I have a suggestion. If you get a therapist, make sure it is a therapist who is qualified in addiction counseling! I have seen both and the ones without the certificate in addiction counseling, seem to miss the connection and are not as helpful as the ones who are qualified. You will have to ask because they will not volunteer this information.

Good luck and God Bless

If you still have issues with anxiety after two weeks you should see a doctor or a regular therapist to have it properly diagnosed. I don't recommend an alcoholic counselor. They are poorly trained, especially with issues not involving alcohol. You are at the point, where it is not withdrawal symptoms. Your doctor can help.

Hello Pavlov7,

Print out the last sentence of your post in big letters and put it where you can read it every day.

Your story is a lot like mine in some respects and I will tell you what I think may work for you. Obviously you have come to realize, as I did some years ago, that drinking is likely to bring you to a very bad place. For me, it was important to know the exact reasons why I could not drink safely. After that, acceptance of reality was the key. I got a good deal of knowledge about alcoholism by going to AA meetings but you don’t necessarily have to go to meetings. If I were you, I would get a copy of the Big Book (Alcoholics Anonymous) and also study the video at the link below.

The solution suggested in the BB and in the video is the AA approach to recovery. However, what it really boils down to is a change in your way of thinking and there are several ways that you can get to the same destination. Dealing with past issues and putting right your relationship with other people are crucial pieces of the jigsaw. I think that for therapy to be successful for you, it would be helpful to first of all plot out with your therapist the exact goals that you wish to achieve rather than wandering through it aimlessly.

Once you know the reasons why you cannot drink and accept the reality of where you are at, you can put alcohol out of your mind completely. Put drinking in the past and look at how you can meet future challenges so that you can make the very best of your life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pVBDQPC2XQ

Another idea, keep busy. That won't do it alone, but it definitely helps just to keep your mind off of things. Drink pop, water, eat candy and other sugary foods. You can do it!

Hi Pavlov,
It's very good that you came to this conclusion before the problem spun out of control. So many of us let it go way too long before seeing the light.
I understand how you feel about the meetings. i feel the same way. I located a meeting close to home, but have not been there yet. But this group has been an inspiration to me. I have found a strength that I never had in previous (many) attempts to quit. This time I admitted to myself that I really had a problem and I was going to do something real about it this time. I check in here daily and read posts, sometimes I reply back. I know that I am not the only one out there who had this problem, and that it wasn't my fault, just the way my DNA was programmed. Almost 7 weeks now and I don't miss the alcohol. I have had two great sober holiday weekends so far, and I am loving the clear head every morning.
Good luck to you.

Hi everyone. I really appreciate all your advice and encouragement. I am new to sobriety, so I'm happy to get all the advice I can get.

Congratulations to all of you for your sobriety, and thank you for the inspiration!

I quit a million times I just needed help staying quit ... I would get to feeling better and think , just a couple, I deserve it.. Then bam I would be back to daily drinking! I needed to replace the old habit with a new one. I found help in meeting other alcoholics. I too was afraid of groups and opening up , but for me to change and GET sober I had to learn how to interact and cope. I hope for long lasting soberiety for you. It beats the shame, guilt, and remorse of drinking. 1is2many

You quit drinking two weeks ago, you feel great and don't have cravings. Why are you terrified that you might drink again? I hope you also feel good about yourself and how far you've come. You've accomplished a lot -- congrats!

I quit without AA or meetings. I had concerns about relapse too. So I learned how to deal with cravings and thoughts of drinking and how to live sober. You might want to check out SMART Recovery -- look them up online and check out their resource page. Also, I recommend reading Allen Carr's book, "The Easy Way to Stop Drinking." You are doing the right things -- working out and staying busy will help. You might get cravings if you are thirsty, hungry, or tired so make sure you drink lots of water, eat good food and gets enough sleep. You might want to see a counselor -- it is the most effective support you can have in early sobriety.

Glad you found us -- keep up the good work!

I have what helps me, and that is to make the choice everyday to not drink that day. I also have alternative drinks that are special, but not alcoholic. As time goes on I have not needed them as much.

You have to follow your spirit. There is all kinds of advice, Go to AA. Don't go to AA. You need to follow what suits you.
I just use DS. It fits me well. AA was not a good place for me.

I would suggest reading the book,"Living Sober." It is a practical book on ways to deal with cravings such as taking a walk or eating something sweet. If you don't like AA, you can skip that part. I used to have the worst cravings so I had those lolly pops with the bubble gum in it which helped as well as drinking soda.

This is a good group.

Hugs

Pavlov whatever your solution ends up being make sure you have a support system. Alcohol tricks the mind and lures many back that have declared sobriety.

Hi everyone, I'm already really liking this group! Yesterday I had a passing craving, but decided to get chips and soda instead.

HALT
Don't get hungry angry lonely or tired. Or worse any combo of these! This is a mental problem but it is triggered by physical things. The mind is powerful but you have to be aware when something is wrong, address it, and move forward. Alcohol is ( WAS) basically all sugar. When you have a craving sugar will short circuit the brain and satisfy the compulsion. And I was not a believer in God but now I do ask a prayer to my Higher Power to give me a little help. Just the small prayer will give my mind just a second of reprieve and somehow works. Also I found that bring great ful really helps. Write a list of all the good things in life. As an alcoholic I tend to focus on the 1% bad and I have to train myself to see the 99 % good. Life IS good. Sober IS good. Cmon!
1-2

Sweets do help me with cravings, but trying not to go over board on them too I reward a bad week or really bad day with a few sqre of good chocolate or once a week ice cream or a piece of cake. I say the serenity prayer a lot too. That helps in the moment