Triggers
What is a trigger?
Anything that increases cravings or urges, such as emotions, places, or people.
What types of situations does "Avoid" help with?
Predictable, high-risk situations
Taking deep breaths or counting to 10 can help when you feel this emotion.
Anger or anxiety
What is a value?
Something important that guides how you want to live.
The more you take away from me, the bigger I get. What am I?
A hole
Name 2 internal triggers and 2 external triggers.
Internal: emotions, thoughts, physical sensations. External: people, places, things, times of day, etc. Answers vary.
Which DEADS skill is about literally getting up and removing yourself once you are triggered? Give one example.
Escape; Walking out of a party where people are using substances, or leaving a room where a conflict is escalating, etc.
Talking to a friend can help when you feel this emotion after a loss.
Sadness
Give one value and one short-term goal that reflects it.
Value: Health. Goal: Drink water and get 30 minutes of movement today.
I have branches, but no fruit, trunk, or leaves. What am I?
Why can boredom be a major trigger?
When you’re bored, your brain looks for something exciting to do, and old habits can pop up fast.
What does the "Substitute" skill for managing an urge involve?
Identifying why you want the substance (e.g., stress relief) and finding another way to meet that goal (e.g., slowed breathing)
Exercising, stretching, or going for a walk can help reduce this emotion.
What is stress/anxiety
Why are values more stable than goals?
Goals can be completed; values are lifelong directions.
I go up and down the stairs without moving. What am I?
Carpet
What’s one way your body might tell you you’re getting triggered?
Feeling tense, restless, or suddenly “on edge.”
Give an example of how you could use the "Delay" skill for an urge.
Tell yourself, “I’ll wait 10 minutes before deciding,” then distract yourself during that time with music, texting a friend, or going for a walk.
Pausing before reacting, or using a positive distraction, is a strategy to manage this.
Intense emotions or emotion-driven behavior
Create a goal connected to the value “relationships.”
Reach out to a supportive friend or family member today.
I can be cracked, made, told, and played. What am I?
A joke
What’s the difference between a craving and a trigger?
A trigger starts the urge; the craving is the feeling that follows.
Create a DEADS (delay, escape, avoid, distract, substitute) plan for a Friday night when your friends invite you to a risky hangout.
Delay responding; Escape the convo; Avoid the meet-up; Distract with another activity; Substitute with a safe friend or relaxing activity.
I provide information about your body’s needs and guide decisions, like avoiding danger or seeking comfort.
Emotions
Describe how values help with relapse prevention.
They create meaning and purpose that compete with urges, keeping behavior aligned long-term.
What has many teeth, but cannot bite?
A comb