Chapter2

Hi all. I don't drink at home but had been using on business trips--which at first seemed harmless and then became a downward spiral. I've been dying to stop and finally admitted all of this to my partner yesterday (depending on the time zone).

In some ways I did a lot of the work of getting sober 2 years ago when I quit at home--assessing triggers and learning which acquaintances would support a non-drinking life--so I feel less scared about this phase two.

Of course I'm celebrating my first day of sobriety with an epic trip home through 4 airports, where the temptation to drink is extremely hi for me. Sigh.

Anyone have any tips to avoid temptation they could share?

courage2

Professional travel definitely meant binge for me. Re airport bars, those weren't too hard for me to give up since I wasn't a bar drinker anyway. Carrying candy helps some. For me, plugging into music also helps.

As for staying in hotels, the best things I've found are to call ahead & ask the hotel to empty the mini-bar of alcohol -- if they forget, ask them as soon as you see the room. If you're a solitary drinker, keep yourself in the company of others until the local bars/stores close. I tend to have insomnia when traveling and if I'm in my room alone & can reach a liquor store, I'm not sure I can be trusted. Last, have some people you can call if you're craving badly.

For some kinds of business travelers the social scene is a problem -- for me, it's the alone time. I'm sure someone will chime in with tips for coping with endless happy hours.

Good luck!

Dee74

Hi Chapter

I'm not a traveller but I used SR a lot when I first quit to fill in those night hours. You could do worse than just hanging out here, posting reading, or using the chat room.

Courage's suggestions are great, and if you're not opposed to AA nearly early place in the world will have a convenient meeting.

Have you worked out any plans yet for dinnertime client meetings etc where people might ask you what you want to drink?

D

courage2

LOL I guess I took hanging out on SR as a given!

Tang

I was a road warrior (not as much now). My experience was always coworkers I traveled with would want to meet in the bar at the hotel for a few. This was problematic because being on the road loneliness can set in, so you often want to socialize when you can. I never figured out the formula to avoid travel drinking, but today I would have SR app on my phone for constant support.

Shoebox62

Business travel has always been a huge trigger for me, too. I stayed in a hotel in LA once which not only had a mini-bar in the room, but a full-sized, fully stocked bar with fifths of high-end liquor. Unbelievable. Imagine if that was heroin they were stocking instead, it's the same if you're an alcoholic, right? I'll second what Courage said about requesting rooms that are alcohol-free. Most hotel chains will gladly accommodate that. When I travel now, I also try and stay in places with gyms so that I can workout during the witching hour. It helps clear the mind AND passes the time. And don't get me started on flying! I hate flying to begin with, and if there's turbulence or storms, I get very tempted to have a few "just to calm the nerves". That's a real struggle for me, still.
Stay strong. None of this is easy.

bigsombrero

Airports are a major trigger for me, as well. I know you're going to be tempted to grab a quickie at the bar, so here's my tip: stay away from all bars & "sit down" places where they serve alcohol. Don't go in. Yes, I know you can get a good burger at the Sam Adams Pub Lounge in Boston - but that is not for you right now. Don't even think about going to Chili's Too or any of that nonsense. And certainly don't belly up to a bar, even if you just plan on getting food. Just stay away.

Stick to the food courts, the news-stands, the waiting areas, and the concourse. Walk around and explore the airport - I was at O'Hare not long ago and found this cool "vertical garden" exhibit and awesome new public lounge, it even had a yoga room! You'll get through it. Good luck.

Aellyce

I am also a frequent business traveler and actually have had a habit of combining a work trip with fun things (adding 1-2-3 extra days if I go to an interesting area). For many years in the past, I had this pattern of coordinating business trips with close friends (often colleagues of course) so that we could cross path and spend a couple days (or sometimes just a night) together, and while we would do a variety of interesting things, it also always involved heavy drinking. Sometimes did this with colleagues from next door on the job while "normally" maintaining a very diplomatic, strictly professional looking relationship. So many layers of double life...

Luckily I managed to cut this out of my life a couple years ago, even before seriously trying to give up alcohol, and I feel it's been helping because the anticipation of these "secret meetings" (with lots of booze and sometimes other drugs) on my trips really invaded my mind all the time. I kinda lived around planning these, they were my biggest rewards... But even after cutting these hookups, I would still drink on my own on my trips, usually alone in the hotel - this, to date, is the most difficult for me also because otherwise in the everyday I was a solo drinker at home.

I have only gotten into sobriety about a month ago, and what I've done so far when I had to travel on business: plan it in advance in detail. I am quite aware of where my triggers are, so try to focus on filling up those areas (eg. when I get back to the hotel at night by myself) with other things that I enjoy, eg. getting work done, watching movies, listening to music, surfing SR... I like to schedule these in advance.

During my drinking years I would normally buy booze in liquor stores and bring into my room, so hotel bars are not very triggering when I am alone. I like what Courage2 said about emptying the minibar, will consider that in the future Also, eating and walking. Both of these tend to help lots with my cravings. I've just started exercising and can see that as a solo activity on my trips, hit the gym or the pool if they have one. I think this will be a good one for me because working out regularly is new to me, it has never been associated with drinking, so less likely to think about booze around those times.

My travels also tend to involve work dinners and conversations at the bar, but luckily these tend to be relatively easy for me, probably also because these were not the main times when I would binge in the past. However, I do find one on one conversations with certain people a trigger (since this is what I loved to do in the past), so now I try to avoid this and stick with the group whenever possible. Really not easy at times because I am a very 1:1 oriented person in social life.

As far as airports go, what Bigsombrero said. If I can get some work done while in transit / waiting, that also works well for me because it also gives me a sense of doing something useful with that time.

It's hard having to restructure old patterns around events that we still have to continue doing (i.e. business trips), but I like to believe it's possible

Chapter2

Holy cow so many great great responses on here and I'm so grateful.

I cannot tell you how much I relate to this. Planning business trips became about planning drinking time, which I was very good at hiding from my professional engagements.

And airports, dear lord, I'd even fly extra legs just to get more bar / lounge / plane time in because it was all just a drinking playground to me.

I love some of the ideas on here and will definitely be asking hotels to empty the mini-fridge, avoid solo time in the room, get down to the gym and explore the dry parts of airports. Can't wait to check out that vertical garden at ORD.

So amazing to hear you guys speaking my language. It gives me a lot of hope so thanks! Keep it up haennie—one month is inspiring.