The Sun Trigger
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 212
The Sun Trigger
One minute I'm enjoying the late arrival of blue skies here in the UK - Liverpool to be as precise as you might need. Then - I remembered, because it has been a while , that sunny days are gin and tonic days. I smile now in the darkness of a night shift , not that the shift has saved me - but the momentary thought got me thinking about my latest readings. The fact that the subconscious mind must have set the saliva trickling. There's the trigger. However , the ever strengthening conscious mind was able to silence the click - if indeed a trigger does click. My point ? Be aware of the differences and possibilities/capabilities of the two.
Regards
Dave 🤠
Regards
Dave 🤠
No Dogma Please
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: SoCal
Posts: 2,562
Bombay Sapphire and tonics on the front porch in Venice were a summer tradition for years.
Iced tea and my iPad on the front porch watching the world go by on a nice day is far better and more contented.
The gin and tonics were more a habit than a good thing. It's usually the company and conversation that was pleasant, not the drinks.
Hiking on a gorgeous trail is a more pleasant experience, and one that I wouldn't do when I was drinking.
Find a new tradition that's better.
Iced tea and my iPad on the front porch watching the world go by on a nice day is far better and more contented.
The gin and tonics were more a habit than a good thing. It's usually the company and conversation that was pleasant, not the drinks.
Hiking on a gorgeous trail is a more pleasant experience, and one that I wouldn't do when I was drinking.
Find a new tradition that's better.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 8
Having a drink in the beautiful sun out the back was great, as an alcoholic however - the idea was more romantic than the actual experience. Having "one or two" wasn't really how I rolled, so an afternoon drinking in the garden would pretty much write-off my entire evening.
What I'll start finding now is droves of social media posts of photos of flavoured cider with the Hashtag #BeerGarden. And guys bravely over-carrying too many slabs of Fosters out of Asda. But that's them, and this is me.
So even though I no longer sit at a garden party, full of Desperado and wittering on about nothing in particular - I can at any moment just stand up and go and do something else with the rest of my day.
I'm very much looking forward to my first summer as "that dude who doesn't drink anymore".
All the best.
What I'll start finding now is droves of social media posts of photos of flavoured cider with the Hashtag #BeerGarden. And guys bravely over-carrying too many slabs of Fosters out of Asda. But that's them, and this is me.
So even though I no longer sit at a garden party, full of Desperado and wittering on about nothing in particular - I can at any moment just stand up and go and do something else with the rest of my day.
I'm very much looking forward to my first summer as "that dude who doesn't drink anymore".
All the best.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: MN
Posts: 8,704
I too used to have strong associations with drinking. Although it has taken some time I believe I have successfully broken most of the associations. It used to be every occasion was an opportunity to drink. Now nothing is an "opportunity" to drink. Its just life.
Forum Leader
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
I also pretty much associated everything with drinking. Hot, cold, sunny, cloudy or anywhere in between it was always a good day for drinking in my twisted mind. It was my thinking process, not the actual "triggers" that kept me drinking.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 666
Great job recognizing the brain trick, of the addiction trying to make you think sunny day = alcohol.
Problem is of course that it's not just a sunny day. It's a cold winter day skiing, a hot day at the beach, a cool fall day fishing, a dinner out on the town, watching a sporting event. Drinking while cooking. While watching TV. While cutting the grass. While sitting on a balcony. With a fancy dinner. At a picnic. On a bus, on a plane, in a boat. Let me be!
Eventually of course it becomes drinking on an average Tuesday night when your kids would be thrilled to have your love and attention and you have a big presentation to prepare for the next morning.. but you're finding a way to drink instead.
It's such a greedy monster, taking over all of REAL life, making it seem like Life is nothing but the side dish to go along with the main course, main occupation, of Drinking. All weather, all seasons, all the time.
It's such a lie. Good for you for catching yourself!
Problem is of course that it's not just a sunny day. It's a cold winter day skiing, a hot day at the beach, a cool fall day fishing, a dinner out on the town, watching a sporting event. Drinking while cooking. While watching TV. While cutting the grass. While sitting on a balcony. With a fancy dinner. At a picnic. On a bus, on a plane, in a boat. Let me be!
Eventually of course it becomes drinking on an average Tuesday night when your kids would be thrilled to have your love and attention and you have a big presentation to prepare for the next morning.. but you're finding a way to drink instead.
It's such a greedy monster, taking over all of REAL life, making it seem like Life is nothing but the side dish to go along with the main course, main occupation, of Drinking. All weather, all seasons, all the time.
It's such a lie. Good for you for catching yourself!
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