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Triggers
What are we supposed to do when we feel triggered for whatever reason and are so new in our recovery? I feel like everything is a trigger for me right now. I don't understand why my emotions are so crazy. Am I just supposed to walk away from triggers right now or ignore them? Or should I be facing them head on and dealing with them?
There is no problem so HUGE that drunks CAN'T make it worse.
The saying I loved my first months and still.
The saying I loved my first months and still.
Thank you for all of the tips. I will take your advice, especially the "play the tape" technique. Sometimes it makes me shutter thinking of the things I did when I was using. That alone will help me a lot.
For me, I have found that I am most successful when I think of this phrase: If you use, you are giving up your children. I really believe that if I use again, I will lose them.
For me, I have found that I am most successful when I think of this phrase: If you use, you are giving up your children. I really believe that if I use again, I will lose them.
Techniques for Dealing with Mental Urges and Triggers
Play the tape through. When you think about using, the fantasy is that you'll be able to control your use this time. You'll just have one drink. But play the tape through. One drink usually leads to more drinks. You'll wake up the next day feeling disappointed in yourself. You may not be able to stop the next day, and you'll get caught in the same vicious cycle. When you play that tape through to its logical conclusion, using doesn't seem so appealing.
A common mental urge is that you can get away with using, because no one will know if you relapse. Perhaps your spouse is away for the weekend, or you're away on a trip. That's when your addiction will try to convince you that you don't have a big problem, and that you're really doing your recovery to please your spouse or your work. Play the tape through. Remind yourself of the negative consequences you've already suffered, and the potential consequences that lie around the corner if you relapse again. If you could control your use, you would have done it by now.
Tell someone that you're having urges to use. Call a friend, a support, or someone in recovery. Share with them what you're going through. The magic of sharing is that the minute you start to talk about what you're thinking and feeling, your urges begin to disappear. They don't seem quite as big and you don't feel as alone.
Distract yourself. When you think about using, do something to occupy yourself. Call a friend. Go to a meeting. Get up and go for a walk. If you just sit there with your urge and don't do anything, you're giving your mental relapse room to grow.
Wait for 30 minutes. Most urges usually last for less than 15 to 30 minutes. When you're in an urge, it feels like an eternity. But if you can keep yourself busy and do the things you're supposed to do, it'll quickly be gone.
Do your recovery one day at a time. Don't think about whether you can stay abstinent forever. That's a paralyzing thought. It's overwhelming even for people who've been in recovery for a long time.
One day at a time, means you should match your goals to your emotional strength. When you feel strong and you're motivated to not use, then tell yourself that you won't use for the next week or the next month. But when you're struggling and having lots of urges, and those times will happen often, tell yourself that you won't use for today or for the next 30 minutes. Do your recovery in bite-sized chunks and don't sabotage yourself by thinking too far ahead.
Make relaxation part of your recovery. Relaxation is an important part of relapse prevention, because when you're tense you tend to do what’s familiar and wrong, instead of what's new and right. When you're tense you tend to repeat the same mistakes you made before. When you're relaxed you are more open to change.
Play the tape through. When you think about using, the fantasy is that you'll be able to control your use this time. You'll just have one drink. But play the tape through. One drink usually leads to more drinks. You'll wake up the next day feeling disappointed in yourself. You may not be able to stop the next day, and you'll get caught in the same vicious cycle. When you play that tape through to its logical conclusion, using doesn't seem so appealing.
A common mental urge is that you can get away with using, because no one will know if you relapse. Perhaps your spouse is away for the weekend, or you're away on a trip. That's when your addiction will try to convince you that you don't have a big problem, and that you're really doing your recovery to please your spouse or your work. Play the tape through. Remind yourself of the negative consequences you've already suffered, and the potential consequences that lie around the corner if you relapse again. If you could control your use, you would have done it by now.
