Memorial day is here and so is summer. People living in areas with four seasons must be finally coming out of hibernation. Soon, it will be the time to experience small tastes of the sun, heat and outdoor activities and even cherish the memories of past drinking. Most people get cravings for alcohol, and these may come in varying forms. It has been observed that sober individuals think of these cravings as a feeling or physiological sensation. However, the most dangerous cravings are the subtle ones that hide in memories of the past, ones associated with social success or those that have a romantic story attached to them. People with alcoholic minds tend to hold on to their good old days and try to relive happy memories, and even try to forget the negative ones. Even though their thoughts are very subtle, their conversations may include past events, good times, vacations, parties, smelling a certain beverage, seeing pictures or any such random things.
Alcoholic Craving
When a sober individual craves for a drink, that person must take immediate action. This may include calling a friend, someone in the support group, therapist or applying some coping skill. Sometimes, the craving for drinking is displayed in the form of the want to relive fond memories from the past, or even as a counter to boredom and loneliness. Such cravings are hard to recognize and combat. It is necessary to be aware of these romantic idea cravings. This assists in detaching and taking the power away from the thoughts and memories. In addition to this, a person may also benefit from talking to others who are supportive of their sobriety and process their feelings.
In a particular case, a person has been sober for 10 years and has had to struggle with 
romantic thoughts of his past drinking and good times. He had to suffer and resist the urge against many positive associations related to his past drinking. He associates his past drinking with the time when he would blackout or was unable to recollect the ugly part of the night. However, he now feels that drinking doesn’t create any good times or camaraderie of the past. Based on his experience, he said that drinking may cause selfish actions that may hurt loved ones.
For any alcoholic, it is a challenge to stay sober as he feels it is as if they are going against their immediate nature. So, it is necessary to opt for social support, therapy, self-care and continuously work on themselves for maintaining long-term sobriety. Why not enjoy this great weather in all its glory without clouding your senses with alcohol.
It would be interesting to know what do you think about this blog. Does drinking memories really motivate you to grab that drink? I look forward to your comments!
