Triggers
 

Seems today might be one of the rough ones for me :( Almost to my day 3 so I will try & TRY to stay away .. Like I said yesterday; the one good thing is it is a 2 mile walk; well a mile each way and my main trigger (lower back pain) makes that difficult .. But thought I would list my triggers and see what I can avoid today :D
1. Pain :gaah
2. Peers (eaisly done)
3. Anxiety\Worry(tough one)
Seems I have 3 main triggers as I am drawing a blank on anymore :p So I guess that is a good thing :D

Anxiety is a constant companion. I've been working through daily meditation practices (taught at UMASS medical BTW ... no guru needed) have been a great help. Hopefully that wasn't medical advice. However this sort of thing takes time. For today do you have anything to keep yourself busy? A movie you haven't seen in a while, a book you would like to read, or the like (granted, pretty lame suggestions). I haven't been sober all that long myself so I'm wary of giving advice. Hang in there and Never Give Up!

That first month, I kept busy, busy, busy so that I wouldn't notice my triggers. Reading, cleaning, u wish I had been working out lol. You got this! Congrats on 3 days.

Thanx I am trying .. I do have some "projects" I can do around the house today .. Being on vacation makes it a real beast to deal w\ sometimes .. But I am trying .. Just fighting it harder today then I thought I would ..

August, work stress is one of my biggest triggers so maybe it's a good thing you have some time under your belt before heading back there. Yanno? Good luck to you. Day 5 here and praying for serenity as I get ready to log in to that crazy work laptop lol.

Actually; I have no work stress :p I know it sounds strange but I actually find it a haven ... Congrats on day 5 :)

Hang in there, it gets better if we let it. It's not feasible to expect perhaps years of self-indulgence will be fixed in a few days. I got sober in AA years ago and I know there are thousands of meetings within 30 miles of the state house. I know of many BS reasons not to go but my question is, how long do you want to stay miserable? Triggers are good to know but better to do something about. There are answers here and AA on a STS basis, and they work if we follow the concept of not picking up the first drink for whatever reason.
BE WELL

I am slowly poking around for some meetings .. But in the past all any ever made me want to do was go drink .. I have not yet walked to the packie which is very encouraging .. I would usually be there by 8am when it opens :p

A secret: THINK about NOT drinking, it works and remember that if we don't pick up the first drink we DON'T have to sober up AGAIN. Ever. BE WELL

:thanks I have posted that so much to others in the last 3 days; and yet fail to remember it myself .. I am fighting though; probably w\ more then I truly have in me to fight . Just didn't seem this tough last Dec when I had 60 days :(

One of the greatest revelations I ever had was I may want to drink - but I don't have to give in to that impulse.

By the time I was done drinking, I could turn nearly everything in my life into a trigger.

You can stay sober August :)

Have you heard of this technique? It helped me :)

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...e-surfing.html

D

Actually Dee I skimmed it Bookmarked it from one of your early post :) But TY .. Since i forgot earlier BOREDOM is right up there since it ties in w\ the worry and such :p

The one that used to always get me was being hungry after work. For years I'd feed that hunger with booze, from when I walked in the door until an hour before bed. Now I try to keep ready-to-eat food (microwaveable sandwiches/burritos, chocolates, diet soda, boiled eggs, whatever) handy, or go straight to the bedroom and change, then go for a run, and eat after.

Tall glasses of water are good, too. Help kill cravings for food and booze.