We spent a lot of time when we were first quitting drinking thinking about our triggers for drinking.
What were the circumstances - people, places, emotions - that led us to drink? Once we knew what ours were, we could develop alternative activities to take the place of drinking. For example, one trigger we had was celebrating when good things happened, so we brainstormed new ways to celebrate minus the champagne.
Cognitive behavioral therapy has long posited that there are triggers that lead people to drink, and that people should develop new strategies to deal with their triggers if they want to change. It’s one of the core therapies behind the exercises in the Drinker’s Helper app. But new research has uncovered a bit more about how triggers work.
Researchers studying mice found that when a byproduct of alcohol called acetate travels to the brain, it activates genes important for learning. Researchers found that by affecting the level of the enzyme that deposits the acetate in cells in mice, they could encourage or discourage them from spending time around alcohol. The researchers describe the finding as saying that people “learn” to drink in certain situations because alcohol teaches the brain to crave it. That means triggers may be built into our brains as we drink.
This research validates the importance of understanding why you drink, and in particular what situations are triggering urges for you.
If you’ve decided to cut back or quit drinking, we’d love to help. Drinker’s Helper is an app that provides motivational exercises, drink tracking and insights into why you drink, and a support group of your peers to help you make needed changes. Try it free for a week before joining!
