Please don’t do it, do anything else. Order food and watch a movie, drug yourself with melatonin and Benadryl and go to bed, but don’t drink!! I relapsed plenty of times over that craving and it’s never ever worth it. IWNDWYT

Can you go get ice cream right now? Go get ice cream.

Don‘t throw 2.5 years away. This day will be over at some point and you will have managed! Stay strong please 👍🏻

How about a nice meal instead?

"Life has improved dramatically since getting sober".

You said it.

Thank you all so much, seeing all your kind messages was really touching. Im glad to have the support of others who know what its like. I decided to eat a bunch of pizza tonight instead. I feel stuffed, but im glad I wont feel hung over tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who reminded me to play the tape forward and to find something else to do for tonight. Thank you for all the great points and personal stories. Im not going to drink tonight.

I'm glad you're here and reaching out. Acknowledging this feeling "out loud" is a really good step.

If there is something that triggered this, acknowledge what happened and take some time to process those emotions. Drinking won't help. It will only bury the problem.

And, like previously stated, you will never wake up and regret not drinking. Take care - IWNDWYT!

Play that tape forward….think about how you’ll feel tomorrow after a crap night of sleep. IWNDWYT ♥️🦋🌺

Can you go get ice cream right now?

Whatever it was that’s driving you to want to numb out is not worth it. You can survive that and you will get past this. Whenever I want to drink I remind myself to just stay sober till my head hits the pillow. Tomorrow is a new day. IWNDWYT

PS- please check in with us!!!

Don't do it! I just finished a 26r and a few drinks this morning. Worst hangover and I hate everything about it.

Didn't play with my kids, didn't help with dinner, just lying in bed existing. It's terrible.

Back on day one again but I'm ready to ride this train home.

For me what helps is thinking, I’ve already done the drinking part of my life. I drank freely and as much as I wanted from like 16 to 38 years old. That’s over 2 decades ive indulged, given into temptation, “kissed the bottle”. I know what it is and what it’s about after drinking for that long time. And that period is now over. That version of myself is in the past. I let this version of myself - the sober, clear headed, and self respecting version - live.

After spending the last 5 years wrestling with sobriety (probably sober about 80% of the days in the last half decade) I am grateful that the temptations are fewer and far between.

But notice I didn't say "gone".

For me, I know that harmful temptations (of many kinds) will always present themselves. It's part of this whole "human experience."

What truly helps me is to remember that not ONE SINGLE DAY in my entire life, even in my drinking days, did I wake up the next morning and say "Man, I wish I had drank (or drank more) last night."

Tomorrow you will thank Today you for going to bed sober, I can promise you.

Go find a meeting - walk right in. It’ll help, I promise.

Don’t do it. I like the idea of getting ice cream or having a nice meal. Treat yourself tonight, you have gotten through 2.5 years you can get through tonight.

All I can do is say the best thing for me is to imagine in what state i want to wake up in. Would tomorrow me be more happy if I drank or didn't? The answer is always the same.

Having relapsed several times this year, it REALLY is not worth it! I have voice note journals and other notes to myself when I did drink in response to this kind of craving and it became so clear the idea I had in my head about alcohol having some kind of benefit was a false idea (built up by alcohol advertising).

Alcohol doesn’t really feel good tbh (maybe for 10-15 minutes max), it’s just inebriation, and being hungover sucks and alcohol is addictive so it is way too easy to fall back into harmful drinking patterns.

Just had 2.5 months sober (nowhere near yours but my best since my heavy drinking) and life was better in every aspect, more money, healthier, working out, etc. i thought I’d have one night drinking with my friends bc I was doing so much better what’s the problem with it? Anyways 5.5 days of straight boozing occurred, 3 of the days I don’t remember at all but it ended with an ambulance ride bc I was too drunk to drive myself to the hospital, a 3 day hospital stay and 6 day benzo medical taper. And the progress I lost is beating my ass. I’m so mad at myself. I’m lucky to have cut it at five days and I was only 2.5 months clean. You’re way further ahead, don’t do it. Just know the short term relief will be followed by a lot of regret and misery. Whatever’s making you want to drink, face it head on, or at the very least talk to a friend or someone about and don’t go to the bottle.

