Hi Betterlife, Everyone deals with triggers and difficult days differently, but, for me, it's reminding myself of how I feel when I drink, and how hard it was to get over the initial couple of days. I quit drinking about a year ago and lasted 3 months; then I talked myself into believing that I could be a 'casual' drinker. Not so. Fast forward a year and endless attempts to stop drinking. I couldn't make it past the first or second day! I found AHC last week and have been sober 6 days now. The weekend was tough but I kept reminding myself that if I give in I will be stuck in the same cycle again for...what?...a year? Two years? 20 years? Enough is enough.
As for smoking, my husband had a heart attack in March and died. Thankfully, he was at the ER when he fell to the floor and the doctors were able to "paddle" him back to life. The cardiologist was very blunt about the fact that his smoking was the leading cause of his heart attack and that, had he been any where else when he had the attack, the outcome likely would not have been good.
We all got lucky that day. Not just my husband but me and our 2 kids, too. He went on the patch and hasn't had a cigarette since the day of his heart attack. Mind you, the first few days were forced on him. He was in a hospital bed hooked up to all kinds of tubes and machines. Don't wait until you are in his position. Do it before it becomes so dire. I once saw a post of FB that I love: "If not today, when?" So, Betterlife, I ask you. If not today, when?
