Originally Posted by
Aellyce 
I can't even say I drank to curb emotional pain, when I picked up it was actually on a great day when I just received some very good news work-wise, a promotion. Then what do I do, "reward" myself with drinking. That was also my most typical pattern in the past, not so much drinking my momentary pain away. It was a very bad reaction to an isolated unexpected good thing in a period mostly characterized by pain or stress directly, but I did not react to the pain, I did to the good thing that felt like a big contrast compared with its context.
Yes! So many people have assumed that some traumatic event usually precipitated a relapse for me, but it was often situations just as you described here. Just about anything could be a catalyst, but it was often in response to elation over some really great news.