Can you go get ice cream right now?

Do something else and treat yourself. Eat, go shopping, buy something new. Call and chat or cruise Reddit. This will pass.

Do not do it! Not today! If you feel the same way tomorrow, then that’s ok, but NOT TODAY!! You only have to get through today. Go home and go to bed if you have to. Just get through today. You’ve got this!

I'm not much further alcohol free than you are and I've heard the calling lately too

What i do is think about tomorrow, the hangover, the regret, the shame of letting those around me down

The fallout always outweighs the benefits

It's that freaking monkey pulling on your shirt tails, always waiting for the slightest chance to climb right back up. I hate that little bastard.

Go soak in hot water, eat ice cream, or call up your bestie and this will pass.

It's a craving. It WILL pass I can promise you.

Wait it out just for TODAY

I hope, with all my being, and this entire community, you wake up sober OP 🫶🏼

Don't do it! Go drink so much bubbly water. Anything. Call a random friend. Buy a new video game. You're doing so good!

Order food, eat, advil pm. You can get through this urge!

I’m 4 years sober and struggling this week as well. I’ve been hitting the gym, eating whatever I want and taking melatonin to go to sleep early. Don’t drink, it will make things worse for us.

Please don't do it, OP. There's nothing in life that alcohol makes better.

No man, try to do anything but drinking, this shit spirals down so easily. Today I'm in my 28th day, went to a sushi place where I used to drink sake (already drunk on vodka as usual). I had such strange cravings for a moment, it felt like a pretty devil whispering in my ears

Play the tape forward. Thing of everything you have worked for. Sit and meditate with your feelings. Exercise. Get the demons out through sweat, walking, sunlight, music etc. You got this. IWNDWYT 👊💪🤙

Guaranteed regret, and we’ve worked too hard for that.

You've been at it for 365 days. You can make it to tomorrow. One more night is easy. Deal with tomorrow when you get there. Iwndwyt

It’s the perfect time of the season to make a buche de Noel. You start off making a sponge cake. Then roll it up and fridge it for an hour. Beat up a whipped cream icing. Unroll the cake and spread the icing out on the cake. Roll the cake up, wrap it in plastic, and put back in fridge. Heat up some heavy whipping cream then pour that on top of some chopped chocolate to make a ganache. Let the ganache sit in the fridge for 30 minutes. Take out the ganache and cake, pour the ganache over the cake and use a fork to make bark like lines in the cake. Use a sifter to sprinkle some powdered sugar on top. Cut and eat to your hearts desire.

Seriously tho you need to find something to do to occupy your mind and hands, baking has done wonders for me but I also like to read, play might reign, or puzzle. I used to take hour long walks as well listening to an audiobook or podcast. Whatever works. Hang in there

Cravings can surface even after years of strong recovery, and they don’t erase the progress you’ve made. The fact that you reached out instead of acting shows real strength. Taking it one day at a time is enough right now. You’re not alone, and this moment will pass.

Urges and cravings are not real. They are vapor, held up by nothing. Just a feeling. Even the ones that try to make it seem that it’s already decided or inevitable. It’s vaporous nothingness and you have no obligation or reason to obey vaporous nothingness.

I read recently that a craving is like an ember in your brain. It will die out if it doesn’t get its fuel of attention. If we give it too much air, it will burst into flame, so the idea is to shut it down asap and don’t give it air.

What’s happening is that your addiction is stirring. Something woke it up, like the holidays, or the anniversary of something, whatever. Ignore it, and it will go back into dormancy. One drink, and it will do its best to drag you back to exactly where you left off.

It’s easier to stay sober than to get sober, friend.

IWNDWYT

Every time I have tried to stop, I always run into the same roadblock. I tell myself that it’ll be limited to a few, or just one night, but when you start opening those floodgates, eventually more and more “exceptions” will spill through.

Try to do something else, something engaging, relaxing, whatever floats your boat. Gaming, watch a movie, go for a nice walk, anything along those lines. Sobriety is a matter of taking it one day at a time and fighting those urges, you got this man. Sorry for ranting, take care.

