Triggers

Returning home after a stay in an addiction treatment facility opens a whole new door to the challenges of staying sober. Anyone who struggles with addiction is back in their old settings, back in their old routines, and in danger of coming into contact with powerful triggers that cause overwhelming cravings.

Triggers and cravings are very common in recovery. Most people in drug rehab experience triggers and cravings, and they don’t mean that a person actually wants to use drugs, but are a normal response to withdrawing from a drug over a period of time. Triggers can include physical objects, such as drug paraphernalia; people, such as other drug addicts; and places, such as where a former addict used to meet their dealer. Situations can also be triggers. For example, receiving a paycheck or having money in one’s pocket can prompt someone to want to buy drugs. Even emotional states such as happiness, anxiousness, or loneliness can trigger a drug craving. And of course, events such as a breakup, layoff, death in the family, or other extremely stressful occurrences can trigger cravings.

Those in recovery and in addiction recovery programs experience triggers differently. For some, the clink of a glass may cause them to imagine the smell of alcohol. Others might get a headache or a knot in their stomach at a certain time of day when they used to shoot up or get drunk. Still others will have to fight racing, irrational thoughts revolving around using. And while some people face overwhelming, powerful triggers, others have more mellow triggers. The key to coping with triggers is to understand them and develop methods for responding to them positively.

Many addiction recovery centers instruct clients on how to address and respond to triggers and subsequent cravings. One strategy is to realize that the nature of triggers and cravings are time-sensitive; most cravings go away after about fifteen minutes to an hour. Someone experiencing a trigger or craving can use distraction techniques until the craving passes, by taking a walk, baking, calling a friend, or doing any activity that will take their mind off of the craving. Another strategy is to think through and concentrate on the negative consequences of using. It may also help to discuss triggers with close, understanding family and friends. Above all, those in recovery should seek to avoid known triggers as much as possible and try to identify further triggers as well.

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, and the reality of daily triggers, please email or call our empathetic representatives at Right Path Drug Rehab today, and we’ll help you find a luxury drug rehab program that accommodates your unique needs. Clients will attend group and individual meetings, determine the root cause of their addiction, and develop a supportive, like-minded community of mentors and peers. Staff will also help clients gain practical skills for fighting against triggers and maintaining sobriety. Please contact us today to begin a lifelong journey of sustained sobriety and recovery.