Triggers/Cravings
Which scenario best describes a cognitive trigger for relapse?
A. Walking past a bar where you used to drink.
B. Feeling stressed about a bill (e.g. "I deserve a drink.").
C. Seeing a friend who uses.
D. Feeling lonely.
B- Feeling stress about a bill.
A key component of relapse prevention in group therapy involves:
A. Believing you'll never relapse again.
B. Identifying warning signs and planning responses.
C. Eliminating all stress from life.
D. Hiding your struggles from your support system.
B- Identifying warning signs and planning responses.
What is an example of a healthy self-care activity for someone in recovery?
A. Spending all day watching TV
B. Engaging in a hobby like hiking or reading.
C. Avoiding all social interactions.
D. Focusing only on work.
B- Engaging in a hobby like hiking/reading.
If you feel overwhelmed by anger in recovery, a healthy group-supported strategy is to:
A) Suppress the anger until it explodes.
B) Use substances to numb the feeling.
C) Practice deep breathing and talk to a trusted group member/peer.
D) Isolate and stew in the feeling.
C- Practice deep breathing and talk to a trusted peer/support.
What neurotransmitter is primarily involved in the brain's reward system?
A) Serotonin
B) Dopamine
C) Adrenaline
D) Endorphins
B- Dopamine
When experiencing intense cravings, Which SMART recovery tool is most helpful initially?
A. Avoidance
B. Urge Surfing (riding the urge without acting on it)
C. Calling an old using buddy.
D. Ignoring the feeling
B- This is related to mindfulness and surfing the urge.
What is a strong protective factor against relapse?
A. Social isolation
B. Developing a solid support network
C. Minimizing triggers
D. Both B and C
How does gratitude impact recovery?
A. It makes you complacent.
B. It fosters positive thinking & reduces feeling of deprivation.
C. Its irrelevant to substance use.
D. It only helps your physical health
B- It fosters positive thinking and reduces feeling of deprivation.
Trauma often relates to addiction because substances can be used as a way to:
A) Process painful memories.
B) Escape or numb intense emotional pain.
C) Connect with others.
D) Build resilience.
B- Escape or numb intense emotional pain.
In the "HALT" relapse prevention model, what does the 'T' stand for?
A) Tired
B) Thirsty
C) Tempted
D) Tough
A- Tired
Hungry, Angry, Lonely and Tired
Which of the following is considered an internal trigger?
A) Seeing a former "using" friend at a grocery store.
B) Feeling a sudden sense of overwhelming boredom on a day off.
C) Passing by a pharmacy or liquor store.
D) Hearing a specific song that was popular during active addiction.
B- Feeling a sudden sense of overwhelming boredom on a day off.
Internal triggers originate within your own body or mind, such as emotions (boredom, anxiety, sadness) or physical sensations (pain, hunger). Options A, C, and D are external triggers because they involve people, places, or environmental objects.
Which technique involves mentally following a craving to its logical, negative conclusion instead of focusing only on the immediate "high"?
A) Thought Stopping
B) Playing the Tape Through
C) Urge Surfing
D) Cognitive Restructuring
B- Playing the tape through !
"Playing the tape through" is a CBT tool where you visualize the entire sequence of events that would follow using: the initial high, the guilt, the lost money, the hurt family, and the return to day one. This helps break the romanticized view of the substance.
What is the primary benefit of "peer support" in a group setting like AA, NA, or SMART Recovery?
A) It provides a place to find new friends for social events only.
B) It reduces isolation through "shared experiences," allowing members to feel understood without judgment.
C) It replaces the need for a professional therapist or doctor.
D) It allows members to vent about their problems without ever looking for solutions
B- Peer support groups offer empathy and validation that individuals often cannot find elsewhere. Hearing others' success stories acts as "role modeling," providing inspiration and proof that recovery is possible.
Which skill is an example of "Self-Soothing" to regulate emotions in the moment?
A) Analyzing exactly why you feel bad for several hours.
B) Using the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique to focus on your physical senses.
C) Calling a friend to complain about someone else's behavior.
D) Drinking caffeine to increase your energy level when you feel sad.
B-Grounding techniques help bring your focus back to the present moment and the physical environment, which helps lower the intensity of overwhelming emotions like panic or rage.
True or False: Approximately 75% of people who struggle with addiction eventually recover and go on to lead successful lives.
A) True
B) False
A- A major study reported by NPR found that roughly 3 out of 4 people with addiction get better when they receive the support they need.
According to the "Wave" analogy of cravings, how long does an average craving typically last if it is not reinforced?
