The Importance of Identifying Triggers

In rats and humans, the hormone corticosterone increases the level of dopamine, a brain chemical that plays a major role in reward-seeking behavior, in the brain in response to stress. Cocaine and several other illicit drugs also boost levels of dopamine. The Marquette researchers stated a stressed animal previously exposed to cocaine will crave the drug because the dopamine surge from cocaine trumps the release of stress-related dopamine.

Amy moved to California from Florida in 2011 to begin her journey into a life of recovery. Amy started to gain her spirit back while helping others and that’s when she found her life’s purpose. Amy graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in sociology from Chapman university. Amy has also completed her CAADAC degree at Centaur university. Amy truly believes being outside and in touch with nature helps with self-destructive behaviors, which she considers to be the key to her personal recovery. After years of owning and operating a successful women’s sober living, Amy really saw the need for gender-specific aftercare. Amy Dutton and Becca Edge teamed up to create Anchored Tides Recovery.

How to Deal With Relapse Triggers

An addictions specialist or another mental health professional can help you develop additional coping strategies. And, many people who struggle with addiction turn to their substance or activity of choice as a maladaptive way of coping with it. It’s not uncommon for people who struggle with addictions to relapse at least once during recovery.

In addition to sober living, Real Recovery can help you or your loved one through any of our treatment programs. Feel free to reach out to us with any questions or to request more information. Individuals develop new thoughts, feelings and behaviors while using substances. These may include shutting family off, denying issues or justifying substance use. Healthier practices need to replace these negative internal processes in order to help people succeed in their path to a substance-free life.

Maintain a Support System

They can be emotional, environmental or mental, and often a trigger falls into multiple categories. These are 10 of the most common triggers in addiction recovery, along with quick tips on how to avoid them. A trigger is social, psychological, and emotional situations and events that compel an addicted person to seek their substance of choice, eventually leading them to relapse.

People and place triggers remind you of your drug-seeking behavior, and they are enough to make you restart your old behavior. Alisa brings a high level of dedication and compassion types of relapse triggers to her work as the Client Service Coordinator. A certified addiction treatment counselor (CADC-II), Alisa has seven years of experience working in the substance abuse field.

Rule 1: Change Your Life

Relapse triggers are either internal or external stimuli that prompt a recovering addict to crave drugs. Relapse triggers activate https://ecosoberhouse.com/ the brain and remind the recovering patient of their drug use, making them develop a strong urge for the substance.