5 Triggers Of Relapse And How To Avoid Them

Being familiar with the usual addiction triggers that might lead to the use of drugs and alcohol once again, you can avoid relapsing in the first place. Please remember that you are not responsible for succumbing to these triggers and should not punish yourself. Recovery from drug rehab Orange County may be incredibly challenging, but being aware of your triggers in advance might help you remain drug-free for the foreseeable future.

1. Environment

It is normal for addiction to be triggered by people and locations that you identify with your previous drug usage. When you start hanging out with former drinking companions, even if they don’t drink anymore, you’re more likely to reminisce about your drinking days and feel tempted to pick up the bottle once again. When you’re recovering from alcoholism or drug addiction, you need to be prepared to respond to these individuals if you happen to come across them and they urge you to join them for a drink. Consider more productive ways to spend your time, such as going out to dinner with your spouse or seeing a movie.

2. Stress

Stress is one of the most common factors that contribute to addiction. Having difficulties at work or home might lead to a person turning to drugs and alcohol to deal with their emotions. If you’ve used dangerous drugs to cope with your troubles in the past, you’re at an even greater risk of relapse now than before. Attempt to assess the level of stress you are experiencing. Consider avoiding or leaving an uncomfortable or harmful circumstance if there is one that constantly stresses you out, such as a financial crisis or an abusive relationship. Making a list of the people, places, and things that cause you stress might also assist you in avoiding relapsing.

One of the essential things you can do in recovery is to identify the situations that cause you stress and to develop good coping mechanisms for those situations. This is something that your therapist or mental health counselor may assist you with as well. Remove stressful events and individuals from your life, and you will be able to make good adjustments and progress that will lead to long-term sobriety from drugs and alcohol.

3. Negative Emotions

Relapse is preceded by negative emotions such as sadness, anger, or humiliation. Learning how to cope with these feelings in a healthy way is essential for preventing relapse. When you use drugs and alcohol to deal with these sensations, you will only get short-term respite from them. Once the effects of the medication have worn off, you will still be dealing with these difficult and unpleasant feelings, which will continue to disturb you.

When these emotions arise, you must remember that everyone has sentiments of sadness or anger from time to time. Do not consider these emotions to be setbacks. Instead, see them as chances to learn more about yourself and to become a better version of yourself. In the same manner that you cope with stress, you must also deal with these feelings of sadness or disappointment. Writing, painting, or sketching are all effective ways to express yourself. Negative emotions, on the other hand, may sometimes be quite beneficial to creative endeavors.

4. Celebrations

In the same way that negative events may play a significant role in triggering a relapse, positive events can play a comparable function. During celebrations such as weddings and birthdays, you may get overconfident and believe that you can take one drink, but this may be a dangerous move. Drug and alcohol addicts have difficulty managing how much they drink, and you may find yourself relapsing on a particular occasion. Especially if your friends and relatives are around, this may be quite humiliating. Make a plan for what you’ll do before the event takes place. Tell yourself that you must maintain your dignity and that you must be aware that even a tiny amount of alcohol might cause you to lose control.

5. Objects

Looking at individuals smoking cigarettes or smoking marijuana, as well as looking at people drinking at a bar, might quickly bring up memories of drug usage for some people. When you come across these things, consider how drug usage has had a negative influence on your life thus far. Concentrate on all of the benefits that you have received as a result of your sobriety.

Author Bio: Mr. Ryan Jackson works as the Chief Executive Officer at one of the best rehab centers in California 2021. You can contact him at the drug rehab Orange County for any kind of help. While he handles many other roles at the recovery center, his primary job is to encourage patients to establish a solid foundation for long-lasting recovery.