What are triggers?

WHAT ARE TRIGGERS?

Abdullah Baniyameen
baniyameen@aol.com
June 7, 2009

• Thinking and talking about drugs craving actually stimulated drug hunger in some people. Many individuals do not want to talk about relapse, because they are scared that it might actually cause a relapse,
• Thinking about drugs, even dreaming about drugs is a natural part of recovery. Learning how to stop these drug thoughts from returning into drug cravings, however, prevents a person from returning to drug use,
• Without education about addiction, most addicts would relapse. However, by learning how relapse occurs, understanding how to prevent relapses, and learning the warning signs that lead to relapse, relapse can be prevented.

TYPES OF TRIGGERS:

• Whether realize it or not, most people have developed strong associations between their drug use and some event or situation,
• For instance, many people drink coffee, smoke a cigarette, and read the morning paper after breakfast. For these people, the coffee, cigarette, and the morning paper have become associated with each other,
• If these people tried to stop smoking cigarettes, they would have a strong urge to smoke every time they read the morning paper and a cup of coffee. The coffee and newspaper are the cues or reminders to smoke a cigarette. This cue or reminder is called trigger,
• Triggers are those of people, places, and things that have somehow become associated with a person’s drug use, and are often a combination of internal, external and sensory triggers.

INTERNAL TRIGGERS:

• An internal trigger is an emotional state that people experience before or during drug use.
• For instance, some people may feel very insecure sexually because they think they have to use before having sex in order to feel more comfortable. They always medicate their feeling of insecurity that feeling becomes a trigger to use.

EXTERNAL TRIGGERS:

• External triggers are the places where drugs are normally bought or used, certain locations in the city or specific bars and clubs, the people whom they are used, and even certain days and times, such as weekends

SENSORY TRIGGERS:

• Sensory triggers, related to the senses of sight, sound, taste, and touch, include certain types of lights seen on dance floor, certain styles of music or specific songs, the taste of drug, or the way that led you felt the numb or rush. For many powdered sugar or artificial are powerful triggers for heroin, cocaine.

HIDDEN TRIGGERS:

• Hidden triggers are those, which the brain associates with drug use, but of which the person is unaware. Some triggers may promote drug hunger even though the person is unaware what triggered it. Hidden triggers can be internal, external, or sensory triggers.

DEFUSING TRIGGERS:

Identifying Triggers:
A major goal of relapse prevention is to identify triggers. It is important to recognize that people are unaware of many triggers, even when the same triggers seem obvious to others. For this reason, feedback from other people can be valuable in the identification process.

Avoiding Triggers:
Once a person has identified certain high-risk situations, people, and other triggers it is important to avoid them. They are warning signs that are dangerous.

Interrupt Triggers:
Some triggers cannot be avoided. For some people, weekends, holidays, or nights can be triggers. Triggers can be interrupted by engaging in a healthy activity that can break the power of trigger. For instance, if Friday nights are high-risk times, healthy activities can be schedule, such as attending NA meeting, or just going to a movie with a friend. It is important that these activities be planned, and be with another recovering person.

IDENTIFYING TRIGGERS:

• A major goal of relapse prevention is to identify triggers. It is important to recognize that people are unaware of many triggers, even when the same triggers seem obvious to others. For this reason, feedback from other people can be valuable in the identification process.

HOW TRIGGERS WORK:

• Some people in this room may have used drugs for many years. Your triggers have also had many years to become strongly associated with the drug.
  
• After long periods of association, triggers become strong and powerful. When people fight them, they generally lose the fight and relapse. However, when people learn to interrupt the triggers, they can stop them from leading to relapse.

HOW TRIGGERS LEADS TO RELAPSE:

Step 1 (TRIGGER):
Because of the strong association between the trigger and drug, the trigger is automatic.

Step 2 (THOUGHT):
The trigger will prompt a person to think about drugs, even if just for a second.

Step 3 (CRAVING):
If the person continues to focus on using drugs, drugs cravings becomes more likely. At this point, physical reactions such as increased heartbeat and sweaty palms may occur.

Step 4 (USE):
After being overwhelmed by drug hunger, including physical reactions, it becomes easier to make the decision to use drugs

TRIGGER CHAIN:

Trigger:
Triggers are automatic and lead to think about using.

Thought:
Thinking is under your control. You decide whether to think excessively about using.

Craving:
If you think excessively about using, you will likely experience the physical symptoms of craving.

Use:
If you experience cravings without taking some healthy action, you are likely to use.

HOW TO STOP TRIGGER CHAIN:

TRIGGER => THOUGHT => CRAVING => USE

• Without realizing it, most people wait until the end of the trigger chain to stop drug use. For example, many people still have drug friends and paraphernalia. Being exposed to them will cause cravings. Once craving start, it is difficult to think of anything but using drugs.
  
• The trigger chain can be more easily interrupted at the beginning of the chain, especially at step one and step two.

INTERRUPTING THE TRIGGERS:

Avoid or leave the Trigger;
Once people become aware that a particular situation, person, or place is a trigger, that situation should be avoided whenever possible. If people suddenly realize that they are in a high-risk, trigger situation, they should leave immediately.

Change the Routine;
Some triggers such as payday and Friday nights are unavoidable. However, normal routines can be changed so that these triggers have less power. For unavoidable triggers, a change of routine could include meeting up with a sponsor and attending NA meeting. Scheduling healthy activities ahead of time, and with other people, are best. Involvement in healthy activities makes it harder to think about drugs.

DOING AND VIEWING:

Visualization:
Visualization techniques can be used when a person has drug thoughts.

Snapping:
A rubber band can be worn on the wrist, which can be snapped whenever someone has drug thoughts.

Relaxation:
Relaxation techniques can be used to decrease the physical signs of craving, as well as help to clear away drug thoughts.

INTERRUPTING THE TRIGGERS:

Activated Event:
Describe the situation?

Belief (Upsetting thoughts or belief):
What did you tell yourself about the situation?

Feelings:
Describe how you felt?

Action (Counter-challenge):
Describe what you did?

CONSIDER PROBLEM SOLVING APPROACH:

• Define the problem,
  
• Think of a possible solution,
  
• Choose the most workable solutions,
  
• Write a list of “to dos” to accomplish that solution, and schedule a time for each item on the list,
  
• Rehearse the solution in your mind.

GROUP DISCUSSION:

• What are some ways that you can identify your triggers?
  
• What are some of the strongest triggers for you?
  
• What are some of the ways you can do to avoid triggers?
  
• How can you interrupt triggers?

People:

• Co-workers,
• Relative,
• Homey.

Places:

• Specific Bars,
• Home Town.

Events:

• Concert,
• Parties,
• Visitors.

Things:

• Paraphernalia,
• Money.

Sensory:

• Sounds,
• Lighting,
• Music.

Times:

• Weekend,
• Holidays,
• After Work.

Feelings:

• Depress,
• Lonely,
• Euphoria.

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