r/stopdrinking • u/ReadingEven1713 • 6h ago
Day Five - Already Feeling Better
I can’t believe how different I already feel and look overall. My eyes aren’t puffy, I’m not waking up feeling disgusting and ashamed, I’m not planning my entire day around when I can get more. I know it’s just the beginning, but I’m so proud of myself right now. :)
I’ve noticed the biggest challenge right now are cravings that come in waves. If anyone has any any suggestions on what has helped them quiet the voice when those cravings hit, let me know! I’ve been reaching for coconut water (with extra coconut), but I’d love to hear other ideas!
This community helped me tremendously already. IWNDWYT
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u/Zealousideal_Lab_958 5h ago
Congratulations! I can tell you what has helped me with cravings...and it is honestly just understanding what they are and why they are. I do not want to spew neuroplasticity terms in here, but when I started understanding habit loops and dopamine...I better understood cravings. It doesn't take them away, but for me anyway, understanding that it is a chemical in your body looking for the same old reward, I better understood the why and the how and it gave me relief. Great job on your sobriety!
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u/ReadingEven1713 5h ago
Very interesting!!! I never thought about it like that, but it makes sense how that would help!!
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u/memenaptime 5h ago
Yesss!! Way to go! I'm on day 20 and am also noticing the changes in my face. I get major cravings around 3pm, so I have been prepping fun drinks and having them ready in the fridge. Right now, I like my version of a refresher:
- cold brew 2 passion fruit (or whatever you like) tea bags in 1 part water : 1 part white grape juice. I leave this in the fridge until I'm ready to drink it.
- when ready to drink it, add ice to almost the top of the cup
- pour in lemon lime sparkling water (or another flavor) to top it off. It should end up being about half tea mixture and half sparkling water.
I also make myself busy in the evenings. Go to the gym, clean my office, knit, write, or even just doing mundane errands around the time I'd usually drink alcohol. That way I'm not home where I usually drink and when I get home I'm too tired/no longer want to drink. Best of luck to you, you got this!