Emotional or situational triggers can break even the strongest wills when it comes to addiction relapse. The best thing you can do to avoid relapse is know your relapse triggers and find coping mechanisms if you can’t avoid them. Once you have a plan to avoid these relapse triggers or you have a way of coping, then you can start to take your life back one day at a time. This journey starts with learning what these triggers are. Below is a list of the most common emotional or situation relapse triggers that cause recovering addicts to fall into relapse.
Relapse Triggers of Addiction
- Stress tops the list when it comes to emotional triggers. Usually, the main stress triggers involve finances and relationships. Talking with someone close to you about your stress and pursuing careers in more fulfilling positions is the best way to overcome addiction in any form and reduce your stress at the same time.
- Negative emotions caused by frustrating or anger-inducing situations are powerful relapse triggers. One way to cope with these emotions that people experience daily is by learning meditation techniques.
- People and places that remind you of your addiction can cause you to fall back into old habits. By avoiding these people and places you have the opportunity to create a nice new atmosphere without the object of your addiction.
- In addition to avowing the people and places from your past substance abuse life, you should also avoid anything that reminds you of the actual substance. Anything from paraphernalia to television shows that endorse the type of behavior you’re avoiding and eventual relapse.
- Although it may be hard at times, avoiding celebrations, such as New Year’s parties or birthdays at a bar is probably for the best. Your friends and family will understand that these celebrations are potential relapse triggers if you explain it to them and you can take pride in the fact that you’re avoiding triggers of addiction for your mental and physical health and well-being.
Remember that even if you experience relapse, you haven’t failed. Learn from your mistakes and continue with your rehabilitation. You should learn from each mistake and develop bettering coping mechanisms for triggers of addiction.