Travel seems to bring out a desire to hit the sauce for people with and without a drinking problem. It signifies vacation, connecting with loved ones, and business trips, all of which are commonly sprinkled with fond memories of drinking. The saying, “My vacation begins with my first drink on the plane,” is true for many, but a lot of us hit the airport bar long before setting foot on the plane.
Why Are Airports So Appealing for Alcoholics?
- Drinks are available at all hours, and if you’re having a screwdriver at 7 am, you won’t even get a second glance.
- Slamming drinks is normal, because “I have a plane to catch!”
- Would anyone even find out if you had a drink or two?
- You could easily sleep it off in the plane before meeting someone at your destination.
- If you happen to get loaded, you could always put the airport hotel to use, and pull off the “missed flight” lie.
- The fear of flying is a great excuse to take the edge off.
- There are bars filled with people who are drinking, laughing, and making new friends from across the globe.
- Everyone around you shares the philosophy of, “Vacation starts with the first drink.”
- Duty Free shops are practically begging you to snag up those almost too good to be true deals.
As alcoholics, we don’t need much encouragement to drink. In fact, we don’t need any. Drinking is our natural habitat, so when we’re thrown into an environment where even normies are throwing back eye-openers, we are stepping into dangerous territory. Steer clear of those areas in the airport. We’re like moths to a flame for bars, but if you look elsewhere, you will see that other people are actually eating, reading, writing, and napping.
If you’re traveling for the holidays, take precautions. Have someone you can call in recovery. If you need support, use the airport paging system to page friends of Bill W. Bring something to occupy your time, like a book or a magazine. As you keep doing things like traveling in sobriety, they become more natural, and hence, easier.
If you are still struggling with addiction, call us at The Lakehouse Recovery Center. We will show you how to live and enjoy your life without alcohol. You are not alone in this, we all need help, and this is your opportunity to get healthy again. Give us a call, we are available 24/7, toll-free at (877) SOBER | (877) 762-3707. You can recover, and your life can change. We can help, call now.