Recovery Basics
Can provide encouragement, accountability, guidance, connection, support, and help during difficult situations.
What is a support system?
Something that can increase the desire or urge to use. Person, Place, or thing.
What is a trigger?
Name one healthy activity you can do when stressed.
Exercise, walking, yoga, journal, meditation, etc.
What is an early warning sign of possible relapse?
isolation, increased stress, stopping recovery activities, etc.
Primary, chronic, and progressive condition with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and outcome. Involves compulsion, loss of control, and using despite consequences.
What is addiction?
Living without alcohol or drugs
Sobriety/abstinence
Name one common emotional trigger.
Stress, anger, sadness, loneliness, etc.
Name two people you can contact when you are struggling and why.
varies.
Focusing on the enjoyable memories while minimizing or forgetting the consequences.
Romanticizing, glamorizing
Addictive drug that energizes the nervous system by making the nerves act more quickly than normal.
What is a stimulant?
A healthy strategy used to manage stress, emotions, cravings, or difficult situation.
Coping skill
Name three healthy ways to deal with a trigger
Leave, call, exercise, distract, breathe, meeting, etc.
Redirecting your attention toward a healthier activity.
What is a distraction?
When you are around a group of people that may cause you to use or get in trouble.
Negative peer group or peer pressure.
The state of severe confusion.
What is delirium?
Neurotransmitter involved in motivation, reward, learning, movement, and reinforcement.
What is dopamine?
Need more of a substance for the same effect.
What is tolerance?
Name three defense mechanisms.
sublimation, denial, projection, externalization, intellectualization, rationalization, displacement, etc.
Describe the relapse cycle.
ETFB, circles around
Originally used as an anesthetic but discontinued because of psychological effects. No safe does. AKA embalming fluid.
What is PCP?
Describe the difference between avoiding substances and actively working a recovery program.
Active recovery involves developing healthier behaviors, coping skills, relationships, goals, and ways of managing triggers and emotions.
Why do people continue to use even if they know it is harmful?
Addiction can change the brain reward, motivation, learning, and decision-making system.
An unconscious psychological strategy used to protect a person from uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, or anxiety.
What is a defense mechanism?
This is like an emergency kit that includes phone numbers, recovery resources, and activities to do if a craving happens.
What is a Relapse Prevention Plan?
When a user replaces his or her primary drug with a secondary drug that is not cross tolerant, such as cocaine and alcohol.
What is drug switching?