Handling Addiction Triggers: More Tips To Stay Strong
Welcome back my Superstars! Have you ever been blindsided by a trigger? One moment you’re fine, and the next, you’re spiraling into a sea of emotions. I’ve been there, and today I’m sharing how to stay grounded when those moments hit.
I’m continuing with the trigger series with my third installment on triggers. (Here are the first and second posts).
As many of you know, whether you’re in addiction recovery or healing, triggers can hit out of nowhere. The worst one I ever had was caused by a word from a text message. That one word sent me spiraling and I ended a hot mess of emotions on my kitchen floor 45 minutes later. Truly an out-of-body experience.
Looking back, I’m grateful for that moment because it helped propel me forward in my healing and in my recovery, but when it was happening, it was one of the most gut-wrenching emotional experiences I ever had. All caused by one word.
I’ve talked before about managing triggers through grounding techniques like the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 exercise and deep breathing. I’ve also shared about the importance of knowing how to urge surf and how to use distraction techniques like taking a walk, engaging in a hobby, or exercising, so this will focus on other ways to handle your triggers.
Before we begin, you can take a moment and to do a self-check-in and rate your stress level from a score from 1-10. Then, after you’ve read the post, try one of the exercises, and do the check-in again and see how you’re feeling.
Tips to Stay Strong
Mindfulness Meditation: When we’re practicing mindfulness, we’re also practicing awareness. This helps us become more aware of our triggers without reacting to them and feeling the need to engage or be pulled in by them.
If you listen to my podcast, you heard me talk about mindful eating (such a great exercise!). Another engaging exercise is mindful showering:
As you take your shower, notice the temperature of the water on your skin, listen to the sound of the water running, inhale the smell of the soap. Focus on the sensations of washing and rinsing as you engage your senses. This can be your moment of calm and reflection.
I also talked about mindful walking. Building on that, as you’re focusing on your steps up and down, also notice the feeling of your feet on the ground, the rhythm of your breath, the sights, sounds, and smells around you. It’s all about engaging your senses as you walk. Here are some more tools you can add to your toolkit:
Reframe: You already know how much I love to reframe. It’s important to challenge any negative thoughts that are associated with your triggers. As you know, my all time favorite is asking yourself, “What is the good?” instead of “What good is it?” Putting Your Thoughts on Trial: You can do this by asking yourself if there is evidence for and against your thoughts. Is there a thought you can do this with right now?
Different Perspective: Try to look at the situation from perspective, as if you were someone else, even asking yourself what you would say to a loved one if they were feeling the same way.
Avoid Distortions: Have you ever said, “This has been the worst day ever! I’m never going be able stay sober! Ugh!!” Yeah, me too. Many times, those of us in addiction have cognitive distortions. Things like catastrophizing, all-or-nothing thinking, and overgeneralizing thoughts can happen.
These thought patterns can fuel cravings and lead to relapse. Learning to identify and challenge these distortions is important to our recovery. We can reframe “the worst day ever” to “this is a tough moment” and “I’m never going to be to stay sober” to “I’ve been through challenges before and didn’t have a setback, I can handle this too.”
Gradual Exposure: This is not for everyone! I hesitated mentioning this, but because it worked for me, I’m bringing it up in case it may help others, so please use this suggestion with caution. If you feel anxious, please stop.
When you can’t avoid your triggers, you can try to face them in small, manageable steps rather than avoiding them altogether. This can help you a build tolerance and decrease emotional reactions over time.
If social situations are a trigger, you can try going to a small, comfortable gathering and practice coping strategies, gradually working up to larger events. I struggled going to a store in my area. I started by parking in the parking the lot. Then, walked into the lobby, slowly exposing myself to the store a few minutes at a time. Eventually, I was able to spend more time in the store without feeling triggered. Now, I don’t even think about it.
Socratic Questioning: Ask yourself an open-ended question like, “What’s the worst that could happen if I don’t give in to this urge? Is that as bad as I’m picturing? Is there another way to see this situation?” This technique helps you dig deep into your thoughts and beliefs about addiction and can help you shift your perspective.
Trigger Journal: A trigger journal can help you track your triggers and understand patterns in your behavior. You can write down your triggers, how they made you feel, and how you reacted. This can help you identify patterns. Over time, you can develop personalized coping strategies that work best for you.
You can take a moment now to pause and list your triggers. This worksheet can help get you started.
Find Your Passion: Identifying what makes your heart smile and brings you joy (relationships, career, hobbies) and using these passions to help guide your actions can help you be clear about your values. It makes it easier to recognize how engaging in addictive behaviors might go against those values. Setting concrete, short-term goals can also provide motivation and structure.
If-Then Plans: You guys know what a planner I am, even with flexibility built-in, I feel better with plans, especially when it comes to my recovery and healing. If-Then Plans are perfect for people like me. They go something like this: “If I’m feeling anxious, then I do deep breathing.” “If I’m feeling triggered by a past trauma, then I’ll use my go-bag.” You can tailor some of these to do what works best for you.
Community: We know how important a Sobriety Circle and Healing Hive is to our recovery. Building a community strengthens our feeling of connection and lessen our feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Not only can community be found in support groups, it can also be found in group activities like art, gym, yoga, college (writing, photography, website design, programming, etc.), painting, volunteering, etc.
I had the best time a couple of weeks ago during a plant class. The opportunities are endless and if you’re not sure where to begin, you can download the MeetUp app.
Limit Caffeine and Sugar: I know, I know, it’s a running joke at meetings that the members smoke cigarettes, drink coffee, and eat cookies. And to a certain extent, that’s still true. Keep in mind that certain things, like caffeine and sugar, can exacerbate anxiety and stress. Consider reducing your intake if you notice a link to your triggers.
Self-Compassion: I’ve said this before, but it’s worth repeating, be gentle with yourself! Remember, it’s completely normal to feel triggered. Treat yourself with love, just like you would a friend.
Life can hit hard sometimes, and we all have those moments when triggers pop up, sending our emotions into a tailspin. Whether it’s a stressful day at work, a tough conversation, or just something that reminds us of the past, managing triggers is essential for staying calm and centered. Never forget how strong you are. You’re a Superstar!
Don’t forget to do your self-check-in!
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Sending everyone happy and healthy vibes,
Laura
If you reach out, please be patient. I’m not a life coach anymore because of my health issues.
