Nikkabean326

This is so odd and I just realized it last night. It never occurred to me but.. when I'm expecting company, I want to drink.

A friend in New York came to spend the night here in Connecticut because she had to work in an office located here. She was on here way here, I had just worked out and was filling up my water bottle. There was a bottle of beer in the fridge and I wanted to drink it.

Does anyone have this as a trigger? It wasn't major. It was more the act of drinking than anything else, I think. I'm really not sure. The friend I had coming over doesn't even drink. It was just so odd. I made a pot of coffee instead and when she got here everything was fine. Was it because the balance in my apartment would be thrown off? It's always just my boyfriend and I. When someone comes to stay to the night it kind of disrupts normal living for a bit. Hmm..

ronjohn

I can relate, but have no rational for it.

Glad to hear you fought the urge however!

Skye2

Do you perhaps get excited/stressed when you're expecting company?

KateL

Could be the stress of a visit like Skye says or perhaps it's also to do with the habit side of addiction, or what you see as the norm everywhere else, like muscle memory. People come to visit, and in many houeholds the wine comes out. Great to hear you enjoyed the visit with coffee. xxxx

least

Once you get more sober time under your belt you won't have these problems cause sobriety will just be your normal life.

JackieC

I totally and completely relate to this. I think in part for me it's because I have social anxiety -- even with close friends I can be introverted and so the drinks ahead of time make me feel like I'll be more open and social (leading me to being WAY to open and social as I drink more and more and end up humiliating myself yuck yuck yuck). And then partly, as KateL said above, there's something celebratory about friends coming by -- and a celebration can't possibly be had without some drinking involved.

At any rate, I'm so glad you posted this because it made me think about it and realize I have the same trigger. So thank you!

Jackie

ScottFromWI

Pretty much being awake was a trigger for me as I drank from the time I left work until I went to bed ( or passed out ) every day of the week. For me it was more about recognizing my addiction and just flat out accepting that I cannot drink, no matter what situation comes down the line. It's absolutely much harder at first, but over time the cravings/triggers/tempatations become much less pronounced and much less frequent.

Marcher13

Nikka I know what you mean. I think there are two things happening here: AV is going into party mode because your routine is going to be changed and you are changing your routine. I've been sober ten months now and I've had to establish a new home routine (I drank mainly at home) to protect my sobriety.

Prior to last March I would have friends over for a meal at the drop of a hat but, for the last ten months, I have eased right back on that until I could establish my sobriety firmly. For me, people staying overnight was similar. I haven't become a recluse but I've cut way way back and am only just starting to "emerge" a little now.

I think this is much the same thing as those who find they can't go to bars/clubs etc., the old practices need to change to support the new way of life. Maybe for you that means not having friends over to stay for a while, maybe it's something else, whatever it is identify it and support the changes.