting, hang out here. It's more than just willpower, really. Support and an accountability buddy will take you further in my opinion. Good luck!

So many good shares here, I'll keep mine short. I've been fairly successful in life and thought I could tackle my alcohol addiction on my own if I just commit, focus and execute a sobriety plan that included abstinence, working out, proper diet and avoiding temptation. I failed numerous times with this approach since it didn't include the necessary work to expose and resolve the issue that drove me to drinking in the first place. Drinking or drugging is just a symptom of an underlying problem. Until that is exposed and understood, anything else was temporary for me. Yes, stop drinking to begin with. Absolutely. But get help too. For me the AA twelve steps along with a similar 12 step approach for Buddhists is helping me stay sober today. You are worth it Carat. If you ever want to talk one on one, just drop me a line...Good luck!!!

Sorry for pain you are going through. I can honestly relate because, like you, I was alone and experienced the exact same emotions you are experiencing now. I realized through prayer and listening to sermons that I was never alone. I asked GOD to take the taste of alcohol away from me. He did. My depression was replaced with joy. My desire for alcohol changed to my desire go back to school, set and reach goals. You are never alone. We are all created for a purpose. You are valuable and loved. I hope this helps you.

I'm only on day 3- I always imagine that I'll wake up proud I stayed free. Every morning will be a reason to celebrate.

AA did it for me. Didn't want to go, was scared shitless actually. My wife went with me, I opened up and cried. Probably the best day of my life.

Because of that and the people that surrounded me I am a better husband, father, employee, friend, son and person.

AA is like a buffet. There is a lot of stuff served up there, and a lot of people. You don't have to like all of them or believe in certain things. You need what works for you.

The message is different for everyone, try it. As you'll hear here- it has not worked for everyone, and they've found other methods to keep them from drinking.

I get my support here. Find member here that you like .click on there name and make a friend request. You can share Journals. Journals can be marked for friends only and you can email each other. It's best to share with newcomers, who are going through the same experience.

I tried to do it alone a million times. Every day actually. I'd be back on the nipple by sundown. Drinking was how I coped with life. The good and the bad. It was the only thing that worked. Until like a viper it turned and bit back.

So I found a group of other alcoholics and asked for help. That was the watershed moment. I never asked anybody for anything until that day. That was over 5 years ago.

It works

1is2many

I quit on my own 7 years ago. I figured that I was the one who was drinking so I was the one who had to quit -- no one could do it for me. That said, if I failed, I would have gone to a rehab. You have to do what YOU need to get out of the hell that alcoholism brings.

I couldn't stop drinking and I couldn't stand it anymore. So I quit. It was that simple. Not easy, but simple. It was getting through every moment by not drinking in that moment. Pretty quickly I started seeing the benefits of not drinking, and the cravings eased up as well.

I am a non drinker now. No desire to drink and I don't think about it much. It took work in the beginning, but less effort than all the planning I did around drinking and hiding bottles and dealing with hangovers and trying to remember the night before and all the other crap drinking brings.

Everyone is different in the level of support they need to decide to get sober - some require more support to stay sober.......
I have to agree with exjerseygirl though, it takes less energy and planning to be sober than it does to drink without the guilt and shame - how many excuses do you make to get out to buy the drink, what do you do to hide the bottles and how many lies do you tell to excuse your behaviour? Xxxx