DEALING WITH TRIGGERS IN SUBSTANCE ABUSE
DEALING WITH TRIGGERS IN SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Leave a Comment / Road To Recovery / By Tyler Moncrieff
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In this blog post, I’ll be discussing what substance abuse triggers are, what my triggers are and how I deal with them. Most of the people I talk to that relapsed didn’t do so due to peer pressure! They say it was the random triggers throughout the day. Dealing with triggers is SO important to staying sober, let’s jump right into it.
Dealing With Triggers:
Wait There Are Different Types?
A substance abuse trigger is simply something that makes you crave a substance that you once abused. That’s my wording for it, but it can be worded a few different ways. We also have 3 different types of substance abuse triggers:
Internal
External
Sensory
Internal triggers mostly have to do with your feelings. Usually the feelings someone used to get before or while using alcohol or drugs. People get lonely after a separation and relapse all the time! Any feeling can be a trigger.
External triggers are always talked about! These are the people, places, and things. Hanging out with the same people that you used drugs or alcohol with is usually a bad idea. Going to the same bar you drank at for 20+ years is usually a bad idea also.
Sensory Triggers are very tough for me in particular! Sometimes you may get a smell that you only smelled after finishing a whole pack of smokes and drinking like a fish at a bush party. Maybe you only listened to Alice in Chains while on drugs, years later you hear a good song from that artist come on. These triggers are vicious!
My Substance Abuse Triggers
When I got released from prison in October of 2017, I went straight to Wilmington, North Carolina with my family. That means I got to avoid one of the biggest types of triggers, the external triggers. In effect, making me done with all my old people, places and things and I’ve not been back to Pennsylvania since.
I now deal mainly with sensory triggers. I tend to get old smells that remind me of times when my criminal thinking was out of control. Sometimes while using hard drugs, I would get a certain smell that I cannot begin to describe to you. It is unlike anything I’ve ever smelt before. Once in a while that smell comes back to me! Therefore, making me crave! A certain soap they used in the suicide ward also brings back old cravings when I smell it. (I don’t know what kind it is though!)
Dealing With Triggers
The first step to dealing with triggers is to identify them. I knew certain smells and music would make me crave the most. The next step is really an all around fix to MOST problems, TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. I’ve noticed through personal experience that the more I take care of myself, the less cravings or triggers I encounter.
The third and final step to dealing with your triggers is to surround yourself with SUPPORTIVE family or friends. I’ve said this in the past but the most toxic person you know is not supportive. If you are like me this can be a bit backwards, I NEED my space. If you are someone like me, meditating can replace this step if you’re trying to find support from within.
Dealing with Triggers:
Conclusion
In the past year, my triggers have been quieting down due to working on myself. In 2017–2018 my substance abuse triggers were at an all time high. I didn’t care about life too much and didn’t really have an answer for what I was doing with my life. Therefore, I was really close to falling off the wagon while working at Mcdonalds. I decided to leave Mcdonalds and work on myself at my new bridge building job!
That was the best decision of my life. I might not be sober today if it wasn’t for changing jobs. That’s how much your job really affects you. Once you start identifying what your triggers are, stay committed to not letting them catch you off guard! Be aware of everything that makes you want to use and do something about it! Get those smells, sounds, and people out of your comfort zone! Message me if you have any questions or need extra help!