Hello all. Day 23 today and I feel like the real test has just started for me. I remained sober without big difficulty during the holidays as I spent them with people who did not really drink. Today was my first day back at work and I could feel myself slipping. I have quite a stresful job and drinks after work are a given, 5+ pints is a normality and group drunkenness is encouraged. 2 invitations for drinks later, to which I said no explaining that I am not drinking, I found myself thinking for a moment how nice it would be to go to the pub ‘just for a couple’. I then immediately remembered that it is never a couple, the nastiness of it all, the shame and regret that follows and brought myself back together.
My issue is that I have associated work with drinking so much that even entering the building is a trigger for me. Today I found that my thinking at times got fuzzy, I lost clarity and my inhibitions were lowered even though I was so determined until then.
How do you people deal with places and situations that trigger your drinking/use, especially those that you cannot avoid? Would hate to relapse as this is the first time I am serious about recovery, so any ideas/experiences would be much appreciated.
Thank you
Are there any non drinkers in the office? There’s usually a few and they tend to be quieter so try getting to know them if there are.
Dry January is the easy excuse for now, tell them you’re getting fit and healthy. Do you go to the gym? Why not try it if you don’t.
Positive healthy changes will give you a positive healthy mind to declare you are sober when you are ready.
Thank you for the suggestions. Hanging out with the non drinkers was my plan and I am slowly working on a healthier lifestyle.
I was just surpirsed to see that my defences were completely down for a couple of moments, as if it was the old me there-not sure if that makes sense. I guess that if there is a lesson to be learned would be that I should exercise being alert and check myself at all times.
I get it, even now I get drawn in to drink related conversations at work, thankfully I have no new stories to share.
Hang in there. It gets easier and it’s wise to stay alert and find something to deal with the trigger in your mind. I used to talk to them, I’d tell them to f right off because I’m sober. They usually did.
This made me smile. F right off it is then!
Just to clarify, I meant the trigger thoughts, don’t be going telling your colleagues to f off 
Wouldn’t harm to go for both if they insist
This made my day, thank you!