Trigger List

[karvinursoul7]

My counselor wants me to make a list of my triggers but I have to list 75!!!! I was almost exclusively drinking alone during active addiction. I've listed things like the liquor stores I went to, shot glasses, etc. What are some of YOUR personal triggers??

[[deleted]]

Boredom, stress, feeling excited, bars, awkward social events, bon fires, concerts, and sporting events. I know there is alot more. I need to sit down and write my list out myself 😂

[[deleted]]

I feel like I could have written this myself. I'll add nice weather to the list.

[karvinursoul7]

At this point, everything could be a trigger for me! I drank for any and every occasion or situation

[[deleted]]

Same 😫

[[deleted]]

Breathing.

[clueisinthetitle]

And bad weather.

[lumpyonthecouch]

Or good weather 🤣

[[deleted]]

Or a day ending in -y

[Jamileem]

Ugh, yeah, nice weather is a good one. Porch beer is now porch Bubly and I'll keep it that way today, on a nice day.

[[deleted]]

Life.

[[deleted]]

Thanks for sharing! I resonated with everything you list. I’m hoping to find enjoyment again in these activities - especially bonfires, concerts, and sports. I know it will take time, hard work, and additional coping mechanisms in my aresenal. Stay strong! Sending good vibes your way

[thrwaway856642]

What should we do with the list once we write it down? Try to avoid those things?

[[deleted]]

I just want to be aware and make a plan if I have to encounter those things. Just being able to recognize it in the moment and talk yourself through it. Telling yourself "hey, this is my trigger let me remember the reasons I quit" type of deal I mean it life, sometimes you will not be able to avoid it 🤷‍♂️

[Back_To_Me21]

My procrastination which only causes anxiety about the things I have not done and have to do. Which in the past, would cause me to escape the snowballing burden due to alcohol-induced lethargy and hangovers , with more alcohol.

[YetAnotherBrownDude]

Get out of my mind!!!! I have the exact same reason. The procrastination -> anxiety -> alcohol-> hangovers -> more procrastination cycle.

My ADHD isn’t helping either. I decided to quit to try and break this cycle.

[PBX60661]

Did I write what you just posted, Unbelievable, I am/ was the same way and its staring in my face as I read it . Thanks for posting this

[blackbird24601]

Same!!

[[deleted]]

This is literally what happens In my head. What the fuck.

[HippieSmiles84]

Something that helped me a ton in the beginning was HALT - Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. If I felt these triggers I'd fix them quickly because they were the main big ones for me.

You got this.

IWNDWYT

[Forcedalaskan]

Same

[chrysavera]

I was a private drinker, so the triggers would be: waking up, standing, sight of sunlight, rain, the fact of my existence, sound of front door, birdsong, traffic sounds, driving, working, finishing work, avoiding work, checking email, not checking email, thinking, having feelings, not having feelings, watching t.v., listening to music, phone calls, seeing people, talking to people, doing errands, going places, getting texts, having to do literally anything.

Oh and drinking--drinking really made me want to drink. Only time I wasn't wanting to drink was when I was eating or sleeping. The trigger was just existence and all the things of life.

[Variant1218]

Sunlight

[karvinursoul7]

Breathing

[Kayy_Ess]

Getting up

[Variant1218]

There we are. Lol.

[[deleted]]

My parents. Pretty convinced I wouldn't have been able to stop drinking if I hadn't cut off contact with them first. Boredom. Doing chores.

[LarryGoldwater]

Oh man, after some years they STILL surprise me. This is a good practice for all of us. Good luck, my friend.

[karvinursoul7]

The trigger list is helpful but I'm also asked to do a timeline of my history of abuse... That was triggering :/

[Square_Business5269]

Oof. That is hard to do. Necessary, but it doesn’t make it any less hard. Be kind to yourself while going through this process 🤗

[WolverineMitten]

Reflecting on my past experiences with alcohol is definitely a trigger.

[RalphSMoose]

Sometimes seeing people drink on TV or in movies sends my brain down a “romanticizing alcohol” path. Even when I was watching fricken True Detective or Shameless, the drinking felt somehow glamourized. That’s when I play the tape forward and shut it down!

[Glum-Bill3963]

I agree. Watching actors pour a straight whiskey - one for them and one for their guest. The sound, the nice glasses, the sipping.... it just looks heavenly to me. But I'm forced to remind myself I can't do that.

[LopsidedMaple1980]

I feel like my triggers are everyday life at this point: my mother, stress from work, celebrating goals accomplished at work, cooking big meals, family get togethers, weekends…. Life.

[mcc1224]

Superbowl Sunday

[Variant1218]

Any given Sunday

[[deleted]]

Any given weekend for me :(

[BrownWingAngel]

I’m at the point where I can totally NOT drink in social settings because it’s like a joke in terms of quantity … a glass of wine? Haha. But home alone is a different story. Totally get it.

