I'm in!
Awww, the gorillas know you, Bim. How sweet.
Elihoping, stress was always a big trigger for me. I had to learn other ways to cope with stress when I got sober. In the moment, I have to stop and just BREATHE. Amazing how much it helps. And then just in general, I started exercising more (walks in nature for me), trying to eat better, and get more sleep. Plus, as time went by, there was just less stress because I wasn't messing up my life anymore. Things just got smoother. Stick around and we can help you get through the weekend!
I'm another one of the grinches who turns off the porch light and hides on Halloween. I have reasons - mainly, my dog goes absolutely bonkers and it is just a horrible noisy, stressful day for him. And me. I have to go up and down a flight of stairs to get to my door, unless I sit on the steps (which I used to do sometimes). I have no kids at home to help me hand out candy anymore. My neighborhood is one that families from other parts of town bring their kids to, so it's BUSY. Also - it's a bit of a trigger for me. I used to get half drunk and hand out candy, and then head to the bar to finish off the night and get wasted. Those memories... not so good. Alcohol was no treat for me, after the first few years of actually being able to moderate somewhat. It turned into a real trick - akin to having eggs thrown at the house or other harmful halloween pranks. Glad to be done with all that.