Addiction and recovery both come with a variety of challenges. Events, life situations such as loss of a loved one, a relationship, or a job potentially trigger drinking or using other drugs that lead to addiction. Memories of past trauma, whether childhood trauma or trauma that occurred in adulthood, can also possibly trigger addiction. Promises Behavioral Health understands your struggles with addiction and common addiction triggers. The staff has the knowledge and expertise to help guide you through recognizing and coping with your addiction triggers. If you need help overcoming addiction, we’re here to help. Contact us today by calling 844.875.5609.
What are Common Addiction Triggers?
Common addiction triggers are recognized as a normal part of the recovery process. You do not merely stop craving alcohol, prescription opioids, marijuana, heroin, cocaine, or other drugs simply because you enter into or complete a treatment program. The same triggers you had yesterday are the same triggers that can take you down the destructive path to addiction and despair today.
There is a reason that you learn about those external triggers of ‘old people, old places, old things’ in recovery. The National Institute on Drug Abuse explains that these issues, along with stress cues that are linked to drug use, and actual contact with a drug are common addiction triggers.
Dr. Adi Jaffe, Ph.D., and Psychology Today contributor describes addiction triggers as any memories, thoughts, or feelings that have to do with the addiction.
Managing Common Addiction Triggers
The team of professionals at Promises Behavioral Health offers a variety of addiction therapy programs to help individuals successfully complete addiction treatment and to manage common addiction triggers. Some of these programs will be evidence-based, meaning that experts in addiction have thoroughly researched them. Others are holistic therapies. In other words, we use them to treat your mind, body, and soul, all of which have been affected by addiction. Some of the addiction therapies offered include:
- Stress management therapy
- Individual and group therapy
- Yoga therapy
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Relapse prevention counseling
Another addiction therapy offered at Promises Behavioral Health is Mindfulness Meditation. Your therapist guides you through Mindfulness Meditation and helps you learn to train your brain to enter into calm and relaxation.
Mindfulness meditation is a useful tool for alcohol relapse prevention. Researchers note encouraging results in using this addiction therapy in treating substance use disorders (SUDs). The research results, published on the National Institutes of Health site, noted a decrease in the severity of relapse triggers.
Identifying Addiction Triggers
Studies have shown that both humans and animals often revert right back to the activities that once led to their drug use. This fact is true even after a significant time without the drugs. Therefore, addiction triggers do not only bring back the type of thoughts or responses that lead an individual to think about the drugs. Triggers lead to wanting the drug or craving the drugs, and to drug-seeking behaviors.
Your addiction triggers are not the same as those of another person. Identifying your common addiction triggers is a significant step in avoiding those situations and activities that may lead you to relapse. A PsychCentral contributor reveals that if you learn to recognize your common addiction triggers, you can potentially prevent relapse. Doing so can possibly keep you sober.
Recognize your internal triggers, such as stress, anxiety, anger, shame, guilt, and fear. Always remember HALT – Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired, and their role in your triggers.
Your addiction triggers don’t have to rule your life. Promises Behavioral Health guides you through addiction treatment and mental health treatment. Contact us right now at 844.875.5609 and start your recovery today.