All subjects participated in an imagery script development session (week 3 of admission for alcohol-dependent individuals) during which they were asked to identify a highly stressful event from their own lives (rated by the subject as ≥8 on a 10-point Likert scale for stressfulness); a personal alcohol cue-related event that involved people, place, and objects related to alcohol use and led to subsequent alcohol use; and a personal neutral, relaxing event. Examples of commonly reported stressful situations included breakup with a significant other, a verbal argument with a significant other or family member, or unemployment-related stress, such as being fired or laid off from work. Commonly reported alcohol cue situations were buying alcohol, being at a bar, and watching others drink alcohol. Examples of neutral, relaxing situations included a summer afternoon at the beach, a fall day at the park, and taking a bubble bath. Details of each elicited situation were described using the Scene Construction Questionnaire, based on methods developed by Lang and colleagues22,23 and Miller and colleagues24 and further adapted in our previous studies that are reviewed and
