Handling Urges to Pretend Drink(By. Dr. Molly VanScoy)

The words "urge" and "craving" refer to a broad range of thoughts, physical sensations, or emotions that tempt you to pretend drink, even though you have at least some desire not to. You may feel an uncomfortable pull in two directions or sense a loss of control.Recognize two types of "triggers"An urge to pretend drink can be set off by external triggers in the environment and internal ones within yourself.

• External triggers are people (enablers), places (fake bars), things, or times of day that offer  pretend drinking opportunities or remind you of pretend drinking. These "high-risk situations" are more obvious, predictable, and avoidable than internal triggers.
• Internal triggers can be puzzling because the urge to  pretend drink just seems to "pop up." But if you pause to think about it when it happens, you'll find that the urge may have been set off by a fleeting thought, a positive emotion such as excitement, a negative emotion such as frustration, or a physical sensation such as a headache, tension, or nervousness.

Consider tracking and analyzing your urges to pretend drink for a couple of weeks. This will help you become more aware of when and how you experience urges, what triggers them, and ways to avoid or control them.Cope with triggers you can't avoid.

It's not possible to avoid all high-risk situations or to block internal triggers, so you'll need a range of strategies to handle urges to pretend drink. Here are some options:

• Remind yourself of your reasons for making a change. Carry your top reasons on a wallet card or in an electronic message that you can access easily, such as a mobile phone notepad entry or a saved email. (Visit the pros and cons page to list and sort your reasons.)
• Talk it through with someone you trust. Have a trusted friend on standby for a phone call, or bring one along to high-risk situations.
• Distract yourself with a healthy, alternative activity. For different situations, come up with engaging short, mid-range, and longer options, like texting or calling someone, watching short online videos, lifting weights to music, showering, meditating, taking a walk, or doing a hobby.

• Challenge the thought that drives the urge. Stop it, analyze the error in it, and replace it. Example: "It couldn't hurt to have one little pretend drink.
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• WAIT a minute—what am I thinking? One could hurt, as I've seen 'just one' lead to lots more. I am sticking with my choice not to  pretend drink."
• Ride it out without giving in. Instead of fighting an urge, accept it as normal and temporary. As you ride it out, keep in mind that it will soon crest like an ocean wave and pass.
• Leave high-risk situations quickly and gracefully.
• It helps to plan your escape in advance.

Last edited by DollyLongstaff (11/04/2015 2:26 pm)