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Experiencing triggers can be stressful for people in recovery. Learning the tools to help you cope can prevent them.

Recovery comes with many unique challenges.

Triggers can be anything that brings up thoughts, memories, or feelings that remind you of past substance use — can be some of the toughest challenges for someone in recovery.

Triggers may test your willpower. Identifying your triggers is often the first step in coping. This not only helps you overcome them but may also be beneficial for examining and understanding what may have led you to addiction.

If you are in recovery and feeling challenged by triggers, know that you are not alone. Many people in recovery from substance use disorder learn the tools to manage stressful triggers and go on to lead balanced, fulfilling lives.

What are triggers in addiction?

Dealing with triggers is one of the most common shared experiences in recovery, and bring anxiety to some.

For people with past substance use disorder, triggers can be any internal or external stimulus that intensely and often uncontrollably reminds them of using drugs or alcohol.

Common triggers might include:

• Continuing friendships with users. Nothing threatens sobriety more than returning to social situations where drug and alcohol use are common.
• Extreme emotional states.  Depression, stress, frustration, and anxiety provoke a reflexive desire to use substances in order to relieve the discomfort of these emotional conditions.
• Living conditions. Returning to the same dysfunctional or isolated living situation will reactivate the addiction memory, the behaviors that led to substance use in the living environment, and/or the people in it.
• Social settings. Parties or events where alcohol or drugs are common can quickly trigger a relapse.   Someone in the early phase of recovery should avoid all social scenes where substance use is abundant.
• Deep-seated childhood traumas.  Dysfunctional family dynamics, childhood abuse, or trauma can set into motion coping mechanisms that later develop into substance abuse.
• seeing something on television,  the news, or in a movie
• Music
• Responses or reactions from certain family members

Triggers may lead to the following emotions:

• Guilt
• Shame
• Regret
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Grief and loss
• Stress

Experiencing triggers can affect your emotional state and may increase the desire to use substances again. Extreme triggers may cause recurrence of use for some people.

However, learning the tools to cope with triggers is possible with the right support.

Identifying triggers

Identifying your triggers is often the first step in learning how to cope with and manage them.

First, know that experiencing triggers in recovery is not a sign of failure. It is common for people in recovery to face triggers in their journey to recovery.

Try to avoid self-judgment if you are dealing with triggers. Self-judgment could lead to emotional distress and feelings of guilt, which can be triggers themselves.

It can be helpful to pay attention to your mind and body and how it responds to the environment around you. For example, when you experience the urge to use substances, where are you and what immediately preceded the feeling?

Also, writing down your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a daily journal could help you identify trends, events, or stimuli that lead to triggers. Increasing your self-awareness may improve your chances of success.

What’s your trigger?

Coping with triggers

While experiencing triggers can be stressful, they are temporary. The uncomfortable feelings and sensations eventually pass. Learning tools to manage triggers can make a big difference in how you respond to and ultimately cope with them.

Make a plan

Making a plan for how you’ll respond to triggers can help you prepare for them in the future. The steps for your plan can be simple, such as:

1. Recognize the trigger.

2. Reassure yourself that you do not have to give into your craving.

3. Remove yourself from the situation.

Have a support system and being honest.

A support system of people you trust can be helpful in planning.

You may want to let your loved ones know what you’re going through and how you plan on coping. When you face triggers, your support system can help you quickly change your environment.

Do things you love

Finding activities that bring you joy can be a great way to cope with triggers in the moment.

Examples of activities might include:

• jogging or exercise
• painting
• going to the movies
• reading a book
• calling a friend or sponsor
• taking up a hobby

Focusing on activities you love can fill the time you might have spent using substances. They can also be effective outlets for stress and negative emotions that may have caused you to use in the past.