I usually have a craving out of boredom, wanting to fit in with friends and family who still drink, or (very seldom now) anxiety like being around new people.
The counter and this forum has helped keep me focused. When I have a craving I try not to distract myself or avoid it but really take time to think about why I want it, is there any true benefits, am I my best when I’m sober?
It’s kept my head above so far so I’m sticking with it as long as I can. Thanks for posting I like hearing how others are coping
My biggest triggers are boredom and being alone when I have nothing to do but think…it usually triggers my general anxiety disorder and leads to depressive thoughts.
Sounds like me too. I also notice I drink when I am really tired. Its like a treat I tell myself I deserve after a 14 hour day. But this usually ends badly.
So many women get deeper into the wine bottle during this time. My drinking got heavier when I was going through it and alcohol makes it so much worse but know you’ll get through it.
I’m noticing something in the different ways people talk about triggers.
For me, I don’t like the term trigger, because that seems to imply the trigger is pulled and boom, a drink is at your lips. If that happens, something is wrong with your defenses.
I instead see the trigger as something that stirs whatever desire to drink remains in you. Ultimately we hope to get to a place where that desire is gone. The more the desire is gone, the less of an effect it’ll have on you.
So you get triggered - nothing is said and done, because you can choose how to respond. You can decide to drink, and in doing so turn your trigger into an excuse, and you’ve lost. Or you can decide to stay sober.
Not to split hairs, but I don’t consider trigger and excuse to be the same thing. Bear with me. Triggers are situational stimuli that spark our desire and temptation to drink, and excuses are the flawed ways we try to justify relapse to ourselves based on the situation we were triggered in. They’re almost the same thing, and tied tightly together, but to present them as the same thing is oversimplifying it. We speak of avoiding our triggers and coming up with excuses, we don’t talk about avoiding our excuses and coming up with triggers. It just doesn’t make sense to me.
For me, trigger is a specific word that relates to reactivation of a traumatic memory, experienced by those with PTSD or other mental health challenges arising from trauma.
If it’s alcohol related, it’s a craving. For me, a craving can include both both physical or mental/emotional components or both.
I just made excuses like “drinking was something all musicians did. Before shows, on stage, travelling between shows, after shows” etc. Being around my bandmates (who all drink, both bands), and playing 95% of my shows in bars, isn’t a trigger for me. I just find ways to let my excuses to drink be stronger than my reasons not to.
To this day, I remember the day my excuse to start drinking came, and it’s been something I’ve regretted since.
I was drinking a bottle a night probably through most of my pre menopause but ended up in hospital in March. Because I have blood clots I can’t take anything to help with any of the symptoms from menopause and now I haven’t a clue what is menopause, what is effects from alcohol or is it something mental. So I take one day at a time. I am noticing I am now eating more and sugar is constantly knocking down my door.
Mine is feeling guilty for isolating myself bc I can’t handle social pressures and my weight. I use to be super into bodybuilding and I was anorexic when I was younger. I just got in to drugs and alcohol over the past 2 years after my boyfriend overdosed and I was alone and sad and didn’t know how to handle it. I’d been clean for 7 years. It makes me so f***** pissed that I’m here again. And that I have failed SO many times bc I freak out over 10lbs.
Everything was an excuse for me to get loaded. Thankfully I’m in an awesome IOP program and AA meetings are a godsend. I’m rarely bored now because I’ve become focused on getting my life back. I read a lot and do crafts now. I use to love tv, but I hardly watch it now because it gets on my nerves.
“Trigger” just means that it triggers a desire to use.
Many users have no desire to use until a certain set of circumstances arises.
Some seem to be confusing this word with “reason” or “excuse”.
Same. I’ve noticed it a LOT more in the past few months. As far as alcohol goes, I feel like the way it’s used in movies is never really how it is in real life. At least in my experiences.
or is it something mental. So I take one day at a time. I am noticing I am now eating more and sugar is constantly knocking down my door.