Verging On An Alcohol Relapse – 5 Things To Tell Yourself

Abstaining from alcohol in the first place is an extremely tough ask for those suffering from a dependence on the demon drink.

Taking a straw poll amongst those who have managed to stay sober for any reasonable length of time will show one definite result; the majority have had to fight very hard to remain on the path of sobriety.

This is understandable, and determination is certainly a requirement. To help enforce this determination there are certain things a person can tell themselves when the pressing need for a drink rises to the surface. Here are 5 of them.

I have stopped drinking because….

Think back to why you stopped drinking in the first place, of all the bad decisions made when alcohol was the major influence, all of the actions you carried out because of your devil-may-care attitude, all of those lousy hangovers and the depressive periods before you had another drink in hand.

This is a temporary feeling:

The need for a drink may regularly surface. This is because you have spent so long with a drink in hand, but the feelings you have now for a drink must be put into context. You have managed to go without for a time, by starting again you will be undoing a lot of the progress you have achieved since you stopped drinking.

Relapse must not be seen as an insurmountable problem, but it will be a set-back. Put your mind to other activities and give 100% to these chores or pastimes to ensure they will keep your mind off alcohol.

It really will NOT be worth it:

The strong urge to have “just one drink” must be resisted. Do not look for an excuse to have a drink. Whether that reason is out of happiness, sadness or over problems.

There is no reason that is sufficient to get you back on the bottle. You know fine well that one drink will lead to two and the next thing you will find is waking up with a fuzzy head and a deep disappointment in your actions.

The result of this disappointment can often mean you quickly get back on the drinking trail which is the last thing you need.

Hangovers from hell:

Let’s face it, no matter how long you have managed to abstain, you will not forget the horrendous hangovers experienced during your booze sessions.

Nausea, vomiting, no energy or power to do anything constructive and feelings of shabbiness that only temporarily reduce when you have another drink.

Convince yourself you cannot face going back to this state.

Letting others down:

Think about the disappointment and worry you will cause those closest to you who are fully aware of your past drink problems and are also aware of how much progress you have made to date without alcohol.

You will be bringing their worries and angst back to the surface when they discover you have relapsed. They deserve better than that from you and you deserve to give them more.

Of course, they will still love you, they will still care for you, but they will also hurt even more for you.

If the urge for a drink gets so strong give one of them a call and ask them to visit or talk to you. This action will help strengthen your resolve to remaining sober.