Go to bed early! ❤️

How we doin’ now?

Tomorrow you won’t regret not having drank. You will regret drinking. Stay sober for tomorrow you and talk to someone you trust or journal about what’s going on in your head. When you’re craving like that you’re in survival mode and your prefrontal cortex is shutting down. Your thoughts are like a big tangled ball of Xmas lights I. Your head. Talking or journaling untangles those strings of lights. Now you can see what you’re working with, even if there’s burnt out bulbs or strands, you can make a plan. There’s something inside you that needs to come out. Do it safely and soberly.

I believe in you!

I've had bouts like this. The one thing I remind myself of is that tomorrow will be shit. You'll feel so hungover: extreme nausea, headache, lethargic, shakes, etc. And to me that is just not worth it. I never want to feel like that again.

Dude, you are CRUSHING it at 2.5 years. I wish I had 2.5 years behind me right now. Push through, you got this. YOU GOT THIS.

Splurge on some crazy delivery order and a movie instead

So many thoughtful comments already. In solidarity with your continued sobriety IWNDWYT.

Please don't drink!

Don't do it, go eat something with protein and look at cute cat videos until you fall asleep instead.

I will not drink with you today.

I have been there. Numerous times. My saving grace is playing the tape forward. I know that one drink turns to 12 and then the worst hangover the next day.

Being hangover-free has been my biggest motivation, hands down! I may not feel the best every day I wake up, but at least I’m not suffering through all the anxiety, sweats, diarrhea, and/or puking that I experienced frequently during my drinking days.

You got this! IWNDWYT!

You are going to feel regret, shame, anxiety, hopelessness all over again. It’s not worth it. Dump it out.

You’re gonna feel so strong and empowered tomorrow, knowing you survived the craving, and you’ll wake to another wonderful day of sobriety. Don’t let those poison ☠️ cravings get ya! Get busy, eat, walk, call a friend, go to bed early. IWNDWYT

Not worth it. Think of that nasty guilt/shame/ anxiety racing heart and realizing that little bitch wants you to be a slave again.

We are here for you. Happy to engage in idle banter for hours to distract you!

Warm baths are underrated

The bottle is isn’t evil it is the mimd. You prob have 1000 days, 24,000 hours, 1,444,000 minutes

Think about that amazing journey

iwndwyt

Please don't start that terrible dance of thinking you can drink like a normal person (if you are an alcoholic like me you can't). I did it SO MANY TIMES! This time it will be different... It never was different.. only different in how much lower I could take myself. I truly wish you the best OP!

IWNDWYT ❤️

Just Don't do it! IWNDWYT

ICE CREAM TIME!!!

It's not worth it to me. I would be back in drinking hell in less than a month.

Been there and done that. 5 years of sobriety and a drink out in NY city on vacation led to 7 years of hard drinking and all the consequences that come with it.

You know what’s on the other side of that bottle. Plus after a long layoff it actually kinda sucks. I ended up feeling flushed, tired, and crappy.

Fuck that shit! You know you don’t want it. It’s not even going to taste good, or feel good. You’re stronger than some flammable liquid! Trust me on this one.

When this happens to me: I go for a walk, listen to a song that I know I love. When it ends see where I’m at. I usually walk more and then write out why I was feeling this way. I use 5 whys in a row and write out what comes to mind. Forcing my mind to slow down and clarify my thoughts to paper has stopped me from my next drink 🙏

When I get the itch, I drive to the grocery store and buy a 2-liter bottle of soda. Bring it home, get a glass with ice and pour the soda in. The acts of “making a drink” whether it has booze in it or not settles my nerves. For me it doesn’t work with cans. It’s going through the motions that helps me shake it off. Sorry tonight is a tough one. Hopefully tomorrow is brighter. IWNDWYT

Frosty at Wendy’s and fries

IWNDWYT

I feel ya bud, but we both know nothing good comes from that nonsense. Do literally anything else. Watch your favorite movie. Draw a picture. Go for a walk. Take an Advil PM and go to bed. Anything. You didn’t come this far, just to come this far. Stay strong friend! IWNDWYT.

So..... why did you quit drinking in the first place? Maybe ponder that.

