Oct142016

Yesterday I passed 2 of my "filling stations" - places where I stocked up on booze. I saw them and my mind went into anxiety mode - heart racing, hard to breathe.

Has this ever happened to anyone or am I just weird?

doggonecarl

In early recovery, not weird at all.

Hang in there.

teaorcoffee

Like many, I was in the habit of changing up my locals, so as to hide how much I was drinking, so my watering holes were many.
It was a problem at first, but seems to have passed, for the moment, at least.
I was surprised the first time, that my mouth was watering for wine. Lately, it's just an aisle I walk past.

Oct142016

Yep, I would do that too. There are 9 liquor stores within a 5 minute drive of me. Many I do not go past too much but some are always right where I would do other things so it is hard not to pass - next to the pizza place, next to the grocery store, inside of Target. GAH!

Anna

If there is any way to avoid those areas for awhile, it would probably help. I think any way of decreasing stress in the early days is good. I used to physically make myself look in the opposite direction and walk fast past the beer/wine aisle in the grocery store.

january161992

God bles

Maudcat

Early on in sobriety, yes. Panicky, sweaty palms, the whole nine yards. Now, 3 years in? i smile when I pass one of my liquor stops, and there were a few!

Bird615

Yes. I remember vividly this happening to me early on whenever I was around alcohol. I avoided those places/situations as much as possible at first because I knew how easy it would be to slide right back into it. When I couldn't avoid it and started getting those thoughts, praying seemed to work for me.

August252015

My experience was that I couldn't predict what my reaction would be! Not usually anxiety, but some random surprise emotion....and usually connected to a thought about a person or experience.

My big thing was eating out and sitting at bars and I was well known a lot of places. I just didn't go to any of them- not because I was afraid of drinking, just because I had changed what I was doing in my life, literally. It doesn't bother me anymore though I find I don't go to any of those places often because they are just places and ones of many out there.

Keep going. You can learn to balance out your reactions, and even use them to your advantage- I've heard folks around here mention things like flipping off the wine display at the store - whatever works!

Upstairs

I did the same thing. Silly, I guess. Why should I care if the people selling the stuff know I was buying too often? I never have felt much anxiety passing one of my old stores. Mostly, it was having to break that habit of stopping by there twice a week. I hit the liquor stores more often than gas stations or anywhere else, really. Anyways, time will get rid of all that anxiety you feel.

SoberLifeForMe

I can't really avoid the store I frequented 90% of the time. It's right by my house on the drive home. I pass it several times a day. Luckily, I haven't experienced any anxiety when I pass it. Actually, I feel relief, since I know I'm saving my money and won't have to go through the withdrawals after consuming what I bought there. I've even caught myself smiling a little when passing it on a couple occasions.

Maudcat

What August said. Bars, or waiting at a bar before getting a table on the resto side, were awkward and low level triggers for me. It isn't that people knew me there. I drank at home. It was just uncomfortable. Now if it happens I order a ginger ale or tomato juice, but, honestly we have kinda stopped going out to eat as much. Something I gave up that, turns out, I don't miss much at all.