Learning to deal with an addiction trigger is an important part of your recovery. An addiction trigger is just those little cues that exist in life that influence your behavior. For example, you may see an old colleague and feel the urge to go grab a drink like you used to do after work. In some instances, you may even be unaware of your addiction trigger, until you find yourself facing the possibility of a serious relapse. Gaining recognition of your personal triggers along with an understanding of other common ones gives you more control over managing your behavior.
Understanding External Addiction Trigger Potential
An external addiction trigger are influenced by your environment, and there will be times that you have little control over them before they arise. For instance, you may detect a certain smell that triggers a craving as you walk through downtown on your way to work. Yet, being aware that the addiction trigger exists allows you time to plan for how you will handle them in the future.
• Interacting with certain people
• Seeing reminders of past drug abuse
• Enjoying experiences such as concerts
• Visiting favorite places
• Celebrating holidays
Discovering Internal Addiction Trigger Potential
An internal addiction trigger is a thought or emotion that generates a desire to use drugs or alcohol. Usually, this is a negative emotional response, but happiness can also be an addiction trigger if you associate doing drugs with celebrating special moments. As you work on identifying the feelings that accompany your cravings, consider whether these emotions may be a trigger for you.
• Boredom
• Anger
• Self-pity
• Sadness
• Anxiety
• Loneliness
• Excitement
• Exhaustion
• Confidence
Handling Specific Places
During your time in treatment, you likely learned to avoid places such as bars or the neighborhood where you used to get your drugs. However, other places can also trigger cravings that may not be avoidable. For instance, entering a bathroom can cause an addiction trigger if you to want to use drugs, or you may find that staying in a hotel brings up old memories. Knowing that this might happen gives you a way to plan. For instance, you may choose to stay in a different hotel, or redecorate your bathroom so that it looks different.
Coping With Social Triggers
People are often unaware of the effect that they can have on someone who is recovering from drugs or alcohol. In fact, you may even run into people who do not know or understand that you are in recovery. For example, your old college roommate could come to town and arrive bearing a bottle of your favorite drink. While their intentions are well meaning, you will need to be prepared to turn down their offer to relive old times. This is why it is important to surround yourself with other sober-minded people during the early stages of recovery. Leaning on the people in your sober living community make it easier to avoid social situations that trigger cravings.
Dealing With Emotional Stress
Emotions can be a powerful addiction trigger that often leave you feeling powerless when they take over. Yet, you can learn how to deal with emotional stress in positive ways. Engaging in physical activity such as going for a swim helps to melt away anxiety, and you can use relaxation techniques such as meditation and yoga to get yourself in a stronger state of mind. Talking to your sober mentor or therapist also allows you to release pent up emotions before they lead to a major breakdown.
Identifying High Risk Situations
The interesting thing about an addiction trigger is that they vary so much from one individual to another. For instance, your roommate may find that attending a family event is their trigger, while you may know that watching certain movies cause you to crave drugs or alcohol. Learn which situations are high-risk for you so that you can develop strategies to combat your cravings. For instance, knowing that you will be having a drug test after your holiday celebration makes you stay accountable for your sobriety.
Working Through A Triggered Response
Unfortunately, you can’t go through life completely avoiding triggers since even seeing a spoon could cause you to remember your old habits. The good news is that you can learn how to work through a craving that is triggered by something in your environment or an emotional response. Begin by recognizing the addiction trigger for so that you can notice it faster the next time. Then, move on to your action plan, and do whatever helps you avoid falling prey to a craving such as talking to a member of your support team or engaging in a favorite activity.
The best thing about learning how to manage triggers is that each time you overcome a craving makes it easier to do it again. As you continue on your sober journey, keep track of what triggers your cravings so that you become stronger in your commitment to beating your addiction.