Relapse Prevention: Strategies to Avoid Triggers

To avoid relapse, it is important to understand the risk factors and causes that typically lead to relapse. Understanding these risk factors will help you https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/teenage-alcoholism-dangers-of-underage-drinking/ to avoid the potential risk of relapse during or following recovery. Emotional, environmental, and exposure triggers after addiction rehab are inevitable.

For many people, difficult emotions and the inability to process them in a healthy way plays a big role in substance abuse in the first place. Common emotions that contribute to drug and alcohol use include anger, loneliness, sadness, guilt, stress, and anxiety. Family and friends who use substances put people in recovery in a perilous situation where they may be tempted to accept a drink or consume a drug.

How to Cope With Loneliness Without Alcohol

In doing so, you will be able to spot the different signs of addiction and protect yourself better in the future. Therefore, a key aspect of recovery is identifying potential triggers and risk factors and avoiding them as much as possible. At this stage, working toward avoiding triggers or high-risk situations in which relapse could occur is critical. Therapy may focus on identifying high-risk situations and learning ways to avoid them. It may also involve normalizing occasional thoughts and relapse, and learning methods to let go of them quickly.

They feel they have lost part of their life to addiction and don’t want to spend the rest of their life focused on recovery. Clinical experience has shown that common causes of relapse in this stage are poor self-care and not going to self-help groups. Recovering individuals tend to see setbacks as failures because they are unusually hard on themselves [9]. Setbacks types of relapse triggers can set up a vicious cycle, in which individuals see setbacks as confirming their negative view of themselves. Eventually, they stop focusing on the progress they have made and begin to see the road ahead as overwhelming [16]. Research shows that social support indicates long-term success, while peer pressure and unsupportive relationships can lead to relapse.

Challenging Emotions

The causes of substance dependence are rarely obvious to users themselves. Addiction recovery is most of all a process of learning about oneself. A better understanding of one’s motives, one’s vulnerabilities, and one’s strengths helps to overcome addiction. There is an important distinction to be made between a lapse, or slipup, and a relapse.

In fact, many people who struggle with heroin addiction continue using the drug simply…. Opioids are a class of drugs that are naturally or synthetically derived from the opium poppy plant. Alcohol addiction is a complex and challenging issue that affects millions of people worldwide. Marijuana is a plant that people smoke to experience a euphoric and calming high. Life in recovery from addiction can be full of successes and challenges. Users typically inject or snort cocaine to get its energy-boosting effects.

Types of Addiction Relapse Triggers

Substance abuse is an issue that affects millions of individuals worldwide. Whether it’s alcohol addiction, drug abuse, or other forms of substance use, recovery from addiction can be challenging. Moving Mountains takes a whole-person approach to recovery by offering a continuum of care, clinically proven treatments, and holistic healing. We work closely with you to identify your unique needs, facilitate individualized treatments, and help you establish a foundation upon which your recovery–and the rest of your life–can grow. Our compassionate, friendly staff is available 24-hours a day to take your call and help you begin your recovery journey. Many people who suffer from mental illness end up using drugs or alcohol to cope with their symptoms.

Additionally, setting boundaries in relationships can help protect against overwhelming emotions that could lead to a relapse. When stress levels rise, the brain’s prefrontal cortex, responsible for cognitive control and stress regulation, is inhibited, making it harder to manage impulses and make informed decisions. But, recovery is not just about “quitting” and “abstaining” as much as it’s about building a new life in which it is easier—and more desirable—not to use. This episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast, featuring addiction specialist Erica Spiegelman, shares the skills that help in recovery. To find a treatment program, browse the top-rated addiction treatment facilities in each state by visiting our homepage, or by viewing the SAMHSA Treatment Services Locator. It sounds silly but sometimes that little bit of assurance — even if it’s coming from your own lips — can be enough to keep the trigger from causing problems.

Internal Drug And Alcohol Relapse Triggers

Having a substitute behavior like going to a yoga class or taking a long bath also can be helpful when you’re feeling triggered. Reciting positive mantras or doing relaxation exercises may help you resist these urges as well. For additional support, work with your counselor or therapist on how to effectively deal with these reminders. Try to focus on the new life you’re building and the changes you’re making. Think about the negative consequences that you experienced while participating in your addiction—the people you hurt and the relationships you lost. You may think you miss your old life when you see these reminders, but remember the pain and hardship your addiction brought you as well.