It’s just a feeling, you don’t need to listen to it.

Do play the tape forward. Be as realistic as possible about how tomorrow would feel. You can find all sorts of things to distract you if you choose to stay sober 20 mins at a time, if necessary. I hope that makes sense. I'm almost 4 weeks in, and I'm working on distracting myself just long enough so the craving passes. IWNDWYT

i’ve been here a lot lately and i’m almost at 4 years. what i think is happening to me is that my brain is just bored. too much good stuff and nothing to stress about and it’s not used to it. just get through the night and have some other indulgence. you don’t want to drink you probably just want something exciting or different from what’s going on now. it will pass, good luck to yoj

Please don’t. One minute at a time. A drink will only change things for the worse

Distract yourself for 20 min. I find my emotional state shifts, even just a little, in that time.

You've done so well to make it this far without drinking. You know that nothing will be better if you pick up a bottle - it's only going to be worse.

You don't need the shame, hangxiety or anything else that comes with drinking.

You deserve sobriety - you've worked damn hard for it.

I get the pain, I really do. I had these thoughts for the first time recently and it's been nearly four years. It was a fleeting moment, it wasn't the kind of invasive thoughts you're having and that was bad enough. I'm proud of you for asking for help, that takes real strength.

IWNDWYT

Reread your 2nd sentence. Again and again and again and again. Play the tape forward, don’t rob your future happiness for an illusion. You got this homie

I’ve never regretted not drinking, but wow have I regretted drinking many many times. This too will pass, I just try to find anything to quiet that part of my mind, exercise, reading, binge watching crappy shows, eating a whole tub of ice cream, anything’s better than drinking.

Just watch the video of the woman in San Francisco ruining her life over the weekend from assaulting people in a restaurant while blacked out. That will make you never want to drink again.

Hide and drink? For me, it’s really more “drink to hide” from the shitty day.

Go to bed. Start again tomorrow. Most things look better after sleeping. IWNDWYT

''tempts me like a sirens song''

ever read the odyssey? what happens to those who sail towards their voice? they ship wreck and die.

2.5 years is very impressive, and it seems your life has improved quite a bit.

For me, whenever I get these thoughts or temptations, I remind myself what will happen should I decide to give in.

Simple answer: Chaos.

Do not do it!!! I’m on day 3 after caving and I still feel like shit. It is NOT worth it!!

Imagine your regret in the morning, you will feel like complete sht.

So instead, Use that money to buy a fat ass burrito and some ice cream. You will thank yourself in the morning.

Christmas time is freaking hard. Social pressure is everywhere. All the worst qualities in corporate culture are amplified. All these gifts to make. All the fun to pretend. And no energy left for your family or yourself.

Do not let it to destroy you. It is not your first rodeo. You had cravings before. We know the drill. If it is unbearable, buy something you normally do not eat. Like a big apple pie. Make strong black tea with lemon and eat this pie to your heart content. Finish it off with Tylenol PM. Take a hot shower, open a window in your bedroom to let cold air in while you are in the shower, put on oversized flannel pajamas, close the window and snuggle under the blankets. You will be asleep in no time

Sending love.

Please don't drink. Read all the regrets in this sub it comes to relapse. 2.5 years is gorgeous! I'm proud of you. Coming here instead of going to a bottle was a smart move. ❤️

Ah man - I just celebrated 3 years on Sunday. Play the tape forward - Imagine how you’ll feel in 6 months when you coulda been celebrating a big round number and instead caved to the poison for no good reason when life was going great. That’s gonna feel shitty. As will the hangover and the enormous guilt and sadness you will feel as soon as you have the first sip. Life is beautiful as it is - be strong!

Don't do it my friend. It's the easiest choice to make, and seemed so simple. The fact that you are here means so much. Trust everyone around you saying Nooooooo. Go make a cup of tea x

Doritos & nacho dip is always a good distraction

IWNDWYT 💛 you will be so proud of yourself tomorrow morning for resisting. you've got this.

