The first few weeks I quit drinking, my friend and sponsor taught me a popular acronym that is often used in recovery: H.A.L.T. - a simple check when one might feel the temptation to drink to make determine whether we actually might be Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. I actually did not really find it necessary but did file it away for future reference.
This Friday afternoon, after attending a useless business meeting, I decided to forgo the cab back and take a leisurely walk. I found myself checking out the neighborhood on the way back including the restaurants and various signs including some for Happy Hour. Then suddenly out of the blue, I had a small but crazy idea on how nice it'd be to pop in for an (alcoholic) drink and a bite to eat. Almost instantaneously, I was also reacting "WTF?!". I continued walking and I remembered the acronym .... and it helped. I realized I was probably a bit frustrated (angry) with the previous meeting as well as hungry and tired.
For me, I don't have regular temptations to drink and most social events that include drinking don't bother me. However, it's that 1% "out of the blue" crazy thought is the one that I always need to watch out for.