Or perhaps you live with substance use disorder, where the smell of alcohol or a certain scene can trigger your symptoms. Don’t face these challenges alone—join our community at The Retreat today! Take that first step toward overcoming your triggers by reaching out to us; we’re here to support you every step of the way on your path toward lasting recovery. Suppose you used to turn to substances as a coping mechanism during times of stress or boredom in the past. Redirecting that energy toward things you genuinely enjoy can help break those old habits effectively.

Emotional triggers (stress, anxiety, depression)

They are ashamed of the last time they relapsed and may have developed negative behaviors to cope with their thoughts. This state of mind is dangerous because it encourages bad health practices that can eventually lead to a full-blown relapse. Friends and family may not understand the consequences of negative behaviors toward people in recovery.

The Importance of Identifying Addiction Triggers in Recovery

Self-care habits make great strategies for responding to or preventing drug and alcohol cravings. Use this list to start thinking about what triggers you are likely to face in your recovery journey. This may mean leaving the grocery store or not saying hello to a friend from that period in your life. They often involve people with whom you engaged in alcohol and drug addiction or places where it occurred.

Psychologist-Recommended Strategies

Now, when you encounter these sensory reminders — known as “triggers” — you may get a feeling of anxiety, unease, or panic. You may experience triggers both positively and negatively; keep in mind that negative triggers can have the biggest impact. Experienced Chief Executive Addiction Recovery and Mental Health Professional Business professional in the Addiction internal and external triggers Recovery and Mental Health industry for the past 26 years. Caring, compassionate and strongly motivated to make a difference in the organizations I am affiliated with and welfare of the population we serve. Currently focused on advocating, educating and developing projects leveraging evidence based, real time technology to support individuals in recovery.

• The Recovery Village has a strong record of helping people with substance use disorders to achieve recovery.
• A therapist can help you work out complex emotions that may arise as you go through recovery.
• Whether it’s trusted friends, family members, or fellow peers in recovery programs like group therapy or support meetings, having supportive individuals around can make all the difference.
• Another potential benefit is that these warnings can help improve individual empowerment, allowing people to make informed choices about how they engage with information.
• Seeking professional help when faced with challenges during your recovery journey is paramount.
• Triggers are sensory reminders that cause painful memories or certain symptoms to resurface.

A mental health professional can help you come up with a treatment plan to reduce your symptoms and improve your well-being. When triggered, emotions like anger, guilt, and irritability arise along with a decline in self-esteem, paving the way for various unhealthy behaviors. Some might even be traumatizing enough to provoke harmful coping mechanisms, including self-harm, harming others, and substance abuse as well.

• It is important to note that these are not all the possible triggers you could face.
• Read on to learn more about common triggers, where they come from, and healthy ways to deal with them.
• While one person might reach a point of acceptance about an unsettling experience, the other person might develop PTSD.
• Therapists and counselors can provide tools and strategies tailored to each individual’s unique circumstances and triggers.
• Positive coping techniques can include practicing mindfulness, surrounding yourself with a solid support system, finding a regular exercise or activity you enjoy, or any of the other tips listed above.
• A professional assessment or counseling by a therapist or addiction specialist is important in understanding addiction triggers.
• The brain registers these stimuli and processes them in the same areas involved in drug-seeking behavior.

Interpersonal relationships are not only a huge component of mental health, but also very important to overcoming the isolation of trauma and PTSD. For someone with a history of trauma, being around anything that reminds them of a traumatic experience can make them feel like they’re experiencing the trauma all over again. Physical relapses are one of the most challenging stages of relapse to overcome. In many cases, users cave to drug use during a window of opportunity and falsely believe it will cause no harm. If a former drug user used to meet their dealer at a particular corner gas station, that gas station may become a powerful trigger.

This includes thinking about using drugs or alcohol, fantasizing about the euphoric effects of an intoxicant, and planning how and when it could be used without getting caught. A professional assessment or counseling by a therapist or addiction specialist is important in understanding addiction triggers. A specialist can provide the necessary tools to identify triggers and help develop a relapse prevention plan to manage and reduce the risk of relapse. To cope with internal triggers, developing a sober support system is extremely valuable. Being able to talk to someone who has experience dealing with triggers personally is one of the best resources to have.

Managing these triggers often requires the ability to process experiences in your past that led to emotional wounds or trauma. Triggers that come from within you can be difficult to deal with because internal triggers can stem from a variety of sources that you can’t simply remove, like you can an external trigger. Read on to learn more about common triggers, where they come from, and healthy ways to deal with them.

Get started on the road to recovery

It is important to note that these are not all the possible triggers you could face. A “trigger” is a stimulus that awakens a painful memory, feeling, or symptom. People who experienced trauma or who have a mental health condition are particularly vulnerable to triggers. It’s also important to construct your support network of people you know you can be honest with. These people can help keep you accountable, encourage your recovery, and share their experiences as well.