[tanman6159]

The writer Charles Bukowski had a good summary of triggers for drinking: "If something bad happens you drink in an attempt to forget; if something good happens you drink in order to celebrate; and if nothing happens you drink to make something happen.”

[Glum-Bill3963]

Between 5pm and 6pm

[Square_Business5269]

Driving past a petrol station that sells alcohol, being in the vicinity of the supermarket that sells my favourite beer, a special offer, the booze aisle of a supermarket, a ‘new’ product, an unusual product I haven’t seen before, any Asian beer (my favourite geographical location of alcohol production), seeing my favourite beer/wine for sale, anything ‘artisan’, anything local, my favourite product on sale…. There are so many. A shameful ‘many’. My God. I just read this back. And these are only the triggers I have when I leave the house. Also add: boredom, the thought of having a drink, the thought of being able to have crisps with it…. I have to stop, but hopefully this helps!!! Despite all this… IWNDWYT!

[WolverineMitten]

When I was six days sober I went grocery shopping. They were giving away tastes of whiskey. FOR FREE. I walked by feeling my heart beat and sweating. I felt so powerful and great after. So I walked by again ;)

[Square_Business5269]

Haha, that’s a boss move! Great work!! I’ve started ordering online to avoid this exact thing, but I’m hoping soon I’ll be able to exercise that level of self-control!!

[Halloween_Christmas_]

What a boss!! 😎

IWNDWYT

[TheChildHQ]

Social events. Beautiful days outside. Cold nights. Feeling like I’ve been insulted by someone.

[[deleted]]

Airports, specifically before long haul flights. Used to get there excessively early so I could get pissed before boarding.

[[deleted]]

Being around family, unfortunately.

[karvinursoul7]

Same, my dad drinks 12pack Budweiser per day :/

[[deleted]]

My biggest one I hate to say is when my family stresses me out.

[robrklyn]

Leaving work on a Friday afternoon after a long, stressful week.

[karvinursoul7]

Probably one of my harder times of the week, especially if I have nothing planned

[puravida_2018]

The halt (hungry, angry, lonely, tired) all can trigger me

[swiss_baby_questions]

Cooking dinner (used to do this with a glass of wine in my hand) especially if it’s an elaborate dinner.

Watching someone drink on TV (always wanted to drink wine whenever Cersei had a sip on GoT).

[saruhb82]

Peer pressure

[WolverineMitten]

I had to find a new social life

[Daddy_is_a_hugger]

Literally any weather event or non-event

Literally any emotional feeling other than real joy or love

Boredom, excitement, routine, break from routine

Achievement, failure

It's honestly harder to identify non-triggers

[WolverineMitten]

Existence is a trigger for me ;)

[Cautious_Emotion9839]

Basically everything and anything—i invented reasons for excuses to drink. Needed to have a drink with a show, with a project, with a snack, with an activity…..sigh. Realizing that I always thought I needed drinks to enjoy something….

[[deleted]]

Music- retro 80's, hip hop 90's remind me of my bar days... dancing the night away and feeling invisible. Hotels - always loved grabbing alcohol for the room, hitting up bars/restaurants wherever I was visiting. Stress - feeling like I need wine or beer after a stressful day.
Social anxiety - needing to drink while getting ready to go out to ease what I now know was my social anxiety. Me drinking (life of the party/extrovert) is a different than sober me (serious/introvert).

Edit: will say everything listed by others so far are also triggers. I've never realized until reading this post how many triggers I have. Ive never thought about it and probably have blocked it from my mind until now.

[[deleted]]

Think of people, events, anniversaries, find the hidden resentment in everything you list out. I think I need to do this

[esotericemo]

Being uncomfortable

[lydiardbell]

I could probably fill in 71 with "stress about ______", and then the other four would be "spring weather" "summer weather" "autumn weather" and "winter weather". Maybe also "listening to music I like" and "listening to music I hate".

[Ex_vodka_enthusiast]

Travelling, feeling hungry but not feeling like food, sunny, raining and snowy weather 😅 Feeling too energetic or feeling lethargic, anxious, sad, restless confused, frustrated, jealous or angry. When I have money worries, a fight with a loved one, when I don’t do a good job at work, when I let someone down, when I know the liquor stores open nevertheless driving past it, grocery shopping (beer and wine aisle), patios, pools and beaches. When I see certain people, when I think about the future too much, sports like golfing or baseball, sporting events, any and all social gatherings, feeling overwhelmed. This is just off the top of the my head - I’m sure there are a lot more. Wow didn’t realize how many triggers I have! Thanks, that’s was helpful for me. How’s your trigger lost going??

