Different strokes work for different folks is the common saying. For some people, they can’t stop thinking about the person they like. Other people may be constantly thinking about the Netflix series they’re into. For you, it may be drinking. Drinking thoughts are manageable if you’re facing them every once in a while. However, if it’s a constant, there may be a problem. Luckily, there are ways to try to curb your thoughts-if you want to try.
Stop Drinking Thoughts: Managing Recovery
Keep a Written Log
Oftentimes, people use food logs to keep track of what they’re eating. Similarly, this can help with drinking too. If you want to get a solid idea of how much you think of drinking, write it down! Don’t be afraid to add what you’re feeling too. With following a similar structure to food logs, your drink log can help you discover some answers to questions you have. It can give answers to questions like how much do you think of drinking a day? How’re you feeling when you do it? How do you react once you’ve drank a certain drink? After all, being aware of questions like these can create a more concrete reasoning on your drinking thoughts.
Replace the Word ‘Drink’
This can be a sort of silly solution to this problem. Hopefully, it will make you laugh a time or two! Replace the word ‘drink’ with something completely left-field. For example, try the word lotion. “Man, I could really go for a lotion right now,” is an interesting sentence. So is, “I hope there’s lotion at this place.” Though it may not solve your constant drinking thoughts, it can do something else. It can make you more aware of the amount of times you think of drinking. In turn, you may actively try to decrease how much you think of it by realizing how much it runs through your mind.
Ask for Help
If small things won’t work, feel free to reach out to someone. It doesn’t have to be a professional. It can just be a friend if that’s all you can do. Sometimes, just knowing that someone is aware of this and will hold you accountable is enough to try harder. Make an effort to talk through your constant drinking thoughts and the root causes of that.
Don’t Give Up
For the most part, accomplishing something may not happen the first time around. That’s okay! Often times, it takes multiple attempts to get something. That goes for long division, learning how to ride a bike, and lessening your drinking thoughts. It may be hard and that’s completely understandable. The most important thing is to not give up! In the meantime, try to keep in mind: progress isn’t always linear.
Acknowledging reoccurring drinking thoughts in your mind is important. There are many ways to take steps to reduce that into your own hands. However, the most important part to remember is to never give up.
