The road to recovery for anyone with a substance use disorder comes with many types of relapse triggers. These triggers can be a certain place, person, sight, or smell. Each person will have unique triggers that develop from personal experiences, family history, and genetics.
Evoke Wellness at Coconut Creek works with all people who struggle with a substance use disorder and who want professional help to better manage their triggers and cravings. Addiction recovery requires a concentrated effort to uncover the root cause behind the addiction, identify triggers, and develop new coping skills. It involves working with a therapist in group and private therapy sessions using behavioral therapies, holistic therapies, and medical support.
If you are interested in signing up for our relapse prevention program, send us an email or call 866.693.3871 today to schedule a tour of our welcoming facility.
Maintaining Long-Lasting Sobriety
While there is no permanent cure for addiction, there are several ways that you can stop the abuse, build a healthy lifestyle, and maintain long-lasting sobriety. One of the most effective ways to do this is by working with a professional addiction therapist with experience treating all types of substance use disorders.
The reason it can be difficult to maintain sobriety over the years is that addiction triggers and cravings never entirely go away. You can be sober for several years without experiencing any cravings when suddenly you are triggered and overwhelmed with a desire to drink or use drugs.
Think of your body as a giant computer. You may be able to delete addiction cravings like a bad program, but the system doesn’t truly delete it. The data can be recovered in certain situations. Addiction cravings are the same. Your body holds a genetic memory of those experiences and can recall them in the right situation.
The team at Evoke Wellness at Coconut Creek is available to aid all Floridians who need help breaking their addiction and maintaining their sobriety. Our programs help patients recognize their relapse triggers so they can prevent them from causing a future relapse.
Identifying Your Relapse Triggers
Each person will have a unique set of relapse triggers that are based on their personal experiences and lifestyle. Someone who is routinely stressed at work will experience more intense cravings during tight deadlines or when their boss is upset with them. A remote worker may become depressed at the lack of social interaction and crave more drugs or alcohol when seeing or hearing about their co-workers having an impromptu get-together.
The best way to learn your relapse triggers is to work with a behavioral therapist and get a better understanding of how addiction works.
Some of the more common relapse triggers are:
Stress
This is one of the more common addiction relapse triggers that affect millions of people. A build-up of stress can cause headaches, anxiety, depression, and other symptoms that can trigger cravings.
People and Places
If you hang out with friends who still drink or use drugs, it can cause a triggering situation if you are used to doing it with them. This is true of any favorite hangout or popular bar where you and your friends would gather to drink and have a good time. These should be avoided until you are 100% confident in your coping skills.
Negative Emotions
Another key addiction trigger is obsessing over past or future events, what someone said the other day, or negative thoughts about yourself. This can cause negative emotions to build, and if you are used to shutting out these emotions with drugs or alcohol, it can be a very triggering situation.
Visual Cues
For some people, just a visual of a favorite drink or substance can trigger a relapse. This type of trigger can happen if they are stressed or can’t shut out negative emotions.
Times of Celebration
Holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and other celebrations can be a triggering situation if this is the first few times going to a celebration sober. The best way to prepare yourself for this type of situation is to have a sober friend come with you and have an escape plan if the situation becomes too intense.
Maintaining sobriety is a lot easier when you are familiar with your specific relapse triggers. Working with a behavioral therapist can help you identify your triggers and give you the skills and confidence necessary to withstand the cravings and temptations.
Contact Evoke Wellness at Coconut Creek Today
Evoke Wellness at Coconut Creek works closely with each patient to maintain sobriety through our residential and outpatient treatment programs. Each program is tailored to the individual’s symptoms and includes a wide range of therapies that can include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), trauma therapy, and family therapy.
To support your continual sobriety and good mental health, call our dedicated team today at 866.693.3871 or reach out online to schedule a tour and discuss our addiction treatment options.
