Happiness Chemicals
This neurotransmitter is responsible for motivation, learning, and anticipating rewards.
Dopamine
This occurs when a person needs more of a substance to get the same effect they once got with a smaller amount.
What is Tolerance
After stopping substance use, the brain begins adjusting to functioning without the drug or alcohol. This process is called what?
What is brain healing or neuroplasticity?
Anything that causes a person to experience cravings, strong emotions, or thoughts about returning to substance use.
Trigger
The acronym HALT reminds people to check for these four internal states that can increase vulnerability.
What are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired?
This healthy habit can naturally increase dopamine and improve mood.
True or False: Tolerance means your brain has adapted to repeated substance use.
True
During early sobriety, many people experience irritability, anxiety, low mood, and cravings because the brain is trying to rebalance these chemicals.
What are neurotransmitters?
A trigger that comes from inside a person, such as thoughts, feelings, memories, or physical sensations, is called:
What is an internal trigger?
This recovery skill helps a person notice thoughts and feelings without immediately reacting to them.
What is mindfulness/urge surfing?
Drugs and alcohol cause this neurotransmitter to flood the brain.
What is dopamine
Someone who used to feel intoxicated after two drinks now needs six drinks to feel the same effect. This is an example of ________.
What is tolerance
The first few days and weeks of recovery can be difficult because the brain has become used to receiving large amounts of this “feel-good” chemical from substances.
What is dopamine?
A trigger that comes from the environment, people, places, or situations around someone is called:
What is an external trigger?
The three-step strategy “Delay, Distract, Decide” helps someone manage:
What are cravings and urges?
When someone needs more of a drug to get the same effect, this has developed.
Tolerance
Tolerance develops because the brain tries to maintain this.
What is balance (homeostasis)?
True or False: Feeling tired, emotionally flat, or unmotivated in early recovery means the brain is permanently damaged.
What is False? The brain can heal and rebuild pathways over time.
True or False: Only negative emotions can be internal triggers.
What is because recognizing triggers early allows a person to use coping skills before cravings lead to risky decisions?
A person recognizes they are angry, takes deep breaths, calls support, and goes for a walk instead of using. What recovery skill are they practicing?
What is emotional regulation and healthy coping?
Dopamine is often called the brain's _______ chemical.
What is the reward or motivation chemical?
True or False: Developing tolerance means someone has become "better" at using drugs.
What is False?
Discussion:
Tolerance actually means the brain has adapted, increasing the risk of overdose and dependence.
This part of the brain helps with decision-making, impulse control, and thinking about consequences. It can take months to fully strengthen after substance use.
What is the prefrontal cortex?
One way to manage external triggers is to create a plan to:
What is avoid high-risk situations, change environments, or use support systems?
A person feels lonely, starts remembering past substance use, contacts an old using friend, and begins craving. Identify all the triggers involved.
What are internal trigger (loneliness), internal trigger (memory/thought), and external trigger (contact with old using friend)?