The earlier people in recovery can identify and successfully respond to triggers, the greater their chances of prolonged abstinence. Most physical relapses are considered relapses of opportunity, meaning that they occur when an individual feels they will not get caught. The recovery journey can be a lonely one because you are addressing issues that other people around you may not need to address. Mindfulness practices include staying in the present, being aware of your surroundings (including potential triggers), and meditation. Mindfulness meditation is a way to recover your sense of well-being in the face of stress.
However, you can get through cravings for drugs or alcohol using one of many strategies. They often involve people with whom you engaged in alcohol and drug addiction or places where it occurred. 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. The most important rule of recovery is that a person does not achieve recovery by just not using.
Common Relapse Triggers and How to Avoid Them
Common emotions that contribute to drug and alcohol use include anger, loneliness, sadness, guilt, stress, and anxiety. Both chronic and acute stress increase the risk of drug addiction and may be the most common triggers for relapse. Stress is a part of daily life for most people, whether it’s being late to work in the morning or tense relations with a loved one.
Clinical experience has shown that when clients are under stress, they tend to glamorize their past use and think about it longingly. They begin to disqualify the positives they have gained through recovery. The cognitive challenge is to acknowledge that recovery is sometimes hard work but addiction is even harder. If addiction were so easy, people wouldn’t want to quit and wouldn’t have to quit. Individuals who stay in addiction treatment for a longer period of time (90 days or more) are more likely to maintain their sobriety in the long run.
Addiction Triggers And How To Manage Them
Proactively avoiding high-risk situations and staying away from reminders of past substance use is key to minimizing the risk of relapse due to exposure to substances. By being aware of your triggers and taking conscious actions to limit your exposure, you can stay on the path of recovery. Physical pain, whether it be chronic pain or pain from an injury or physical illness, can be a powerful relapse trigger if https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/types-of-relapse-triggers/ you’re not adequately prepared to manage it. By understanding the impact of social pressure on relapse and proactively creating a supportive network, you can ensure success in recovery. If you or a loved one has experienced a relapse, or are just considering treatment options, we are here to help you. The Recovery Village has a strong record of helping people with substance use disorders to achieve recovery.
- This can be anything from certain social situations, responsibilities, and even specific places that trigger your desire to use again.
- For instance, the death of a loved one can easily trigger a relapse in a recovering addict.
- In bargaining, individuals start to think of scenarios in which it would be acceptable to use.
- Clinical experience has shown that common causes of relapse in this stage are poor self-care and not going to self-help groups.
- 12-step programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Cocaine Anonymous (CA), and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), provide additional guidance and support for people in recovery.
Other triggers are more overt, like seeing a specific landmark or recalling a traumatic event. What all triggers share, though, is their ability to affect a person—sometimes quickly, sometimes gradually—which, https://ecosoberhouse.com/ for many, leads them to use or misuse of substances as a response. Call The Dawn today to learn more about how we can help you maintain a healthy, successful recovery from addiction.
