hi

i am new to this. i just recently stopped drinking and am still haveing cravings to drink which i know is normal. i am wondering what others do to help with the cravings and what others do to not give into these cravings?

[FLaddict]

Welcome hardyal. cravings are really the worst part of quitting any addiction. I know for me.. most cravings only last about 15mins.. If I can distract myself for a bit it usually goes away.. I also come to this board and read people's stories and that reminds me how much i don't want to go back to where i was.. Talking about it also helps.. I am addicted to pain pills.. and I have Fibromyalgia. I only really crave a pill when I am having a really bad pain day and nothing is helping it.. I don't crave the buzz I crave being pain free even if its only for a bit.. so I talk about my frustration and I come around to realize that in the long run a pill will not make it better... it may take my pain away for a few hours but where it wears off i will still have pain so I have to learn to deal other ways..

[wickedwanderer]

Hi there,

I don't have anything to add to what FLaddict said (she's amazing).  I just wanted to say congrats for stopping drinking.  I am the daughter of a former alcoholic...My dad puts a lot of time into his family now that he's not had a drink in a long time.  Unfortunately, that family is his second wife/stepsons!  (That was meant to be funny...I've made peace with it)

Anyway, stay positive, maybe go to AA meetings.  My b/f's dad was SAVED by AA meetings...

[bettie1976]

theres always antabuse (sp?) which you take at the pharmacy daily and if you drink on it youll get violently ill....if nothing else works...there are alternatives...

[road2recovery]

when i quit drinking, i had alot of cravings..Even when i went to the grocery store, because you can buy it there, unlike pain pills (thank goodness) that is a horible addiction because it is everywhere...
I could never eat and drink..SO what i would do is right when i got off of work i would eat a full meal...then i did not crave it...I had to stay away from bars, and some functions..Then when it got better i went and i actually enjoyed watching how stupid people looked when they are drunk...
i wish you the best, you can do this...
r2r