Don’t forgot why you quit. It gets hard but sometimes you got to remind yourself why you quit…then celebrate that you did by treating yourself to something. Whatever you’re into. Take that 25 bucks you’d waste on getting wasted and treat yo self. I’m big into sushi and video games. That’d probably be my combo, but I’m a freaking nerd brah

Make it through the day - tomorrow is a new day. And you’ll feel like a million dollars just for doing it (exercising the discipline)

What you have written - sent shivers down my spine. I have forgotten how strong those calls of the voids are. Hope you are alright today.

Maybe you aren't like me, but my experience has been that any time I give the addiction a crack of space it will get as powerful as the last time I drank. If you have over 30 months (approaching 1,000 days!) you know not to be casual about any of this, and how serious of a thing relapsing could be. I am pretty convinced that if I took a drink again I would not make it back out, and definitely too frightened by the prospect to entertain turning to a drink even when things are tough. So the pithy answers are true- you'll kill your streak, you'll feel like shit, regrets, etc. But what I got is a renewed obsession with drinking, and that made everything else impossible.

I’ve been white knuckling it lately, too. What helps me is realizing that I’m in the headspace where if I drink, I’m going to drink-drink. I just know it. And I will wake up at about 3am on the dot with crippling hanxiety. That is an indisputable fact, and I really don’t want to feel that way tomorrow. I tell myself “remember my why”. That is one of about a thousand reasons, but the one that’s been helping me this week. We are right here with you and rooting for you!

I get the urge a few times a week, it’s only been 3 weeks so I am hoping they get spaced further and further apart as time goes on. What I have been doing is walking ( not really loving it) eating a lot of ice cream. ( which has got to stop) and been coming here to hear stories like mine. Maybe find a new way to avoid the urge. I think that Benadryl idea might work. I have bad allergies and I take the allergy Benadryl which is basically a half dose of the regular stuff. I only take it as needed and only if I am not going anywhere because it makes me very sleepy. I don’t know how all this will turn out but for today. IWNDWYT.

Be strong, you really dont want to. Look how far you've come

You aren't the only one, and there's no shame in temptation hanging around you. My heartfelt advice would be to steer clear of the bottle, don't give in. Imagine how you'll feel tomorrow with a terrible hangover a pocket full of change and a belly full of puke. Not worth it. Stay strong. You'll thank yourself tomorrow. I wont be sharing a bottle with you tonight. Best of luck, and you are stronger than you think.

Know that every one of us has been there too. Hope the urge is fleeting and the support here helps. Drinking makes nothing better! IWNDWYT 💕

Don’t think about what you like about alcohol, think about what you love about being sober. Imagine in detail how tomorrow morning will feel and how proud you’ll be. How great that cup of coffee will be, how much you’ll enjoy a good breakfast, walk outside, etc. You got this!!

Dont do it mate! IWNDWYT You have put in all this time, dont let it drain your pockets time energy and sanity!

Ride the wave! The craving will come and go… do you have any sour candy on hand??

Do anything but drink OP!! It's not going to be worth it. I promise you

I have a year of sobriety. I don't want to be that guy again.

The guy who thinks about what drinks he needs to buy on the way home from work, the guy who is nearly out of it from exhaustion but perks back up with two quick beers, the guy who keeps having one more drink when he knows he will pay for it hours from now, the guy with too many drinking stories where he made an idiot of himself....

I am sure there are more reasons I don't want to be that guy.

Don’t do it! It will get worse. You will regret it. Been there, done that. Twice. After long term sobriety.

its like ten days to christmas. Tomorrow and the next two weeks will be hell if you drink and spiral. You will wake up tomorrow in regret dont throw it all away on a tuesday night.

Nah man. Not today. You’ll thank yourself tomorrow and you know it.

IWNDWYT

I hope you stay strong, OP. IWNDWYT! ✌️💚

Please don’t. Just today, ok?

Try to remember the absolute pain that drove you to get sober in the first place. And how much better your life is now. You can do it!

Jack it. Post nut clarity will fix you.

Run 2 miles.

I haven't finished reading all the replies in the post - just wanted to post support ahead of that.

Go to bed. It will pass

I hear you Lately. Choises are that you allow your self to slip once, give in to temptation, relax and silence the voice inside that’s whispering ”Thirsty”… And then once you’ve had yet another lesson on Empty promises, you get back on the teack and continue sobriety towards the three year milestone.

