Conquering Emotional Triggers in the Path to Addiction Recovery

Introduction

As you embark on your journey to recovery, it's crucial to understand the concept of "triggers." These are reactions that might lead someone back into their addictive patterns, or even cause a relapse.

While triggers manifest differently for each individual, they share recognizable patterns that can be learned and identified. By recognizing these patterns, you can work toward overcoming them and leading a healthier, more fulfilled life.

Understanding Triggers and Their Significance

Generally, triggers are divided into three primary categories:

• Social
• Environmental
• Emotional

Social triggers often arise from encounters with people associated with your past substance use; environmental triggers emerge from being in locations or situations linked to your addiction; and emotional triggers can be initiated by various stressful emotional or psychological events.

Emotional triggers are notably intricate among these categories. Often, other mental and emotional issues influence how these triggers manifest. A recent study in the journal of Addictive Behaviors highlights that individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a significantly higher chance of reverting to substance use compared to those without PTSD.

All trigger types present unique challenges, but emotional triggers are particularly complex and hard to pinpoint. Hence, while the strategies below primarily focus on emotional triggers, they are applicable across diverse scenarios and settings.

Recognizing and Comprehending Emotional Triggers

The brain is inherently designed to respond to situations. Once something happens, regardless of its triviality, your brain dispatches a reaction signal. It then crafts a rationale for your reaction to justify your behavior, even if it's irrational.

This may sometimes lead to blaming your surroundings or others for a reaction you can actually manage. You might find fault with your bosses, work environment, or life circumstances for an instantaneous reaction. However, redirecting blame is not the sole approach to handling emotional triggers. There are more constructive methods to address these triggers.

Seven Strategies to Overcome Emotional Triggers

#1: Acknowledge Responsibility

When faced with an emotional trigger, it's vital to mentally position yourself with power and self-regulation. Avoid attributing blame to external factors. Instead, reinforce the notion that you alone dictate your responses and how situations affect you.

#2: Notice the Emotional Response

It's crucial to tune into your body's signals during an emotional trigger. Your body will indicate your emotions through changes in breathing, muscle tension, or a gut feeling. By observing these subtle bodily reactions, you can slow down the trigger process and think more clearly.

#3: Determine the Source

Upon recognizing an emotional trigger, the next step is to pinpoint its source. Perhaps your emotions are stirred by the belief that someone threatens something you cherish. Or maybe you're assuming someone else's thoughts without adequate information.

Conversely, you might discern if your emotional trigger stems from a bona fide threat or danger. Slowing down enables you to ascertain if you're facing verbal abuse, manipulative conduct, or even physical danger.

#4: Decide How You Want to Feel

After progressing through the initial steps, you can decide on your desired emotional state. Rather than allowing instinctual reactions to govern your feelings and actions, seize this moment to reclaim emotional control.

Once you decide how you wish to feel and your subsequent action, it's beneficial to relax and alleviate bodily tension. This will assist in clearing your mind and concentrating on your preferred emotional state. You may observe a shift in your feelings and gain increased confidence in your choices.

#5: Prioritize Self-Care

Maintaining a healthy mind and body is a significant advantage in avoiding various triggers. Eating well, ensuring sufficient rest, and staying active contribute to a balanced mental state, aiding you in facing new challenges effectively. A clear mind and body help avert emotional reactions that could lead to relapse.

#6: Cultivate Supportive Relationships

Beyond addressing emotional triggers, it's essential to manage social and environmental ones as well. Therefore, surrounding yourself with supportive individuals in secure environments is crucial. Professional support groups and friends who comprehend your recovery mission significantly aid in steering clear of social and environmental triggers. Furthermore, avoiding places linked to your addiction can reduce stress during recovery's early stages, safeguarding your vulnerability.

#7: Have Faith in Yourself

Possibly the simplest yet most challenging goal in recovery is self-belief. To achieve this, you must wholly forgive past errors and begin cultivating self-confidence.

Believing in your ability to navigate difficult times and address triggers as they occur is a vital component of recovery. It's crucial to trust in your strength in sobriety. Even though doubts and fears persist, your self-belief must slightly outweigh these doubts to succeed. You are capable of achieving this.

For further information on beginning your healing journey at Impact Recovery, don't hesitate to reach out to our team here.