Relapse Prevention
These are people, places, or things that can make you want to use again.
What are Triggers?
Feeling hungry, angry, lonely, or tired are all examples of this recovery acronym.
What is HALT?
This chemical is known as the “feel-good” or reward neurotransmitter.
What is Dopamine?
Writing down thoughts and feelings to process emotions is this coping tool.
What is Journaling?
These emotions describe this type of arousal outside of the window- “heart racing, can’t sit still, anger, anxiety.”
What is Hyperarousal?
his is the first thing you should do if you experience a slip.
What is reach out to soomeone for support?
This type of trigger comes from your thoughts or emotions.
What is an Internal Trigger?
After stopping substance use, the brain’s reward and decision-making systems can take this long to fully stabilize.
What is Up to 2 years?
This breathing technique involves inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding again — each for a count of four.
What is Box Breathing?
These emotions describe which state of arousal outside of the window of tolerance- “numb, disconnected, tired, hard to think.”
What is Hypoarousal
This plan helps you prepare for high-risk situations by identifying triggers and coping responses ahead of time.
What is Relapse Prevention Plan?
This type of trigger comes from situations, people, or environments.
What is External Trigger?
Recovery helps create new brain connections through healthy habits — a process called this.
What is Neuroplasticity?
When cravings hit, watching a funny video, calling a friend, or cleaning your space are examples of this coping strategy to stop yourself from thinking about it?
What is Distraction?
A coping skill that can help bring you down from the hyperarousal state where your heart is racing and you feel out of control?
What is box breathing, movement, art, etc?
Most cravings only last this long before they fade on their own — if you can ride them out.
What is 15 minutes?
Seeing, smelling, or hearing something that reminds you of using can spark this automatic reaction.
What are Cravings or Urges?
This part of the brain is responsible for emotions, memory, and cravings.
What is the Amygdala?
This grounding activity uses your five senses — naming what you can see, hear, feel, smell, and taste — to stay present.
What is the 5-4-3-2-1 technique?
It activates the parasympathetic nervous system (the body’s relaxation response), grounding you in the here and now instead of future worry or past regret. For people in recovery, it’s especially useful to “ride out” cravings or emotional overwhelm.
Substance use, stress, and trauma can do this to the window of tolerance?
What is shrink it?
Because the brain can need this long to fully heal, people in recovery are encouraged to keep strong supports and routines even after the first year.
What is Up to 2 years?
One of the most common relapse emotional triggers?
What are lonliness, anger, feeling deprived, or stress?
This part of the brain helps control impulses and decision-making.
What is the Prefontal Cortex?
Externalizing and interacting with our thought avatar can take this away from them
What is Power?
The zone where our nervous system feels safe enough for us to think clearly, make decisions, and connect with others.
What is window of tolerance?