Dealing with cravings is something that everyone in recovery must learn how to handle.  How we deal with them in early recovery can set the foundation for long-term sobriety.  I remember when I was in early recovery and I would go to the grocery store and be forced to walk down the dreaded aisle.  The aisle with beer and wine on one side and groceries on the other.  I would not buy alcohol but my mind would start running wild with thoughts of drinking.  One of the best tools that I learned was to tell on myself.  Tell on myself that I wanted to drink and thought about it even though I had not actually picked up.  My experience is that it is just as important to tell on oneself even when the thought of drinking occurs and not just when an individual actually “picks up” the dreaded first drink.  For some reason cravings seem to subside a bit just by acknowledging them and sharing it with another alcoholic.  Alcoholics get into trouble when they don’t say out loud what is going on in their heads.  Why have AA and NA meetings if we are not supposed to share what is going on inside our heads? And what could be more important to voice out loud then the thought of drinking?

Alcoholism is a tricky disease.  It’s a disease of mind games.  I have often thought of the disease of alcoholism like a game of chess.  How can I stay one move ahead of my disease? Discussing the cravings and temptations I have is one of the best tools I have learned to not only maintain my sobriety but to avoid obsessing about alcohol.  What is the point of fellowship if we don’t to talk to one another.