Or you can once more bite the bullet and stay strong, realize that the short excitement only comes with a salty bill later.

Eventually nothing is lost nor gained but the decision is yours, and mine, and everybodys, every day.

I used nature, a walk in the woods, (even at night with a torch) can be so therapeutic and a good distraction. Don’t just walk though, stop and listen to the wind in the trees, the birds singing, the insects amongst the flowers… notice and appreciate the simplicity of the life that surrounds you and clear you mind to make way for reflection of how you ended up here, where you want to be and how you are going to get there.

Ps, I’m a 6foot knuckle dragging punk not a hippy, but you know what by changing my mind set I’m leaving the old binge drinking me behind and moving on with my life.

Is there something you can do to distract yourself until the temptation passes? I know what you mean about tasting it—-that happens to me a lot. It helps me to go do something. If I can, I’ll usually attend an AA meeting online or read the big book.

just play it forward in your head, there’s no advantage to doing it and a lot of drawbacks. Whatever you need to do aside from drinking is what you should do, the feelings will pass.

DON'T DON'T DON'T DON'T DON'T DON'T DON'T DON'T DON'T DON'T DON'T DON'T 

Hope the message is clear, wish you the best 💪

Smoke a joint or eat an edible and order in. You’ll feel better

Dont think of the first drink, think about the next day

2.5 years is quite an accomplishment. I’m sitting on 4 days, and I know there’s going to be many challenges ahead. Alcohol changes our physical bodies in ways we cannot comprehend - they say quitting smoking is the hardest thing to do, but I challenge that with alcohol. The cravings are so powerful and our minds find many excuses to give in to the demon. Tell yourself that the demon no longer controls you, that any form of alcohol is poison to your body. Call a friend you can trust and tell them everything you are going through. Go to a movie, go for a walk, hug your family, hug your pets. Do anything you can to take your mind off the cravings. One……..day………at a time.

I went back out there after 3 years on a previous attempt. It got just as bad, only faster.

Remember, there's nothing so bad in this world that it can't be made worse with a drink.

If you are in a crisis and don't have a sponsor or a safety net, I would suggest setting multiple alarms at like a 15-minute interval. Trying to survive for 15 minutes is much less taxing than trying to survive "forever." Take each successful alarm ring as a building block of courage to keep adding to the wall of security surrounding you until your cravings subside.

After that hurdle has been successfully jumped, I'd recommend physically writing out a timeline of when they started, how long they lasted, and when they stopped. Think about that period of time. What happened? List any thoughts, emotions, current stress factors, current good events, or anything at all that comes to mind! Find what specific item was a known or a potentially new trigger.

Good luck!

Give your cravings a name. Mine's Dennis and I tell him to fuck off.

You got this!

Sounds like its getting the romantic treatment in your mind.

When that happens to me I play it forward, honestly, not sparing the gory details of how it'll actually go down.

Less kissing, more puking. More destruction in my life. No thanks, I say. IWNDWYT

By all means, don’t do that my friend

Congratulations on your 2.5 years

That’s incredible

I drink soda and ask chat gpt questions like “what’s the most believable jfk theory?” “Run a simulation 100x”, maybe try that approach?

I am gonna tell you something op and it isn't going to be nice. Doing sobriety by not drinking is like putting band aids over bullet holes. If you go to the cult there are meetings everywhere that will tell you just "don't drink today". If you're a real alcoholic then here comes the bad news. Not drinking and not working the steps thoroughly could and may kill you. You will find it says in that book that at certain times you are without defense against that first drink. That is where you either surrender to God or the bottle. That's the bottom line. I will pray for you to find what you need to make the right decisions. And that HP ? Does not want you to drink. And the steps are tools you can use to do that. God bless you.

Time to get a standard poodle service alcoholic dog.

I have a theory which I apply. Once I've gotten 'over'my addiction I decide I can have 1 whiskey 1 beer any time I like. Then I stop. Now that I've matured this works for me. I rarely indulge mind you. But this affords me the freedom im searching for.

Don’t forget some cake to go with the ice cream, or a brownie