Triggers
Anger, sadness, anxiety, and loneliness are examples of this type of trigger.
What are internal triggers?
Seeing a person you previously used substances with is this type of trigger.
What is an external trigger?
staying away from supportive people and spending more time alone is this warning sign.
What is isolating?
Triggers may be difficult to notice because the brain’s response can happen this way, without conscious thought.
What is automatically?
Calling a sponsor, counselor, staff member, or safe friend is an example of using this.
What is support?
This internal trigger can happen when a person has nothing to do and begins thinking about substance use.
What is boredom?
Bars, parties, old neighborhoods, and places where substances were used are examples of this external trigger category.
What are places?
Remembering only the enjoyable parts of substance use while ignoring the consequences is called this.
What is romanticizing past use?
A trigger may occur in the morning, but the person may not notice a craving until later. This is called...
What is a delayed response?
Leaving a risky location is an example of creating this between yourself and the trigger.
What is distance?
Hunger, fatigue, pain, and muscle tension are examples of these internal triggers.
What are body sensations or physical triggers?
Receiving a paycheck may become a trigger because it increases access to this.
What is money?
Missing groups, meetings, or counseling may indicate that this is increasing.
What is relapse risk?
Stress, hunger, fatigue, and conflict may combine until an urge becomes strong. This means triggers can do this over time.
What is build up?
Slow breathing, grounding, and taking a walk can help a person do this when triggered.
What is regulate or calm the body?
“One time won’t hurt” and “I can control it now” are examples of this type of internal trigger.
What are risky thoughts?
Songs, movies, photographs, and online posts connected to past substance use can all act as these.
What are media or social-media triggers?
Restlessness, a tight chest, sweating, and rapid breathing are examples of this kind of warning sign.
What are physical warning signs?
A person may feel irritable without realizing they are actually hurt, afraid, lonely, or ashamed because they have difficulty doing this.
What is identifying emotions?
Avoiding an old neighborhood or blocking an unsafe contact is an example of reducing this.
What is access or exposure?
A person remembers how substances temporarily helped them escape emotional pain. This is an example of this internal trigger.
What is a memory of past substance use?
Weekends, holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries belong to this external-trigger category.
What are events or special occasions?
Contacting unsafe people and hiding it from supports is an example of this kind of warning sign.
What is a behavioral warning sign?
A craving may seem sudden, but there is often a series of triggers, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors leading to it. This series is called this.
What is a trigger chain?
Naming the trigger, noticing warning signs, rating the risk, and choosing a coping response are the main parts of this relapse-prevention
What is trigger mapping?