There are many addiction triggers for anybody that suffers from alcoholism or drug addiction. Learning to avoid these triggers when possible is an important part of recovery. It’s also important to learn to handle them healthily if they are unavoidable. Stress is a common trigger for many people, which is difficult to avoid completely. Many addicts also struggle with isolation or overconfidence in their sobriety. And of course, peer pressure can be a trigger at social events where there is a lot of alcohol. Learning to manage your addiction triggers can take some time to figure out, but will be very helpful for your recovery journey.
Common Addiction Triggers and How to Handle Them
Stress
Stress is one of the most common addiction triggers and affects nearly everybody. It might be stress from work, home life, or stress from feeling emotional about things. Whatever the cause, it’s impossible to entirely avoid stress. So learning to channel that stress in a healthy way instead of addiction is important. A therapist can be a great resource for helping you learn to navigate stress.
Isolation
Isolation is another one of the common addiction triggers. When we are around other people, there are plenty of things to distract us from cravings, but not so much if we are alone often. Therefore, avoiding isolation as much as possible can be helpful. Plan to spend time with friends during times of the day that are difficult, or join an exercise class to get out of the house. You can also find a sponsor or friend that you can call when you are struggling.
Overconfidence
Overconfidence can be one of the addiction triggers for many people as well. It’s easy to get too comfortable in your sobriety journey and quit being as strict about managing your recovery. For example, many people stop going to meetings or stop the healthy habits that lead to their sobriety. If this is the case, it’s easy to lose your footing and fall off the wagon. Even when you are comfortable in your sobriety, keep up the practices that helped you get to where you are.
Social Events
Finally, social events are another common addiction trigger, especially for alcoholics. When you’re around other people who are drinking, it can make it much harder to stay sober. Therefore, it’s probably best to avoid social events where you know there will be a lot of alcohol until you feel comfortable being around others who are drinking. Plan to attend events that aren’t likely to have alcohol, like lunches or coffee dates. Or plan events yourself!
Learning to manage your addiction triggers is a huge part of recovery. There are always going to be unexpected things that come up in life that can make it difficult to resist giving in to your cravings. It’s important to learn to navigate these triggers healthily. A therapist can be hugely helpful in helping you identify your triggers, and come up with a plan to manage them. Stress is a common trigger for many people, as is isolation. Being overly confident in your sobriety can also result in a fall off the wagon. And finally, social events where you are around other people using drugs or drinking can often be a big stressor. Hopefully, you’ll learn some techniques to help you manage your triggers and can have a successful recovery journey.