Tell someone that you're having urges to use. Call a friend, a support, or someone in recovery. Share with them what you're going through. The magic of sharing is that the minute you start to talk about what you're thinking and feeling, your urges begin to disappear. They don't seem quite as big and you don't feel as alone.
Distract yourself. When you think about using, do something to occupy yourself. Call a friend. Go to a meeting. Get up and go for a walk. If you just sit there with your urge and don't do anything, you're giving your mental relapse room to grow.
Wait for 30 minutes. Most urges usually last for less than 15 to 30 minutes. When you're in an urge, it feels like an eternity. But if you can keep yourself busy and do the things you're supposed to do, it'll quickly be gone.
Do your recovery one day at a time. Don't think about whether you can stay abstinent forever. That's a paralyzing thought. It's overwhelming even for people who've been in recovery for a long time.
One day at a time, means you should match your goals to your emotional strength. When you feel strong and you're motivated to not use, then tell yourself that you won't use for the next week or the next month. But when you're struggling and having lots of urges, and those times will happen often, tell yourself that you won't use for today or for the next 30 minutes. Do your recovery in bite-sized chunks and don't sabotage yourself by thinking too far ahead.
Make relaxation part of your recovery. Relaxation is an important part of relapse prevention, because when you're tense you tend to do what’s familiar and wrong, instead of what's new and right. When you're tense you tend to repeat the same mistakes you made before. When you're relaxed you are more open to change.
I believe you are feeling the reason meetings say 90 meetings in 90 days. I think you are feeling the reason we harp on aftercare and try to give our experience as to why that is a central part of quitting drugs over time. To answer your question, if a doctor offers you your DOC, or your dealer swings by to see if you 'NEED' anything, then I say walk away from those triggers. If you feel worthless or judged and want to isolate, then tackle those head on. Or that's how I did it, not sure it would work for you. I did go to meetings, counseling, group therapy, took college classes on addiction. I made recovery the most important thing in my life for a good year. Now recovery is what helps me keep the most important things in my life, but it took lots of work and time to get to where recovery was not about drugs at all, it's about being the best me there is so I don't need nor want drugs. Don't underestimate the power of what WE can do and how I got myself in the situation I was in. If you don't know if a trigger is one to avoid or tackle, shout out a question here. We can help you stay accountable on if you are avoiding something you shouldn't or tackling something that is risky. Talk to an addiction therapist about this, you pastor or priest, a close friend who is sober, keep talking and searching.
"You will instinctively handle situations that used to baffle you."
- One of the promises of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous
"You will instinctively handle situations that used to baffle you."
- One of the promises of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous
one thing i learned in rehab is what they call "play the tape" and that works for me i haven't had a craving or urge but i think about pills almost daily i dont have the desire to use at all and i always picture 1) where i was when i went into rehab the end of aug and 2) what my consequences will be what the outcome will be if i choose to use and that keeps me on the straight and narrow b/c i definitely dont want to go back and i know you dont either you are doing so good considering your circumstances girl just keep plugging along and take care of you i know it may be difficult right now but you gotta do it and keep going to those meetings who cares what they say or how they act dont let "them" interfere with your sobriety you are there for you and all YOU can get out of each meeting just hang in there your doing excellent girl!!!! =)
Hi well it is not uncommon to feel triggers or cravings....you need to talk to someone that is why it is so important to hit the rooms of Na you can get a phone number list ...and the meetings are also a good place to share what your going threw just because your off the pills does not equal recovery your still a addict with addictive behaviors compulsive and left to fester and abscess over it you very well might use... relapses start days b/4 your actual use...the desire to get clean must exceed the desire to use.... the difference hear is the same for all of us weather clean for weeks months or even years...we are all going to have to decide each day when we get up...will I use or stay clean just because your craving does not mean you act out on it....''you never have to use again'' keep posting for support we all want to see you make it recovery takes work but after your threw with the 12 steps you will find it a lot ezer this is a ''we'' thing not a ''I'' thing time to get to a meeting...Gnarly
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