As you recover from drug abuse, there is always the possibility of relapsing and picking back from where you left off. The addiction triggers are the emotional, environmental, or social situations that stir up the desire to get back to drug abuse. Unfortunately, these triggers are a natural part of recovery, so one must learn to deal with them. You can visit one of the detox facilities in Los Angeles to know how best you can deal with your particular addiction triggers.
A recovering drug abuser should know these addiction triggers to be able to keep away from them or cope with them effectively without ever relapsing. It is also good to know that these triggers manifest differently from person to person.
Here are 5 addiction triggers to watch when recovering:
1. Stress
Life can be stressful. There are day-to-day stresses that one can hardly escape, whether an addict or not. Indeed, one reason many people abuse drugs is to find a way out of chronic stress. When recovering from addiction, stress can trigger back the craving to abuse drugs again.
Stress can be caused by workplace pressure, family responsibilities, and joblessness, among others. The important thing is to learn how to cope with stress. People have different methods of dealing with stress. Find what works for you. Take a long walk, go to the gym, or read some book you find inspiring. Just don’t relapse into drug abuse.
2. Social Isolation
We are social beings by default. Ordinarily, no one should be isolated in some dark corner with no friends to hang out with or talk to. When recovering from addiction, social isolation can trigger back the bad habit. Feeling lonely or rejected may soon bring feelings of worthlessness, which is just one food drug abuse feeds on. You soon lose the motivation to keep sober.
Where possible, have a circle of friends to socialize with to keep you lively and motivated.
3. Old Associates or Joints
While you should avoid being socially isolated, it should not mean you keep company with your former friends with whom you abused drugs. This can be a big relapse trigger. It doesn’t matter that you don’t visit them to abuse drugs with them or that they don’t use drugs anymore. You should simply stay away from your old associates.
Related to this is visiting the places you used to frequent or hang out with your associates. Stay away from such joints, even if alone. Remember, you are teaching your brain not to prioritize these bad memories. One advantage of signing up for one of the detox facilities is that you will not be able to see your old associates or familiar joints at a time when you need to be away from them.
4. Emotionally-Demanding Life Transitions
When you are recovering from addiction, the anxiety or nervousness that comes with emotionally demanding life transitions such as a new job, relocation to a new place, or a new relationship can trigger a relapse. As you can see, some of these transitions are not necessarily negative. Take a relationship, for instance.
5. Idleness
It may be hard to believe that just being idle can trigger you to relapse into addiction, but it’s true. As you recover from addiction, have a consistent schedule to give your life a sense of purpose. Don’t wake up each morning with nothing to do. When you have much idle time on your hands, you will soon find yourself filling gaps.
Find activities that will keep you distracted. Whatever you, don’t be bored. You shouldn’t have too much free time.
Wrapping It Up
What if you still relapse even after trying your best to avoid falling into these addiction triggers? Don’t lose heart. Recovering from addiction is not always a straight line. Many people actually relapse, but the secret is to keep your resolve to overcome the addiction.You will find it easy to overcome addiction when you have the support of an addiction treatment center.
