After getting arrested for a DUI, things in your life are bound to change. Many people try to immediately give up on drinking, but then struggle with alcohol cravings. This can lead you right back into the same pattern that just got you in trouble. Instead of trying to live with those cravings, learn how to handle them before they hit. There are several things you can do to make handling them a lot easier. Here are some ways of keeping your alcohol cravings from costing you your sobriety.
Put Your Alcohol Cravings in Perspective
One of the hardest, yet most effective ways of keeping your alcohol cravings under control is to put them in perspective. Think about this. If you give in to your craving now, a year from now you will look back at this moment and not feel any different than you do today. However, if you say no now, a year from now you could be celebrating a year of sobriety. Each craving lasts a few minutes. If you can simply distract yourself for a few minutes, you will win this battle.
There will be many battles before the war is won, as they say, but only think about one at a time. This is the perspective you need. You need to win this moment, this singular battle. Don’t worry about a half-hour from now, or tomorrow, or next week. You focus on right now and make it through the next minute, then one more after that. By breaking your perspective down into small bits, they are easier to manage.
Also, remembering that these cravings do subside can also help. While you feel them quite strongly now, it does not mean it will be that way forever. You can make it through the small moments now, only to realize that you have actually made it through larger portions of time than you may have ever thought possible before: one day first, then a week, then two weeks, and it just keeps going.
Get Active Instead of Craving More Alcohol
Cravings can take over your mind, if you do not find something else to do. Getting active requires you to think about what you are doing. Consider jump roping. It is very difficult to do without concentrating. You have to focus on when the rope is coming around next if you intend to jump over it. The same goes with swimming and focusing on your strokes. Go out and play a round of golf, or play a game of basketball with a friend. Just do something fun and active to move your mind beyond that momentary problem.
Get Creative if You Want to Make It Past Alcohol Cravings
Another way of moving past cravings is to get some type of creative activity going. Have you ever played an instrument? Now is the time to pick it back up. Have you ever painted before? No? Then now is the time to learn. Pick up a new book, write down a story, or create a new song. Work with clay, or make a piece of art out of wood. No matter what creative choice you go with, make it unique and make it something you can use to keep your mind busy.
Fill Your Body with Nutrients Instead
Another way of pushing back cravings is to fill your body up with the nutrients it needs instead of the alcohol it wants. Eating healthy foods help to re-stabilize your body from the inside, out. Fill in any nutritional gaps you may have had when drinking through the foods you eat. Make sure to drink lots of water to get the extra toxins and leftover debris out of your body. The more you are able to fill your body with healthy, nutritious options now, the less you will crave any type of alcohol in the near future.
Become Part of a Recovery Group
Recovery groups are everywhere, and cover all types of people. One of the best places to find a recovery group is by going to AA or a similar style of meeting. You can also find many different recovery groups online. Without the support of a recovery group, when you face obstacles, they can seem insurmountable. By having people you can turn to, you are then able to work through any type of a problem that comes up more easily. Talk in online forums, reach out to local churches for help, or just speak with those who support your recovery. You can start your own group if you do not find one you feel comfortable with. Just make sure you find somewhere to talk. Getting out what is going on in your mind can help keep the cravings for alcohol at bay while your body works through this process.
Turn to Your Recovery Support Team
Part of any good recovery program is a recovery support team. These are people you can talk to at any point in time, about anything, who will listen and help you. They are not there to judge you, and they are not there to pick on you for what you may be going through. Instead, they are there to help you realize that what you are going through is normal for someone in your situation, and that you will get through whatever is going on now as well. You can make it through this process, and having a recovery support group by your side is one way to make that easier. Don’t be afraid of talking about what you think or how you feel. You are not alone.
Remember, you have options instead of giving in to your alcohol cravings. If you need help with your alcohol recovery, reach out to us here at DUI Class Online AZ. Reach us by calling 602-535-6468, and let us help you manage your situation better. You are not alone during this process unless you choose to be. Choose to have help so you get the final outcome you want, and deserve. Call us today.