Triggers – Why You Drink Alcohol

By Madison


 

 

Photo By James C

There have been occasional times in the past when I tried to stop drinking but failed. I now realize that every time I failed to stay sober, it was due to experiencing a thought or feeling that I have identified as a trigger.

 

Triggers:

 

  • Anger
  • Upset
  • Panic Attacks
  • Social Anxiety Attacks
  • Escapism
  • Boredom
  • Job Loss
  • Death of someone close
  • Natural Disasters
  • Jealousy
  • Embarrassment
  • General change in circumstances
  • Need for ‘perceived’ fun.
  • Smoking

 

The reason behind wanting to drink was that I used alcohol to deal with these triggers because it would quickly numb what I was feeling and I could escape from my thoughts and feelings.

 

I don’t believe that just identifying triggers is enough. A plan of action is also necessary, finding coping mechanisms to help release the negative energy is a must.

 

Some actions that help ease the desire to drink 

 

  • Physical movement such as walking, running or general exercise
  • Journal writing
  • Using a gratitude list – I will give more details about this and the life list in a future post
  • Creating a life list

  

To summarize, here are the steps I have taken to ensure that I am totally aware of anything that may cause me to take the first drink:

 

  1. Identified the triggers and wrote them down.
  2. Made a list of possible coping techniques that I could use to counteract the triggers
  3. Practiced being aware of how I was feeling then used steps 1 & 2 to help alleviate any negativity.

 

So far so good!

 

What are you tips for staying sober? Please feel free to share what works for you. 

Thank you for visiting “Recovery Princess; Quit Drinking and Enjoy Sobriety”

 

 



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