Triggers & Coping Skills
What are the 2 TYPES of triggers
External & Internal
What are the 3 Stages of Relapse?
Emotional, Mental and Physical
Addiction is now recognized by most medical professionals as this, not a moral failing.
This free tool can be carried in your pocket, comes in many colors, and can save a life in an overdose situation.
Narcan (naloxone)
What is the one thing most people forget to do with their Relapse Prevention Plan?
grief, depression, sadness, anger, loneliness, ANY FEELINGS OR EMOTIONS OR THOUGHTS
This is the term for a written strategy that helps someone in recovery stay sober by identifying warning signs and coping skills.
Relapse Prevention Plan
This chemical in the brain is heavily involved in the reward system and plays a big role in addiction
Dopamine
This powerful tool helps you learn from your past by writing down thoughts, goals, feelings, or triggers.
Journaling
This type of communication is clear, direct, and respectful, where you express your feelings without blaming others.
Assertive Communication
Give me 3 EXTERNAL Triggers
People, places, and things - situations
10 Most Common Reasons People Relapse
Stress and Anxiety, Social Pressures (peer pressure), Emotional Turmoil, Boredom, Physical Pain, Exposure to Substances, Reminders of Past use, Major Life Changes & Over Confidence in Recovery
This part of the brain, responsible for decision-making and impulse control, is often damaged or hijacked by substance use.
Pre-Frontal Cortex/ Frontal Lobe
This tool isn’t physical — it’s about recognizing when you're slipping into old behaviors or negative thinking patterns before a relapse happens.
Self-Awareness or Emotional Regulation
This boundary type protects your emotional well-being, helping you to say “no” when you feel overwhelmed or uncomfortable
Emotional Boundary
These are situations, people, places, or feelings that can cause someone to think about using substances again.
Triggers
What Does a Relapse Prevention Plan Identify
Triggers, Coping Skills, Warning Signs, Social Support, Meetings you'll attend, and Increased Self-Awareness.
Long-term substance use causes the brain to release large amounts of dopamine, which raises this internal “set point,” making it harder to feel pleasure from normal activities like eating, exercising, or spending time with loved ones.
Dopamine Threshold
This type of boundary-setting tool helps you say “no” to people, places, or things that threaten your recovery.
This type of communication is often vague, indirect, and can be passive, making it difficult for others to understand what you truly want or need.
Passive
When a person feels an intense desire or urge to use a substance, they are experiencing this.
Craving
What are the most critical aspects of a Relapse Prevention Plan?
Build a Social Support Network or Identifying Resources
Because substances flood the brain with dopamine, the brain's dopamine threshold starts to rise, making it harder to feel this, even from things you used to enjoy
Pleasure or Happiness
This tool means taking care of your body through things like eating well, getting rest, and staying clean — it’s one of the first signs someone is doing better.
Self-Care
What are the 4 different types of Communication Styles
Assertive, Passive, Aggressive & Passive-Aggressive