Emotional Awareness & Regulation
A feeling state that signals how a person is experiencing a situation internally
What is an emotion?
Becoming too comfortable and reducing recovery effort
What is complacency?
A substance that slows down brain activity (such as alcohol or opioids)
What is a depressant?
Cravings always mean someone will use substances
What is False?
The brain chemical strongly involved in reward, motivation, and reinforcing substance use
What is dopamine?
Emotional states such as sadness, anxiety, anger, shame, or loneliness
What are primary emotions in recovery?
Loss of structure in routines and coping habits
What is routine disruption?
Prompt: How does structure protect recovery?
đź’Ą DAILY DOUBLE
A: For men, consuming 5 or more drinks in about 2 hours; for women, consuming 4 or more drinks in about 2 hours
What is binge drinking?
People in recovery can benefit from ongoing support even after long periods of sobriety
What is True?
🧠Prompt: Why is continued support important even when someone feels stable?
The automatic pattern where a cue leads to a craving, then a behavior, then a reward
What is the habit loop?
The ability to notice, understand, and respond to emotions in a healthy way
What is emotional regulation?
“I already messed up so it doesn’t matter”
What is all-or-nothing thinking?
Medication that blocks reinforcing properties of alcohol. Also, Medication that blocks the reinforcing properties of opiates.
What is naltrexone and Narcan
Drinking coffee or taking a cold shower can sober someone up quickly
What is False?
The body’s automatic system that activates during stress or perceived danger
Answer: What is the fight-or-flight response?
Prompt: How does stress impact decision-making in early recovery?
A pattern where someone avoids or numbs emotions rather than processing them
What is emotional avoidance?
Prompt: How can avoiding emotions increase relapse risk over time?
A protective factor that reduces relapse risk by increasing accountability, connection, and emotional regulation support
What is a recovery support system?
A substance that speeds up brain activity (such as cocaine or methamphetamine)
What is a stimulant?
Blackouts happen when someone is unconscious
What is False?
In a blackout, the person remains awake, conscious, and able to interact—they can walk, talk, and perform tasks—but their brain temporarily cannot form new long-term memories
Physical and emotional symptoms that occur when the brain adjusts to the absence of a substance
What is withdrawal?
đź’Ą DAILY DOUBLE
A: The ability to stay present with strong emotions without reacting impulsively or using substances to escape them
What is distress tolerance?
Prompt: What are healthy ways people “ride out” emotional waves without acting on them?
A treatment approach that reduces cravings and withdrawal while allowing the brain and body to stabilize during recovery
What is medication-assisted treatment (MAT)?
Using more than one substance at the same time or in close timing
What is polysubstance use?
Mixing alcohol with other substances increases risk of overdose or dangerous effects
What is True?
đź’Ą DAILY DOUBLE
The brain’s learned response where exposure to people, places, or emotions linked to past use activates cravings automatically
What is conditioned craving (or learned cue response)? Also except answers of "What is a trigger response?"