A) 30 seconds
B) 5 to 15 minutes
C) 2 to 3 hours
D) Until the person goes to sleep
B- 5 to 15 minutes
Cravings are like waves at a beach; they start small, build to a peak intensity, and then break and disappear. They are usually self-limiting and last only a few minutes.
What is the most important element of an effective "Emergency Contact List" in recovery?
A) Having at least 50 names to call.
B) Including only family members.
C) Listing people who are specifically supportive of your sobriety and available to talk in a crisis.
D) Including the numbers of your old "using" friends so you can tell them you're sober.
C- Listening people who are specifically supportive of your sobriety
A support system must be reliable, sober, and non-judgmental. Effectiveness is based on the quality and availability of the support, not just the number of contacts.
What is the role of an "Accountability Partner" or "Sponsor" in early recovery?
A) To control every decision the person makes in their daily life.
B) To provide a safe point of contact who can offer objective feedback and help the person stick to their recovery goals.
C) To provide financial assistance during difficult times.
D) To act as a replacement for family members who are no longer in the picture.
B-Accountability is key to long-term success. A sponsor or peer coach helps individuals stay on track with their treatment plan and provides a "safety net" when they are faced with high-risk situations.
What is the difference between "suppressing" an emotion and "regulating" an emotion?
A) There is no difference; they both mean stopping the emotion.
B) Suppressing involves pushing the emotion away (which usually makes it stronger later), while regulating involves acknowledging and managing it safely.
C) Regulating is only for positive emotions; suppressing is for negative ones.
D) Suppressing is a clinical goal in 2026 recovery programs.
B-Emotional regulation involves "leaning into" the feeling, labeling it (e.g., "I am feeling lonely"), and using a healthy tool to lower its intensity. Suppressing usually leads to a "pressure cooker" effect that results in a relapse.
Science shows that "having fun" in recovery (playing games, hobbies, exercise) is actually a clinical tool. Why?
A) It keeps people too busy to think about substances.
B) It proves to others that recovery isn't "boring."
C) It stimulates the natural release of dopamine and endorphins, helping to repair the brain's reward system.
D) It is required by most insurance companies for coverage.
C- Engaging in joyful activities like music or sports provides "natural rewards" that compete with drug-related cues, helping the brain "unlearn" its reliance on substances for pleasure.
Which coping strategy involves "putting off" the decision to use for a short, set period of time?
A) Avoidance
B) Delaying Gratification
C) Thought Stopping
D) Self-Reflection
B- Delaying gratification
By deciding to wait just 15 minutes before acting on a craving, you allow the "wave" of the urge to peak and subside naturally. This helps your brain "unlearn" the association between the trigger and the immediate reward.
If a relapse (physical use) occurs, what is the recommended first step according to modern recovery professionals?
A) Wait a few days to see if you can stop on your own.
B) Immediately reach out for professional help or attend a support meeting to reassess your treatment plan.
C) Keep it a secret until you are sure you won't do it again.
D) Start a completely different type of treatment from scratch.
B
SAMHSA and American Addiction Centers emphasize that a relapse is an opportunity to adjust a treatment plan, not a sign of failure. Immediate intervention prevents a slip from turning into a long-term return to use.
Which of the following is an example of emotional self-care in recovery?
A) Ignoring negative emotions until they go away.
B) Setting firm boundaries with people who do not support your sobriety.
C) Spending more money on rewards to feel better.
D) Working as many hours as possible to stay busy.
B-motional self-care includes setting boundaries, practicing mindfulness, and seeking professional help to manage stress. Protecting your "recovery space" from negative influences is a critical emotional boundary.
Which "Cognitive Distortion" (unhelpful thinking pattern) is most common when someone experiences an emotional trigger?
A) Catastrophizing (Assuming the worst possible outcome will happen).
B) Logical reasoning (Using facts to solve the problem).
C) Emotional Intelligence (Understanding others' feelings).
D) Optimism (Believing everything will work out perfectly).
A- When triggered, the "emotional brain" takes over, often leading to "all-or-nothing" thinking or catastrophizing (e.g., "I feel bad now, so I will always feel this bad, and I might as well use"). Recovery involves challenging these thoughts with CBT techniques.
According to a major study by the CDC and NIDA, approximately how many American adults consider themselves to be "in recovery"?
A) 1 in 100
B) 1 in 50
C) 1 in 10 (over 20 million people)
D) 1 in 1,000
C-Recovery is much more common than people think! There are millions of people living healthy, productive lives in recovery, proving that it is the rule, not the exception.