Hodd

I quit at the end of 2018, and I think I’ve experienced most potential trigger situations. There have been airports, long haul flights, funerals and weekends away, and all the cravings were swatted aside. Saying that, an airport after three months sobriety was a shock.

I’m probably going to go to some German Christmas markets this year, and I’ve never done this before without Glühwein aka mulled wine, buckets of it. It was I’m afraid to say my drink of choice on a cold night, and nothing else would do. Never say never, complacency is the enemy of success, but I won’t relapse at a Christmas market. I will find the aroma of the Glühwein pleasant I will admit, but I’ll have to plan another hot drink.

So that’s my likely next trigger planned. Anyone else have any triggers coming up?

Robbie64

Christmas. Taking the "12 days of Christmas" as running from 25 December to 5 January I've never had one sober as an adult. That is, at some point between those two dates I've always drank on at least one of the days, usually on multiple days.

I want to stay sober during those two dates (and obviously from now until then too) but I am genuinely concerned that I will struggle. I haven't drank on Christmas Day for many years (the last time was 2004 I think) so I should be fine on that day. However 26 December has always been a day on which I have drank so I need to have a plan in place for that day. Drinking on that day would possibly / probably send me on a week long binge through to the new year. It has done so many times in the past.

Introvrtd1

New year’s eve….No way Jose!!!! That’s also my One Year Mark!

Khorhey

I don’t know what it will be and that scares the hell out of me. Just have to learn to say no no no no no thanks.

I literally ran out of my club one time. Because one guy kept saying have a drink after I said no. My new plan includes never going back there.

Hodd

In all seriousness, few on here can claim to have had 16 sober Christmas days in a row so well done for that milestone, Robbie! That Christmas 2004 was the day of the asian tsunami! But you’re right about needing a plan for the 26th onwards. What I’ve noticed more and more is us older British guys are frightened or embarrassed to try new stuff. You’ve got 7 weeks until Xmas so why not plan something new, the more radical the better. I don’t know, it could be painting, fishing, joining a choir or Morris dancing (maybe that’s not the best idea as they’re never far from beer). My mates, some from up your way, laugh about me and say it’s a midlife crisis. Bring it on. Hope this is an Xmas to remember, Robbie 👍

Robbie64

Strangely Christmas Day is the one day I've usually avoided alcohol. 2004 was the first time I'd drank on Christmas Day since 1996. I got completely wrecked on Christmas Day 1996 that I swore I'd never do it again. Other than 2004 (when to be fair I actually didn't have that much to drink, mainly because I'd had a lot to eat and was full) I've stuck to it.

I do need to find something different to do on the 26th. Plus New Year's Eve and New Year's Day too. It's the three main days of the year that I associate with drinking and they all happen to fall within the space of seven days. If I can get through them sober then I know that things are definitely moving in the right direction.

Hodd

I really hope so, Robbie. It’ll be your best Xmas ever. Any new hobby, fad or whatever will do. B******s to what anyone else says or thinks.

I recently cancelled my TV licence as I don’t watch any TV. I’ve already had letters threatening me not to watch TV, but I don’t care. I’m sure a lot of drinkers would do well to cut down on TV time.

DriGuy

I look forward to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, and relish the opportunity to be sober, because for me, not drinking during those events is even more satisfying than on other occasions. And it's not just some "old timer" thing that came with the passage of time. I felt that way, during the first Holiday Season sober, which began at 9 months of sobriety for me. I have thought about this before, and I'm not sure why those events are so particularly satisfying without alcohol. I know I absolutely chuckle at all those people out there getting plastered, while I'm just quietly enjoying the events. But there is no trigger there at all.

I've actually had but a handful of triggers that I planned for in early sobriety, the biggest being around people who are drinking, although these days, I just want to get up an leave because drunks bore me. But what is a trigger? I've had many of those flash thoughts like, "It would be nice to kick back and enjoy a drink," but they quickly vanish. Today they are still there, but rare, like once a year. Obsessive thoughts, are what I call trigger events, and those were the things that worried me to death in the beginning, but I don't think I had any of those after my first two months of abstinence.

I can't remember having a serious thought about how nice it would be to tie one on again. I would describe my feelings about alcoholic addiction as being overjoyed to have that part of my life behind me. It's hard for me to find the words to describe how much I came to hate that part of my life. I only have one option now, and that is to fully enjoy what life I have ahead of me, and there is no place for alcohol in that future. I hate being miserable, and I can't think of a more sure fire way to find misery than to return to the addiction cycle.