10 Ways to Recognize and Manage Addiction Triggers in Your Life

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Do you want to know how to recognize and manage addiction triggers in your life? If so, this article will be a helpful tool. Each main point touches on an addiction trigger and how to beat it. The last thing you want to do is slip back into using after working so hard to get where you are.

First, don’t get ahead of yourself in recovery. It will backfire if you do. Second, avoid too much social isolation. Stay in touch with your sponsor and accountability partners. That’s what they are there for. Next, avoid stress; it can lead you to having a strong desire to “use” again.

Then, watch out for difficult emotions. They can certainly get you in trouble. One of the biggest addiction triggers in recovery is starting a new romantic relationship. Through any situation, control your hunger, anger, loneliness, and tiredness. They can cause great problems.

A new job or promotion may be one addiction trigger that you wouldn’t expect. Change is always hard, though. FOMO (fear of missing out), unexpected illness, and being around your previous addiction are all danger zones to watch out for. Enjoy the helpful tips here.

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What are Addiction Triggers?

Adapted from the Gateway Foundation, here are 10 popular triggers that addicts face on a regular basis. These high-risk situations, feelings, etc., can cause an individual to relapse and fall back into addictive behaviors that they worked hard to get over.

Trigger 1: Being Overconfident in Recovery
Trigger 2: Experiencing Social Isolation
Trigger 3: Having Stressful Situations in Your Life
Trigger 4: Going Through Difficult Emotions
Trigger 5: Starting a New Romantic Relationship
Trigger 6: Experiencing HALT (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired)
Trigger 7: Receiving a New Job or a Promotion
Trigger 8: Feeling Like You Are Missing Out on Your Previous Life
Trigger 9: Going Through a Physical or Mental Illness
Trigger 10: Being Around Your Previous Addiction

An addiction trigger is anything that causes you to fall back into your old addictive ways. It’s important to be able to identify them and manage them well so that you can fight them off and make sure that nothing impairs your sobriety.

How to Identify and Manage Addiction Triggers (10 Ways)

As mentioned, it is crucial to know how to identify and manage addiction triggers, so we will go over ten ways that will help you both identify the trigger and manage it well. This way, you will not have to worry about slipping into your old ways.

Trigger 1: Being Overconfident in Recovery

Often, we think that we have everything under control. We don’t realize that, in the blink of an eye, it could all be taken away. We’re overly confident that we won’t fall into the trap of addiction once again. However, situations arise that can easily make that quite difficult to do.

Because it is so easy to step into old ways, the temptation and allure of your previous life, I think it’s a crucial step to create a WRAP Plan. A WRAP Plan is usually for mental health breakdowns, but you can use it for addiction triggers too.

W.R.A.P. stands for Wellness Recovery Action Plan. It is meant to help you identify what might make you slip back into addiction (or into whatever causes you crisis). Then, you will quickly know what to do if you see a trigger happening in your life.

Again, the WRAP Plan is meant for mental illness, but you can adapt it to be useful for your temptations as they relate to your addictive past. Just tweak it to work for you. It could be the tool that keeps your addiction triggers in check.

Trigger 2: Experiencing Social Isolation

This is a completely understandable addiction trigger. I myself have experienced it most of my life. I prefer small groups or being by myself over a large crowd. When you are alone, it can be a dangerous time. If your emotions go up and down, you could experience depression.

If you are too isolated, you might want to see a professional therapist, your pastor, or a trusted mentor. They can help you figure out how to change your circumstances so that you are living a lifestyle of good health and boundaries.

Consider making new friends at church, school, work, or your local dog park. Be creative. Get outside and see who you can meet. It all starts with a smile. Just be friendly, kind, and nice, and people will flock to you. Learn to make new friends to fill your life with even more joy!

Recommended: How to Make Friendships That Last

Trigger 3: Having Stressful Situations in Your Life

When we have stress, it can affect our body’s health. That includes your mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional health. Consider the answers to these questions when analyzing how stress affects your sobriety. What do you need to get under control?

Have you ever noticed that you cannot think straight when you are steaming mad?
Can you make clear decisions when stress becomes overwhelming?
What about your relationship with God? How is it affected?
Do you turn to prayer or worry in stressful situations?
Have you ever noticed how your heart rate and blood pressure change when you are stressed beyond what you feel you can handle?
Do you get hot, red, sweaty, or angry during stressful moments?
Have you had mood changes because of what is happening in your life?
How do you handle stress?

