You feel bad and want a drink. Point.

Everyone faces disappointments in their lives. Or with situations that make the ground shake under your feet. Or simply: days when the whole world seems to be against you. Moments when you threaten to lose control and you crave a drink because it takes the sharp edges off. But yes, you are in your break period. How can you keep a cool (and sober) head during a (minor) crisis?

Sometimes you feel really bad and you want to drink your sadness away. Sadness, loss, pain, emotional imbalance, disappointments, sadness: these are the most common reasons why people have a drink when they have agreed with themselves not to drink alcohol for a certain period of time.

It doesn't even have to be a major disaster that unfolds, just something that throws you off balance emotionally. Then comes the overwhelming desire to put off the unpleasantness for a while and deal with the emotions later. You know having a drink will make you feel worse in the long run, but that's part of the allure of alcohol.

What then?

By drowning your sadness, you keep negative emotions in instead of bringing them out. Alcohol lets you crawl into your shell. Try to do something with your emotions in the event of a setback, disappointment, disappointment or sadness. How? You read it here.

Step 1:

Accept that you feel this way. Your sadness, fear, anger, grumpiness may be there.

Step 2:

Find someone you share this feeling with. You don't need advice. You just want to lose your egg.

Step 3:

Don't you like to 'bother' someone with it? Try something different: literally throw it out by yelling (shut the windows first maybe?). Don't like the verbal? Try a breathing exercise, take a brisk walk around the block, lace up your running shoes and run out of your frustrations, polish your car until it hurts your eyes, sand down that old picnic table so you can put it on later (if you're feeling good) finish, pick up your guitar and play away the feeling: it doesn't matter what you do, as long as it's an outlet for you.

Being able to identify what you are feeling is a really good start and prepares you to find positive strategies for dealing with the bad things and negative feelings.