Tosh wrote:RobinB wrote:Thanks! I appreciate this forum because I am still hesitant to call someone and bother them with my cravings.
I've been in A.A. for over six years (not sober that long though

) and I must've given my number out to countless alkies and said, "Pick up the phone before you pick up a drink!"
Do you know how many have phoned me before they drank? All added up? ONE - that's right - ONE!
Many have phoned me AFTER they've picked up, but only one before they picked up. And when this guy phoned me, it really threw me to be honest, because he was a first for me.
My suggestion is, go put a recovered alkie on their back-foot, and phone them before you pick up a drink. Then post back here what their reaction was and what they said. You might make me smile with their reaction, or teach me something new. But I bet it'll help you keep away from a drink for that moment.
Ultimately the solution is to be found via the steps; well done on your sober time and well done on getting a sponsor. You're very brave; it takes some guts for people like us to do this kind of stuff.
Regards
Tosh
@ tosh
next time you give your number out to a new comer try and get there number, as you know as well as i do that they will very often not bother to call when there in need, so for me i get there number, and i call them or text them just once in a day asking how they are. it can make all the difference give it a try and see for yourself : )
as to the op and the cravings, i had to keep busy all of the time and not give my head a chance to go off into drinking land, i used the aa meetings as my safe house, i would go day and night as what i found was when i was in the meetings my cravings would not be there, my mind would stop torturing me, i would hate it when the meetings ended as it ment i had to go back to my empty flat and go through all the mind stuff all over again, but i started to see that being in the rooms of aa made me go home agiain with a better frame of mind, it would soon pass and i would need another meeting and another one to get me back on track
soon enough i started to get used to not drinking, aa was working despite me. later on i got a sponsor and the steps and that was the key for me to start to live a new way of life, facing myself head on with my utter selfishness and learning how to do things for others etc
but i never forget my early days and just how i got through them without aa and the help got i would never of stood a chance on my own.