One of the very difficult issues that arise from having an addiction to alcohol is the urge to drink. The urge can be so strong that it can disrupt your daily functioning, impacting your relationships with your friends and family and your productivity at work. At Victory, we have a high level of experience helping our patients battle and overcome their addictions to alcohol.
As you start to change your habits and begin the process of recovery, you may notice that you feel cravings for alcohol – often at times when you wouldn’t want to be drinking (such as at work). The positive thing to remember is that urges are temporary, and they can certainly be controlled. With that being said, here are some tips and advice to help you control your next urge to drink.
Internal and External Triggers
Understanding the multiple types of triggers will help you resist the urge to drink. The two key types of triggers are known as internal and external. The external triggers are the environmental triggers such as people, places, or times of day that provide an opportunity for you to drink, and/or remind you of drinking. External triggers are generally very easy to recognize and are easier to deal with and treat. The internal triggers are a bit more difficult to recognize and require some real thought and self-reflection to fully recognize them. Internal triggers include feeling either positive or negative emotions that may cause you to drink, or feelings of anxiety or anger. To help combat the internal triggers, track and analyze over several weeks when you feel your triggers are causing you to drink. By doing so, this will provide you with some insight as to why you feel the urge, allowing you to change your environment (external), or thoughts and emotions (internal).
Another important step to take to reduce your urge to drink is to avoid situations that may make you want to drink. This can be very difficult for many of us, because our society frequently associates having a fun time with drinking. You may feel like you’re missing out on the fun by not drinking – however, this doesn’t have to be permanent. In time, once you’re more self-aware of your triggers, you may be able to have a drink at a social event. For now, though, it would be recommended to avoid situations that may cause you to want to drink. As a solution, you should ask your friends and family to include you in events not centered around drinking.
Dealing with Triggers You Cannot Avoid
It is important to note that there will be triggers that you simply cannot avoid. This is extremely difficult for someone battling alcohol addiction, as they are being confronted with triggers that make them want to drink. To cope with these triggers, we recommend reminding yourself of the reasons why you want to stop drinking. For example, maybe you have a family to care for and you want to be in good health both mentally and physically. Or maybe you have a great job and want to keep your performance strong. You can record these reasons in your phone (such as in the Notes app) and refer to them at any time when you need a reminder of why you don’t want to drink.
Another important tip is to find someone you can talk to about your urge to drink. Here at Victory, we offer counseling services with trained and licensed counselors who can work with you to overcome your addiction to alcohol. We also recommend finding a trusted friend or family member who you can talk to about your addiction.
A third way to cope with triggers you can’t avoid is to simply distract yourself. Listen to music, go for a walk, take a long drive... Over time, you will discover what works best for you. As you’re doing this, try your best to challenge your thoughts about why drinking is not an option for you (at this time). Remind yourself that even one drink may be one too many (as it may lead to you consuming many more drinks). Recognize that the urge to drink is temporary, and that soon enough the urge will pass.
Victory Recovery Partners Can Help
Victory Recovery Partners is a network of five addiction and recovery centers on Long Island, New York. We specialize in helping those who are suffering with addictions to drugs and alcohol overcome them and lead a healthier more productive life. We are unique in that we offer all services under one roof. This includes behavioral health, wellness, psychiatric, and medication-assisted treatment services. If you or someone you know is suffering with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, we would like to get involved and help. Learn more by visiting our website, www.victoryrp.com
