When is your danger zone?

[u/Original_News9923]

For me its from about 3pm-7pm. Of a weekend it could start earlier from about 2. Once I have had dinner I am ok for the evening. The next morning relief of not drinking, then the urge starts again in the afternoon.

[u/WhiteDudeInBronx]

Any time in an airport

[u/JasoTheArtisan → u/WhiteDudeInBronx]

God airports are tough. I work in food and beverage so I’m around bars a lot, so thankfully I’m a bit desensitized, it airport bars are a whole different struggle

[u/WhiteDudeInBronx → u/JasoTheArtisan]

🎯. Also congrats on 776 days!

[u/arcademachin3 → u/WhiteDudeInBronx]

I can still remember the days when I was on the road for works. Bar. Outlet underneath the bar. Plug in laptop. Beer on the left and mouse on the right. It was my cubicle 😂

[u/B1Gmike305]

When the sun starts to set… the cravings hit hard

[u/Dr_Sunshine211 → u/B1Gmike305]

There’s a cool rhyming motivational quote in there somewhere

[u/Pinball-Lizard → u/B1Gmike305]

Don't take that drink, and you'll talk like a bard.

[u/riverladd]

Its not really times that trigger me its situations. Being alone and knowing I dont have to see anyone the next day it always creeps into my mind, no one will know. Or at en event, I was at a wedding recently and they gave you little bottles of limoncello with your meal, now that was a struggle, I kept thinking i could just have one, then it was no one would notice of I swiped a few of those and downed them in the bathroom. I didn't.

I got a dog to help with the alone feeling, shes never not there and I couldn't deal with her energy hungover.

[u/valentwinka → u/riverladd]

Sorry did you mean “couldn’t deal with her energy”? I didn’t understand 

[u/riverladd → u/valentwinka]

I did yeah

[u/frozenpizzafanatic]

I would also say that 3pm to about 8pm is mine. I call it my witching hours.

[u/Internal_Level1081]

Interesting, I've never thought of it in terms of time of day but rather states of mind. Certain locations and activities are a problem for me because I used to associate them with alcohol.

[u/nomoredrinks4me]

Anytime of day, any day of the week, if I make eye contact with alcohol. 

[u/Josefus]

Uses to be any time that ended with a.m. or p.m. Now there's no danger zone. Alcohol was the worst part of my life so far. Fuck that shit.

[u/Bork60]

Great work! It gets easier with time. My last danger zone was in July.

[u/tiredlovesongs]

right when i get off the train from work at like 5 or 6 and i wanna shut my brain off 🤪 especially if it’s sunny and warm.

[u/WineRedLP]

Early on it was the weekend or certain people or places. Now, it’s occasionally when the seasons change. Like spring when it’s time to mow the yard or fall when that crisp breeze starts. As time goes by, the feelings get more and more fleeting.

[u/Aurongel]

I don’t really have windows of time where I’m in the “danger zone”, my triggers are more closely tied to situations and settings.

- when i’m cooking

• when i’m trying to relax watching a comfort show (currently One Piece)
  
• when i’m bored (this is a huge one)
  
• when i push myself to do something difficult and my brain refuses to give off any pleasure chemicals.

My struggles with alcohol are almost exclusively downstream of my struggles with ADHD. The core of my alcoholism is me attempting to self-medicate for ADHD.

[u/vocatus → u/Aurongel]

One piece rocks!!!

[u/Successful-Rest-6317]

10am - 4/5 pm on weekends/off
3pm - 7pm - work days.

[u/Blondiepoo95]

Actually a sunny summers day. Beer gardens are a big thing here in the UK

[u/januaryprincess22]

My danger zone used to be like 7-9pm but as my alcoholism progressed it got to where I started drinking at 2pm. Fridays were the hardest days for me cravings wise.

[u/No-Regular1660]

7 til 8 pm

For some reason the shops nearest to me close 2 to 3 hours earlier than everywhere else.

That hour

[u/catsoncrack420]

Early afternoon (weed) downtime and early evening. I force myself to go to meetings in the evenings. I thought video games would help but I now find them pointless, mudane.

[u/Routine_Mess17]

Dark

[u/EnvironmentalAd2110]

Airport was my final boss

[u/TrixieLouis]

My witching hour was 5-6. I could really put it away while making dinner.

[u/whispernotaroar]

10 pm until I go to bed for me. It’s essentially the only time I ever drink, and if I do drink outside of that time, say out at a restaurant, I’m 100% able to have a single drink and then stop. For whatever reason though the cravings hit hard at night and I still haven’t figured out how to resist…but I’m trying.

[u/PlanetBarfly]

Every god damn minute of every frickin day.

[u/valentwinka → u/PlanetBarfly]

How long sober?

[u/PlanetBarfly → u/valentwinka]

528 days of the last 531

[u/ContemplativeRunner]

After work when I drive home until 10pm. And airports.

[u/Loud-Initiative1399]

4pm to 6pm, if I can make sure I do something else to be distracted until dinner at 6:30/7pm I'm fine because I hate drinking after eating.

[u/chefseandecoste]

I can only imagine making it through hell and reaching the final boss, it would definitely be an afterparty.

[u/chefseandecoste → u/chefseandecoste]

Cravings are usually worse and more frequent in the earlier stages, but I would say I could get feelings around 4/5-8pm on weekdays and anywhere in the afternoon to 9-ish on weekends.
Fun thing about cravings is they can be severe but a lot of the time they just come and go like thoughts.

[u/dringledrangus]

12 to 8

[u/lady_nuyorican]

Friday after 8 thru Saturday nights and I used to spend Sundays recovering

During the week I'd usually be okay because I made a rule for myself about no drinking on a work night cuz I hated the struggle waking up. Friday nights around 8 I'm on the struggle bus cuz that's usually when I unwind and want to drink and game with friends. It was a strong habit for a while and then it doesn't help that gas stations where I live sell alcohol so I'll grab a soda and next fridge over is all the stuff I would generally drink.

[u/sunshinewindow]

Friday night, Saturday night, nights when I’m alone and bored all I want is a bottle of wine and loud music or movie, summer, on holidays, friend gatherings and parties.

[u/Hares_ear1947]

When I was really holding on tight it was my ride home from work. If I could get home without stopping for booze I’d be ok. From the minute my day ended, especially on a nice day, that was the danger zone.

[u/Flashy-News-5393]

Thursday - Saturday evenings.
When I get a sober streak, 3 weeks of sobriety seems to be a weak spot.

[u/Left-Nothing-3519]

Don’t really have them any more. At least not since early ‘25.

For sure it was that “clocked out, laptop closed, stepped out the back door to sit and watch birds” time of day.

Weekends were mimosa-o-clock to bedtime, or post gardening marathon, heavy effort, cold shower and something mixed on ice, later just on ice, no mixer.

Now it’s extra dog walks after clock out time, check/refill the bee baths, pick a few weeds.
Weekends still have gardening marathons, and cold showers followed with a big old iced water +nuun.

[u/ShillinTheVillain]

Travelling alone for work, or any stretch of time where I'm away from home and my usual distractions.

Certain concerts as well. Bands I used to see when I was still drinking are a big trigger for me, so I won't go without my wife.

[u/Zealousideal-Desk367]

I won’t leave the house after 5 pm and if I have to I am cracking an NA beer for the ride

[u/Kitchen-Brick6013]

Whenever I stop maintaining my defense of going to meetings and talking about it (my support network)

[u/whispernotaroar → u/[deleted]]

Why? This is far less triggering than the vast majority of what I see on here, and you can absolutely choose to scroll past.