Managing Triggers During Addiction Recovery

Addiction recovery is a difficult process. When you are on the road to recovery, you will encounter situations in which you are tempted to revert back to using your drug of choice, and there may be times where you slip up and make the choice to use again. Situations that tempt you back to your old ways are known as triggers. Knowing your triggers and acknowledging them is one of the first steps to overcoming them. Here are some tips for managing triggers when recovering from addiction.

Identify your Triggers

One of the most important aspects of addiction recovery is knowing what your personal triggers are. For some people, walking by a bar is a trigger, or getting invited to a party. Boredom or even getting paid can be triggers as well. Triggers are different for every person – try making a list identifying your own. Once you have identified them, make a plan for how you will avoid using when you feel that you are in a trigger situation.

Practice the Plan

Even when you are not in a trigger situation, you can practice how you will act if that situation does arise. Talking to yourself in a mirror can be good practice, even if it feels silly at first. This small practice may be what saves you from a relapse in the future. Be sure to identify times where you feel hungry, tired, lonely, or angry – these are the times that you are most vulnerable to triggers. Taking care of yourself and practicing your plan is the best way to manage triggers during recovery.