HealingMySoul

What triggers your urges/cravings for your addiction?

ClearLight

One of my biggest triggers was drinking to reward myself at the end of the work day.

Mizzuno

Yes. That would be it. Now, I reward myself with Tea and SR!

DoubleDragon

Honestly, my triggers are either social situations/parties coming up, or Friday/Saturday night hockey games on TV. I'm so used to drinking beer and watching hockey games, it's become a bit empty without it.. but I'm working on it.

Dib42

Just as a reward for anything, or a coping mechanism for anything. So I guess if I'm proud of something, its a trigger. If I'm ashamed of something, its a trigger. If I'm saddened, stressed, its a trigger.

The weird one for me, is when I reflect on how many days i've been sober I start thinking. Wow I've done a good job, I should celebrate with some beers... oh wait... can't do that, darn.

Panache

That's definitely one of mine too, like I'd earned it.

I also use that "theory" when I've had 2 days sober, I again reward myself with wine. Ridiculous reasoning again.

RodneyKravitz

I used to fall for the excuses and tricks the voice in my head would give me, which I guess we can call triggers. Fighting with my dad, having a lame job, cant have fun without alcohol, ... and on and on. Now that I understand the voice is the sad little addicted being with no power to control me, I have demanded that it leave and no longer try to trick me. Havent heard from it for a long time. Very rarely, when it does tell me, "Oh a drink sounds good, dont you think?" - notice the 3rd person point of view it now has, because it is not me - I can tell it to get lost. It tried to tell me that when my mom died last year, which of course was a very sad time for me, but I was able to tell it to go away. So now I can say I honestly have no more triggers. Nothing in hell or on Earth could get me to take that poison ever again!

So now when my dad causes me stress, I talk to him about it. When my job sucks, I figure out why and make it better. I have plenty of fun without alcohol. Those were triggers, but they are no more. When these things happen now, it doesnt even occur to me to have a drink, because I am not a drinker.

Dib42

I know right...

I realize I've replaced all rewards in my life with liquor, to the point that when I go an extended period of time without drinking, the urge is to congratulate myself with liquor.... *its frustrating but it makes me laugh*

ScoutBall

I somewhat doubt I am unique in this...but I don't have "triggers".
I drank when I was happy.
I drank when I was sad.
I drank when I was anxious.
It just didn't really matter. I just drank. Socially, hiding alone in my office, sketching at the beach, or putting the finishing touches on a piece.
Didn't matter.
Pretty much anything could be a "reason" to drink. A party. A birthday. Dinner. Lunch. Saturday.
Probably not what you were after...but, it's my experience.

LadyinBC

Me too! My voice ALWAYS gave me a good reason to drink. The stronger I get the weaker that voice gets. But I will always be vigilant about making sure it stays the weaker voice.

I could literally come up with any excuse to drink. And it was NEVER my fault.

Nonsensical

Breathing.

InsertNameHere

Yep this was how I started drinking daily. Eventually it was if I was anywhere other than work. And I was starting not to pay attention to that either. Drinking was all I wanted and all I knew how to do, like they say, couldn't live with or without it.

INH

hamsammich

That is how i feel to , some one asked me what my triggers were and i had no idea what to say . I still dont know , maybe its feelings in general , or im suppressing something

Readysteady

I haven't had a sober night yet, but what triggers or sways me to drink more........if family members have been arguing intensely. Friday or Saturday night. Being in a loud and crowded bar. Being around big drinkers.
If I go to a local, quiet pub or am home I seem to have much more control over the number of drinks. As far as loud, crowded bars, its probably me trying to overcome social anxiety.

Heartfan82

I have a lot of triggers, but some strong ones were:

Cooking; it seemed more of a long, drawn out experience where I enjoyed chopping veggies, drink, thawing meat, drink, boiling water, drink, sautéing, drink, and on and on 'til I was pretty hammered. Lots of times the food was over-salted, over-spiced, and into the garbage......funny how things taste different when your tongue is numb from rum....

Another one was watching a movie or favorite shows on T.V. Too bad I couldn't really tell you what happened on a lot of those shows, just that I'd watched them.

hypochondriac

I ticked all of the above. I could write a list of things that made me wanna drink but really, I just drank. No excuses needed.

milly4me

This is a good question.

For me, I think it's mainly:

Cooking - I love to cook, and my husband designed this beautiful kitchen for me to cook in. It just feels so glamorous and fun to drink red wine and cook.

While Doing Everyday Chores - I need to write a grocery list, and the first thing I think is "I should sit down with a glass of wine and look for recipes online". Or even cleaning out the closet, "A nice glass of wine, will make the task seem like fun."

Vacationing - Bringing a bottle of wine to the beach, or stopping at the hotel's bar before going out to eat. Or having some warm brandy at the campfire.

Strangely being around a typical pub (which I often am) or at a social gathering is NOT a trigger. I see some people over-indulge and look foolish and think "that doesn't look like fun AT ALL". But then I'll go home and drink a bottle of wine by myself while I sort laundry or something. Gawd, I'm such a snob!

Gilmer

I wasn't much of a social drinker--my big trigger was being alone in the house. As soon as my husband was off to his job, I was off to the liquor store.

Nattythreads

Being me.

Omnom

Phone calls. Someone talking about getting a piece. Having money in my hand.