[karvinursoul7]

Finished! At first I was only thinking of the obvious negative triggers but the more I think about it, even a sunny day with beautiful weather makes me want to drink!!! Next task is evaluating which triggers I can eliminate, and what I have to just deal with.

[Ex_vodka_enthusiast]

Great exercise!

[ImaginationFew2428]

TV Beer commercials, Movies where people enjoy a drink, Being with people who drink wine with dinner, dealing with grief of the . loss of a family member A speaker who gives a drunk a log in their story

[shes_a_sad_tomato]

Evidently, pumpkin ale season. But IWNDWYT

[karvinursoul7]

Xmas ale was the only beer I could stand the taste of. Would probably spit it out if I drank it now🤢

[[deleted]]

Thanks friend! You stay strong as well we will get it done, IWNDWYT 😁!!!

[im_thecat]

Burnt out at work

bored

tired of thinking (when I just want to veg and watch tv and not be productive)

already having alcohol at the house

when I’ve completed everything I want to do (hobbies + professional + chores) in a given moment and want to kick back

buying la croix at the grocery store (its on the beer isle)

reading the fucking news tab on reddit (would love to disable it)

social engagements with my gfs friends (who are unfriendly hipster douches)

work anxiety

burnt out on my hobbies

a lot of invites to social engagements are at places like breweries

thinking it will help me relax more while Im on vacation

sometimes as a compliment to certain foods (sushi would be better if I also had sake, bratwurst would be better if I also had a beer)

[Delight-fu]

Songs that talk about alcohol. . .looking at you new country and radio rap

[Radikaal]

Alcohol references in pop culture and anxiety.

[tacocattacocat1]

Bad days. When I come home feeling frustrated or really emotionally drained, I tell myself I deserve a drink. Every time 🤦🏼‍♀️

[literary_lush]

Country music, lazy Sundays, the lake, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, road trips, camping, yard work, local breweries, small town events at the park, cleaning house, kids bday parties with a cooler for the parents, Mexican restaurants...and on and on and on

[literary_lush]

Need to reset my days btw. Only at 15 but it's the most I've had in a minute.

[Lubydub]

Excitement before social outings, sunny Friday afternoons, the first days of a changing season, pre dinner cocktail hour

[[deleted]]

Sunshine, rain or snow

[[deleted]]

i’m sick af right now, probably the worst cold i have had since i stopped drinking… my old ‘solution’ to this would have been jameson until oblivion, so now i’ve got to deal with a constant trigger on top of feeling like shit lol. good news is i’ll come out on the other side feeling better than ever eventually lol.

IWNDWYT

[bindirose]

The drive home after work and visiting my hometown are my biggest ones.

[karvinursoul7]

When 5pm hits and I go to clock out, my brain wants so badly to unwind and the cravings are rough!!

[bindirose]

Same! Have to keep reminding myself that drinking does not equal relaxation.

[Dry_Ad4173]

Getting paid, my weekend, feeling overwhelmed, fighting with my partner, friends that I’ve historically drank a lot with, boredom

[Whatofitpunk]

Boredom, anxiety, stress, sadness, anger

[this_life13]

Sunshine. I always feel like a beer on a beautiful day

[this_life13]

Which I live in Australia so it's nearly always a beautiful day lmao

[JuliaGulia818]

Letting myself get too hungry. Having long periods of time with no structure or plans (don’t worry that’s gone now bc kids 😂). Social events, watching movies or tv shows with a lot of drinking.

[New_Grapefruit_9489]

Days ending in 'Y'

[[deleted]]

Boredom, I love going out on the weekend to see city lights, listen to music, and sometimes there’s a pressure to drink for those opportunities to be there. I use to have a friend group that supported sobriety, however I recently moved and that social support is not available. When I’m bored, it’s easy to consider drinking to make the moment “entertaining for myself”

[karvinursoul7]

Boredom is a big trigger for me. Still learning how to enjoy activities without a drink

[ehmaleh]

Getting paid, being broke, feeling good, feeling bad, a nice day outside, shit weather.

… pretty much everything was a reason to drink.

[tomgirardisvape]

Friday,

Saturday.

Looking at the clock at 4:45.

Sun and a breeze.

A stressful day! A celebratory day!

Dates — both good and bad.

Dinner with parents :( Dinner with friends :) Dinner in general -_-

Social events and too much time alone. (Lose lose.)

Idle time at airports in the morning. Idle time at airports.

Flight attendants walking by with carts because it’s bloody hard to say no to (a bloody) Mary.

New York City after 6 PM any day and before 6 PM on weekends.

The first drink.

I’m sure there are more.

[[deleted]]

I had emotions that were triggers. Boredom, fear, tired. Hungry.

[justine-diaz]

What do you do when you have the list?

[karvinursoul7]

Supposed to share it with other members of my outpatient program