Addiction recovery is a long, hard, and painful road. Many challenges still lie ahead even after undergoing addiction treatment.

Whether someone has just recently started their recovery journey or has completed their treatment, there will always be the temptation to fall back into old habits. This is why it’s hard for newly sober, recovering addicts to let go of their fears and anxieties.

A strong resolve can still crack and break in the face of certain emotions, people, places, objects, and occasions. Figuring what can trigger your relapse is essential for a healthy and continuous recovery.

What Are Triggers?

Triggers are anything that causes the desires, thoughts, and emotions tied to an addiction to resurface. A trigger can either be external or internal.

As reminders of past behavior and trauma, triggers often bring about overwhelming feelings of depression, anxiety, frustration, or panic. All of these can weaken one’s resolve and break their commitment to stay sober, making it harder to truly recover.

There is no rule or exception to what may trigger a person to relapse. It can be a person, a place, or an object that holds significant meaning for them. Other times, it can be a negative or extreme emotion, a special occasion they associate with their source of addiction,

Relapse Prevention Therapy: Know Your Triggers

or even the stress of adapting to a sober life.

Here are other examples of common addiction triggers:

• A traumatic event or the anniversary of such
• Upsetting or frustrating news
• Disparaging or teasing comments
• Heartbreak or grief
• Shame, guilt, or regret
• Living in isolation
• Dysfunctional friendships

The Importance of Knowing Your Triggers

Triggers can be considered as warning signs of potential addiction relapse. It is also often seen as one of the first steps for relapse prevention.

Knowing is half the battle, as the adage goes. In this case, knowing the different triggers that may cause a relapse allows recovering addicts to prepare accordingly. Moreover, awareness of triggers increases one’s ability to identify and cope with relapse symptoms.

Once they know their triggers, recovering addicts can inform people about their triggers so they can provide proper support should the situation call for it.

Relapse Prevention Therapy

Careful coaching and thorough therapy with a professional addiction counselor may be necessary to understand the full scope of a person’s triggers. Various addiction treatments help patients identify their triggers.

After identifying triggers, undergoing relapse prevention therapy helps recovering addicts process their triggers. Relapse prevention therapy is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy that focuses not only on preventing relapses but also on limiting the negative effects of such instances.

It helps patients learn how to anticipate triggers and create strategies to manage their responses when put in high-risk situations. The therapy also helps them find better, healthier ways of coping with both their triggers and signs of relapse.

Relapse prevention therapy also teaches recovering participants how to put their relapses in perspective. It helps them see relapses as learning opportunities and chances to strengthen their resolve or coping skills. Taking relapses as a failure and a sign of their inability to recover can turn a momentary relapse into a full-blown return to their addiction.

Seeking Help from Experts

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, it’s best to seek professional help.

North Star Detox and Rehab offers comprehensive and effective treatment options for anyone wanting to recover from substance abuse and addiction.

Call us today to learn more about how we can assist you in your journey to sobriety.