When it comes to reducing your alcohol intake, nothing will fight against you like alcohol use triggers. So what are triggers and why is it important to recognize them? Here’s some tips for identifying and dealing with alcohol use triggers.
Alcohol Use Triggers: What They Are and Why They Matter
What are triggers?
For people dealing with an alcohol use problem, triggers are things that make them think about and have a drink. Just when you feel you’re doing better with your drinking habits, something may come to mind that tells you to have one. For most drinkers, triggers can be anything from people, places, events, and emotions. While each person may have specific triggers, here’s a list of common categories for alcohol use triggers.
Environmental Triggers
As the name suggest, these alcohol use triggers work as a reaction to your environment. By that, something about your environment makes your want or feel the need for a drink. For example, this could mean being around your old drinking buddies brings up the desire to drink. Another example could be going to your favorite bar. Both of these are instances when your environment may work as an alcohol use trigger.
Exposure Triggers
These alcohol use triggers may come as a result to your exposure. In short, that means your exposure to things may cause you to crave alcohol. For some drinkers. this could come from people and being around certain friends. And for others, it may come from being around anyone who is drinking. In some cases, even alcohol commercials or advertisements can operate as exposure triggers.
Stress Triggers
Other alcohol use triggers may act in response to stress. For these types of triggers, a situation of stress may make you feel the need to drink. This could be something internal like anxiety, fear, or depression. In other cases, it may be some external stress like going through divorce, losing your job, or even facing a DWI. For some people, even alcohol withdrawal symptoms can become a stress that triggers the desire for alcohol.
In short, it’s important to be able to recognize your own alcohol use triggers. For some people, they may experience stress triggers very intensely but never suffer from environmental triggers. In other people, they may experience both sets of triggers. Whatever your case, it’s important to be able to recognize those situations that make you want to drink. By doing so, you can work to avoid them and overcome those cravings.
