Addiction treatment is more than just detox. It’s about learning why you turn to substances so you can develop strategies to avoid doing so in the future. Addiction triggers are people, places, things, and memories that make you more at risk for suffering from a relapse. During your treatment, you’ll explore what these are for you and build skills to avoid them.
Raleigh Recovery offers a comprehensive addiction treatment program designed to provide you with individualized attention. Everyone’s triggers differ, and every person deserves to better understand what they can do when one of these, often unavoidable, situations plays out.
What Are Addiction Triggers?
Addiction triggers are some type of internal or external stimuli that cause a person with a substance use disorder (SUD) to engage in or feel tempted to engage in the use of that substance. Triggers are common and part of everyday life. But recognizing them and then reacting properly is what prevents relapse.
A trigger can be anything that causes your brain to react. For addictions, the stimulus causes a craving response in the brain, putting a person on the path to seeking out that substance. You don’t have to react to the trigger, and through our addiction treatment program in Raleigh, you’ll learn how to avoid doing so.
What Are Common Addiction Triggers?
Common triggers for those with a SUD include the following. Keep in mind that they can differ from one person to the next. You may not experience any of these symptoms.
Types of Physical Triggers
Physical triggers are some of the most common. They are people, places, or things that you connect with previous use of the substance. Here are some examples:
- Certain people you commonly used substances with can be triggers
- Driving past a location where you used to seek out substances can be triggering
- Going to a bar you used to drink at can be a trigger
Avoidance tends to be the most important tool in fighting back from these triggers. Avoiding the people, places, or things allows you to keep those risks at bay.
Psychological and Emotional Triggers
Some situations can produce emotional or psychological outcomes. When they do, they can create intense risk of relapse. Some examples include:
- Depression onset due to difficult times or negative thought patterns
- High-stress situations may cause a person to seek out access to alcohol or drugs as their way of dealing with the intensity
- Situations that induce anxiety at uncontrollable levels can entice a person to turn to a substance for relief
Many times, a person may feel like using a substance can minimize the intensity they feel in those moments. These intense emotions can also provoke a reflexive-type of desire to turn to the substance they once used to navigate these difficult situations.
Environmental Factors
As noted, sometimes being in an environment where you once used substances can cause a desire to seek out that substance again. Other times, the environment itself creates an unhealthy situation. Here are some examples:
- A person is in an isolated environment, which creates loneliness, causing them to fondly remember the times they used substances
- The environment may be a constant indication of stress or anxiety due to those living within it with you
- Going to a family event where previous trauma caused you pain and led to use of substances could be a trigger
Avoidance is important, but it’s never possible to avoid all stress. That is why most people need to develop highly effective strategies for managing stress. That’s something you’ll learn in addiction treatment.
Negative Self-Talk
Behaviors can cause a person to relapse as well. The behaviors themselves act as triggers leading a person down the path of using alcohol or drugs. Some examples include:
- Negative self-talk about who you are or what you bring to the world
- Thoughts of shame or guilt for what you have experienced or caused to others
- Talks about self-harm and suicide, or wanting to die
In these situations, the negative thought processes push a person towards the use of alcohol or drugs to deal with those intense feelings.
The Importance of Relapse Prevention Strategies in Treatment
One of the components of addiction treatment is relapse prevention. This is a process that allows you to work with your therapist to develop a clear understanding of what your triggers are and what to do when you experience them. You’ll learn how to manage the intense feelings that can sometimes come out of nowhere through trigger management.
Avoiding triggers becomes second nature over time. During treatment, we’ll provide the tools you need to make that possible.
Set Up an Assessment with Our Treatment Center Today
Raleigh Recovery offers a comprehensive treatment plan that builds your confidence in yourself and in your ability to overcome triggers. With the tools and resources we offer, you’ll have the resources necessary to minimize those negative thoughts. Contact us now to learn how we can help you.
