How to fight urges to use

I posted on another forum but never a response so I hope I do in this forum. I was addicted to pain killers &have been clean for 3 months. Yaaa!  I feel the best I've ever felt. I still have urges, sometimes they only last a minute.,sometimes they last all day. I go to AA 3 times a week because we don't have NA in my town but they help so much. I also go to counseling. I was just wondering what other people do to fight off the urge to use.

[Pat1956100]

The best thing to do is to stay busy.  Go for a walk, clean a closet, play some music and dance.  Anything but sit and think about how just one wouldn't hurt.  As you know, one is never enough.  It just leads back to where we started and it just gets worse.
Do you have a sponsor?  If not get one and call them when you get the urge to use.
Do anything you can to fight it.  You know that it will pass.  I also find that eating helps.  Especially chocolate, but that's just me.

[Pat1956100]

The best thing to do is to stay busy.  Go for a walk, clean a closet, play some music and dance.  Anything but sit and think about how just one wouldn't hurt.  As you know, one is never enough.  It just leads back to where we started and it just gets worse.
Do you have a sponsor?  If not get one and call them when you get the urge to use.
Do anything you can to fight it.  You know that it will pass.  I also find that eating helps.  Especially chocolate, but that's just me.

[hope4good]

I don't have a sponsor but really want one the only problem is I am the only woman in our meeting & this meeting is the only one in town. I know staying busy works. I will start walking. Thanks so much for the advise.

[toothfairie]

i agree with Pat,  keep as busy as you can....maybe call the NA number and see if they have a suggestion about a sponsor for you. Keep posting when you need support!  And congrats on the clean time!  that's great!  

[Pat1956100]

So you can't have a male sponsor?  Is that a rule?  If it is, I don't understand it.  We only have one meeting in my town as well and they only meet once a week on Sunday evenings.  I don't know how people could ever do the 90 meetings in 90 days thing.  

[hope4good]

AA is very much against having a male sponsor with a female. I understand because you get very close to your sponsor & I can relate more to a woman. I did call the NA number & they said the only way to get a sponsor is by going to meetings. If anyone knows a different way to get a sponsor let me know be ausr I am in dire need of 1. I don't know how people do the 90 meeting in 90 days unless they are in a big city. In my town they are 3 times a week. Thanks for all of your suggestions.

[ActingBrandNew]

"I was just wondering what other people do to fight off the urge to use."

In the first few months I hit church hard. That helped me a great deal. A.A. is also a great program. I was reading that you cant find a sponsor because:

"I don't have a sponsor but really want one the only problem is I am the only woman in our meeting & this meeting is the only one in town."

If I remember correctly, your right...people aren't supposed to sponsor the opposite sex. There is an alternative though. There are online sponsors. Once you hook up with another female, you can exchange numbers and call, Here is a link to that info:

http://12-steps-recovery.com/resources/sponsors/women.html

____________________________________________________________

You mentioned counseling already which is great. I see one myself which is very helpful. Participating in this site is great....removing yourself from the "people, places, and things" that trigger urges is a great help. I don't talk to ANYONE I used to get loaded with. NO ONE! Not even the ones that are also clean...none of them. Why?... because there triggers. Find new friends in whatever program you chose. People you have never gotten high with. It's hard but it helps!

Congrats on the 3 months! As time goes by, the urges will dissipate. Even so, stay in a program so when an urge does come...it doesn't catch you off guard.

Good Luck

[234567]

i also eat choc it will help i try to keep busy i am on subs, am going to tell doc to take me of them , have been clean for 4 or 5 months wow i do fill better but so dam depress i wish i could stay on these for ever cause i do fill a lot better.Have a q for you i am having problems with other addiction like suckers all ways got to have one than play instant tickets all the time all theses add  don't want to stop but i have to it is addiction, have to get a sponcer before i get off subs. Thank you for sharing your story.