Warning: This article contains discussion of alcoholism which some readers may find distressing.
A TikToker who shares his advice online after celebrating nine months of sobriety has detailed his top ‘methods to combat cravings’.
Ian Callaghan is now sober after 45 years of drinking and often shares details of his experience on TikTok (@ian_callaghan), speaking out on how he turned his life around.
Now working as a sober coach, Callaghan has also written an ebook about his journey to quitting alcohol.
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On his website, the man explained how his ‘transformation came from within’ as it was about ‘raw honesty, confronting my patterns, and relentlessly rewiring my mind’.
Callaghan has also offered his insight into the best methods he has found to ‘combat’ his cravings.
In a video, he explained: “This is what it actually feels like when you stop after a lifetime in the drink.
“I lived in booze. Morning, noon, blackout. Built routines around pints, takeaways, and lies. Now I’m free, but freedom is work.”
And one thing that Callaghan has found helps with his recovery is cold water therapy.
He continued: “Cold water is honest. It doesn’t cure you. It gives you two minutes of control when your head lies.”
He went on to recall standing under cold water while experiencing bad withdrawal symptoms on his third day sober, adding: “I shook so hard I could barely hold a pen. I stepped under freezing water and counted to ten. It shocked the cravings out just long enough to breathe and eat. That was the first time I felt powerful. Not because I felt good, but because I kept a promise.
One key thing Ian noted in his post was how his friendships changed after giving up alcohol.
“You’ll lose people... and gain yourself,” he explained. “Pub mates fade. Scripts crack. You’re not broken, the script is.
“The ones who stay meet the real you.”
Another change Callaghan noticed was how he experienced life, noting that alcohol appeared to have ‘flatlined’ all of his emotions.
“The highs are higher, the lows are louder,” he said. “Take it away, and you feel the full weather. Grief bites, joy lands clean, boredom kicks in. It’s messy. It’s living. I didn’t want happiness. I wanted to stop feeling dead. That’s what life arrives with, with the volume back on.”
If you've been affected by addiction and want to speak to someone in confidence, you can call American Addiction Centers on (888) 324-0595, available 24/7, or contact them through their website.