Relapse Risk Factors: Recognizing Internal and External Triggers

People may feel unsafe or threatened and, as a result, may react by panicking, trying to escape the situation, crying, acting out, or becoming defensive. Writing down potential triggers can help you more easily avoid them. Addiction and substance use disorder affects over 17% of the https://yourhealthmagazine.net/article/addiction/sober-houses-rules-that-you-should-follow/ American population.

What is Relapse?

To discuss treatment options, contact admissions today and speak with one of our local addiction experts. We’re united by our commitment to providing effective, relevant, and innovative mental health support at all stages of your journey. Click Here to find a therapist or find out more about who we are, where we come from, and how we live out CARE’s mission every day. With many triggers listed in the above categories, you may notice that your body feels anxious in certain situations but not know why, as are often subconscious. Sensory triggers in the environment can be very distracting and trigger sensory overload such as feeling overwhelmed, meltdowns, or shutting down.

Managing Internal Triggers

Whether you are struggling with addiction, mental health or both, our expert team is here to guide you every step of the way. Don’t wait— reach out today to take the first step toward taking control of your life. Mental health professionals don’t yet know precisely how triggers form. Some researchers believe that the brain stores memories from a traumatic event differently from memories of a non-traumatic event. Triggers vary widely from person to person and can be internal or external.

Those who are neurodiverse such as those who are autistic, have ADHD, or have sensory-processing differences are especially prone to sensory-environmental triggers. These triggers are thoughts or emotions that make you want to use drugs. Get professional help from an online addiction and mental health counselor from BetterHelp. Triggers are easily identifiable by the way someone reacts to something. For instance, triggers may occur when someone remembers an event, or when an uncomfortable experience happens.

• Engaging in activities that bring you joy is an excellent way to cope with triggers when they arise.
• Though commonly used to refer to the experiences of people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the term “trigger” can also be used in the context of other mental health illnesses.
• These triggers can be diverse and vary greatly from person to person.
• Our compassionate team is here to answer your questions, provide support, and guide you through the admissions process.
• Therapists in rehab facilities can offer individuals tools and ideas that can be helpful while battling troubling emotions and compulsions.
• Patients in rehab may consider skipping treatment sessions or support group meetings to spend time with their friends and family.

A relapse trigger is a cue that can cause a person in recovery to relapse. They cause a person to crave the substance that they used to abuse and that craving often leads to relapse. On average, about 40-60% of people who suffer from substance use disorder will relapse at some point. Whether your triggers are emotional distress or a specific situation, it is essential that you know what compels you to use when trying to lead a life of sobriety. Understanding what triggers you to relapse and having a plan in place for these triggers are your first steps toward prevention.

Emotions

These triggers are the thoughts and feelings you have that can cause a desire to return to use. While negative feelings are known to be triggers, it’s important to know that positive feelings can be as well. When you want to celebrate or have fun, Sober House Rules: What You Should Know Before Moving In you may be tempted to get high or drink. The Massachusetts Center for Addiction offers comprehensive addiction and mental health treatment programs that blend evidence-based therapies with personalized care.

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On average more than 85% of individuals are susceptible to relapse in the following year after drug and alcohol treatment. Relapse triggers are far more extreme for recovering addicts in the early recovery months of addiction treatment. Addiction is a chronic brain disease with high relapse rates, though they are similar to other chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension.

• For example, if you used drugs every time you were with a specific group of people, you might feel triggers whenever you’re in the same social situation.
• These triggers are thoughts or emotions that make you want to use drugs.
• This can make it difficult to live in the present moment because they cause you to react to situations that aren’t actually happening anymore.
• Internal and external triggers are the factors that can induce an individual to want to use or otherwise create a temptation in them to use their drug of choice again.
• These events are situational or social cues in our environment that provoke an emotional response.

The experience may cause someone to lash out, breakdown, or cope in unhealthy ways. As a result, individuals with unchecked triggers can cope in harmful ways, foster unhealthy relationships, and endure much suffering. The Feeling Expert is licensed to provide in-person, online video or phone holistic psychotherapy and mental health counseling throughout the state of Florida. While many triggers can be negative experiences, it is important to note that positive events can trigger relapsing as well. The earlier people in recovery can identify and successfully respond to triggers, the greater their chances of prolonged abstinence.

Internal triggers, deeply intertwined with emotions and thoughts, play a crucial role in the process of recovery and the risk of relapse. These triggers often originate from within the individual and are closely related to their emotional state. Understanding and managing these triggers can significantly improve an individual’s recovery journey. These internalized events are often harder to identify because they stem from within and are not directly linked to the current environment. They can arise unexpectedly and without a clear external cause, making them more challenging to manage. By identifying the external stimuli, you can take steps to manage your environment better and reduce their impact.

When triggered, emotions like anger, guilt, and irritability arise along with a decline in self-esteem, paving the way for various unhealthy behaviors. Some might even be traumatizing enough to provoke harmful coping mechanisms, including self-harm, harming others, and substance abuse as well. Well, think of them as road signs pointing toward potential relapse risks.

These may include mindfulness practices, cognitive-behavioral techniques, and self-care routines. By developing these skills, individuals can better navigate their emotional landscape, reduce the power of internal triggers, and ultimately support their journey to lasting recovery. Many of these internal triggers are deeply rooted in personal experiences and can be linked to negative self-perception and other distorted beliefs. For instance, past failures or traumatic events can trigger feelings of guilt, shame, or fear, which might tempt an individual to resort back to substance use as a coping mechanism. Looking at this list of trigger types, you may likely find that there is an overlap between triggers and coping strategies.

Our dedicated team is here to help unravel the complexities of your triggers, providing guidance and support tailored to your unique needs. One person’s trigger might be entirely inconsequential for another. By pinpointing and cataloging what personally affects you, you’re arming yourself with invaluable knowledge. This tailor-made insight can be your compass, guiding you away from potential pitfalls and towards recovery.

Learn to recognize physical signs of reacting to a trigger, such as changes in your breathing, so that you can employ strategies to calm yourself and shift your emotional state. Your goal should be to detach yourself from the trigger, recenter, and focus on your coping strategy. It’s understandable to be concerned about relapse after completing a substance abuse treatment program. Triggers may seem to be everywhere, and you might want to isolate yourself to avoid them. If you do relapse because of your triggers, using substances can be deadly. You might go straight to the dose that you’re accustomed to, but your body can no longer handle the same levels of drugs.