Trigger 4: Going Through Difficult Emotions

As mentioned above, your emotions can easily get out of control when you are going through difficulties. As you work through difficult emotions in a healthy way to identify and manage addiction triggers in your life, remember to rely on your support system and God.

Trigger 5: Starting a New Romantic Relationship

If you want to start a romantic relationship, I would urge you to adopt a pet, start gardening, or do something like that first. Consult your sponsor or accountability partners before you consider this change in your life and your sobriety. Also, seek the counsel of your recovery program.

Starting a new romantic relationship can be an extremely stressful event in your life. You do not want more stress than the stress you already have. This is an addiction trigger, too. When you feel the ups and downs that come with a relationship, you are likely to want to use again.

Trigger 6: Experiencing HALT (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired)

When you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired, you are likely to want to use, which means these are addiction triggers. Instead of slipping, consider getting ahead of these feelings. This means that you anticipate these feelings and figure out how to prevent them from becoming dangerous.

If you are hungry, eat. How can you get ahead of this addiction trigger? Set a time to remind yourself to eat or follow your body’s cues. Often, your tummy will make noises, or you’ll feel an emptiness inside when you’re hungry. Stay ahead of it to prevent it.

Anger sneaks up on us so easily. It is not productive and can cause stress, further and deeper problems, and escalate conflicts in relationships. Turn to God with prayers of hope instead of thinking that anger is the only way. Let go of the feeling before it leads you the wrong way.

We previously addressed social isolation. Don’t do this alone. When the addiction trigger of loneliness shows up, call a trusted friend – someone who is a good influence, turn to your accountability partners, or phone your sponsor.

When we are tired, our bodies just don’t act the same as when they’ve had plenty of rest. Consider sleeping before making any major decisions. Try not to talk to anyone if you are very tired and feel stressed. You don’t want to say something you’ll regret.

Trigger 7: Receiving a New Job or a Promotion

Changes are addiction triggers. They mean that what you are used to, comfortable with, or want might be different now. When a big change comes your way, be sure to attend a meeting a day, if needed. Also, let your sponsor know what’s going on in your life.

Related: How Recovery Helps Addicts

Trigger 8: Feeling Like You Are Missing Out on Your Previous Life

Ah, the fear of missing out (FOMO) is an addiction trigger, for sure. Your friends are going to party, and since you are sober, they might not know whether to invite you or not. That’s when this feeling takes hold, and you really wish you could “use” again.

Find ways to stay busy and keep your mind off what others are doing. Focus on what you are going to do with your time. Set the vision for your life, your mission, and your goals – both long-term and short-term. If that’s overwhelming, try small to-do lists.

If you are unsure where to start, here are a few ideas:

Go to church. Involve yourself with the community, make Christian friends, praise and worship God, attend Bible class, and volunteer for a ministry at church.
Hit the library. What areas of life would you like to learn more about? In what area would you love to be an expert? Check out some books, volunteer, or read around people!
Do home repairs. As a homeowner, I do know you can occupy ALL of your time just doing home projects. Build a patio, hang some refreshing pictures, or paint!
Join a gym. This is not only a great way to meet new people, but it will also keep you healthy. To stay on track, most gyms have trainers who can help you.
Hit the movies. Is your favorite genre playing? If you can’t go with a group of friends, consider taking a trusted family member. Get popcorn, and enjoy!

Trigger 9: Going Through a Physical or Mental Illness

When you go through any kind of illness, it can be a trying experience. You don’t feel like yourself, no one understands how you feel, and you get upset because you can’t do the things you wish you could since you are sick in bed. It can all be a real bummer!

It can be especially difficult if you are feeling the situation as an addiction trigger, and you cannot attend a meeting. Recovery meetings, above all recovery tools, are the number one thing to help you get through any crisis. They provide support and stability.

Check with your sponsor to see if you can attend a meeting online or by phone while you are stuck at home sick. Your sponsor might even be willing to come over and visit with you during times like these. Don’t forget about your accountability partners, too!

Trigger 10: Being Around Your Previous Addiction

It’s never smart to be around the thing that tempts you the most. If you can’t avoid it, try to change your circumstances, the people you are standing next to, or call your sponsor. That is, after all, what they are there for! They should be your support in times of temptation.

While most addicts become experts when it comes to staying away from addiction triggers, some might find it comforting, in a way, to talk about the bad times, when they were using. Try not to do that. It can usually give you an “itch” to use a substance again.

Conclusion

As you use the tips above to identify and manage addiction triggers in your life, be sure to remember that God will help you get through any trial. Which addiction trigger affects you the most? Leave a comment, and tell us all about your experience and how you survived it.