On the road to addiction recovery, there are many twists, turns, bumps, and possible setbacks. Knowing about the different challenges you could face in advance is a great way to prepare mentally and practically for what comes next. One of the things that people don’t always realize is that triggers aren’t just the painful things you experience in life. Some triggers are familiarity, mental health challenges, stress, and even boredom. Here’s a look at the top triggers people might experience that could cause you to relapse.
Familiar Spaces
Familiarity is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it’s easy and comforting to be around familiar people and places. But on the other side, that familiarity can cause you to more easily go back to the substances you so desperately want to be freed from.
One way that people help to mitigate this challenge and possible trigger is to seek out resources nearby or in another area to get help from the very beginning. This starts with getting the drugs or alcohol out of your system. You might head to Texas to stay in a detox clinic in Frisco, try out a 30-day program in Shreveport, or even head to the coast and spend a few months starting your recovery in a San Diego addiction treatment center. No matter which path you pick, stepping out of the familiar spaces, at least temporarily, can give you the head start you need to manage triggers.
Unaddressed Mental Health Issues
There are many treatment programs out there that help people manage both their addiction and any underlying mental health conditions. However, once people go home, they need to learn how to live with both the anxiety and addiction to heal from.
For people with anxiety, for instance, coming home after a stay in rehab can be overwhelming. This can trigger relapse if not properly addressed, managed, and overcome. Learning to calm the physical manifestations of anxiety is crucial. This might mean practicing breathing techniques, mindfulness, and doing gentle physical activity when the anxious feelings arise. This can also look like having safe people to talk to who also provide a grounding presence. Whether this is a close friend, a sponsor, or a therapist, it’s important to reach out for help when things feel too big to manage.
Too Much Stress
Stress is a very common trigger when it comes to addiction. People often start using substances in the first place because they don’t have the skills to manage stressful feelings in any other way. On the path to recovery, it’s important to recognize the things that stress you out and then make a plan to overcome them.
Start by creating a list of the times you get the most stressed out. Look at what’s happening before it. Are you hungry, tired, saying yes to too many things? Then look for ways to mitigate those stressful situations. Start going to bed 30 minutes earlier. Turn off your phone an hour before bedtime. Buy some quick snacks with high protein to fill you up when you can’t get to a full meal. Start saying no to more things. Having good boundaries around your life can create the framework you need to stay sober.
Uncomfortable Boredom
Many people don’t realize that boredom can also become a trigger for addiction relapse. This often happens because when people are bored, their minds start to wander and they may start thinking about hard things they’ve been avoiding. While the solution isn’t to avoid boredom, it is important to learn ways to practice boredom intentionally so that it doesn’t trigger relapse.
There is a trend out there right now where people are intentionally disconnecting from all the distractions in order to reset their brains. They do this by sitting in a quiet space without technology for a set amount of time. As their brains and bodies get used to this uncomfortable boredom, they increase the amount of time they sit without books, TV, mobile devices, or anything to entertain them. What they are finding is that this boredom unlocks creativity, emotional regulation, and so much more. For the recovering addict, being intentional with boredom can help manage triggers and give practice with emotional regulation.
