Dealing With Triggers: Developing Coping Skills for Substance Abuse Recovery

April 5, 2021

Harmony Place Team

One of the more difficult aspects when it comes to recovering from addiction is trying to stay sober after you have left rehab. While in treatment, especially if you are in inpatient treatment, you are in a controlled environment where there is very little, if any temptation. You aren’t around people who are using, and you aren’t in situations or settings that make you think about using and bring about temptation. In fact, it’s these temptations that arise that are known as triggers.

One of the things that you learn when you are in rehab is coping skills for substance abuse. You learn how to identify these triggers as well as the things you can actively do in order to prevent the triggers from winning and you relapsing. In this blog, we will take a look at what exactly constitutes a trigger as well as identify some coping skills in recovery that might be beneficial as you continue down your road to recovery.

What Is A Trigger?

A trigger is something that reminds us of something that happened in the past. It can be a scent, a person or a group of people, a place, or even a substance. Basically, a trigger is something that, when identified, brings back thoughts or memories from the past.

In the addiction world, a trigger is anything that may occur in our daily lives that brings back the urge and desire to want to use again. It can be either internal or external and remind the person about their past drug or alcohol abuse. A trigger is formed when the brain creates an association between whatever the trigger is and using drugs or alcohol. For many people, especially those that are newly recovered, a trigger can cause people to become angry, stressed, confused, scared, or even result in them succumbing to those temptations and relapsing.

That’s why learning coping skills for these triggers is so important. If you can properly identify a trigger, you have a better chance of reacting in a positive manner and not succumbing to said trigger.

What Is An External Trigger?

An external trigger is anything that occurs externally that can trigger the want to use drugs or alcohol again. This can be a person or people, a place, a sight or smell, a memory, an activity, or even a specific object. External triggers can be particularly dangerous to someone who is in recovery because these triggers can subconsciously cause a person to start craving drugs or alcohol again without them even realizing it.

During addiction treatment, your therapist or treatment specialist will likely advise you to avoid any of these external triggers whenever possible. Additionally, they will work with you on ways to cope with said triggers so they don’t overpower you and lead to relapse.

What Is An Internal Trigger?

An internal trigger is anything that occurs internally that can make you feel the urge to start using again. Internal triggers can be particularly dangerous because, unlike certain external triggers, you can’t avoid them. Internal triggers can be thoughts, feelings, or emotions that were associated with when you were using and abusing drugs or alcohol.

During treatment, your therapist or treatment professional will address these internal triggers with you and teach you coping skills for substance abuse so you know how to properly handle your internal triggers when they arise.

What Are Some of the Most Common Triggers That People In Recovery Experience?

Triggers are, for the most part, unique to each individual. What might cause cravings to develop for one person might not cause the same reaction in another person. That being said, there are some universal triggers that many people experience while in recovery. Some of those triggers include:

Depression
Anxiety
Shame
Regret
Anger
Guilt
Heartbreak
Grief or loss
Losing control
Fear
Stress
Feeling unsafe
A specific place
Trauma
Abuse
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

What Are Some Healthy Coping Skills in Recovery?

The key to healthily navigating your triggers as they arise is to be self-aware of what’s going on both internally and externally. By understanding what your triggers are, it gives you a better chance of being able to control how you react and avoid relapsing. Here are some things that you can do to manage your triggers and not let them take over.

Be Honest With Yourself

The only way that you will truly be able to understand what your triggers are and how you can go about managing them is to be honest with yourself. Everyone has triggers, whether they are external, internal, or both. Telling yourself that nothing triggers you doesn’t do anybody any good. It just increases the chances that you will relapse at the first sign of a trigger. Acknowledging what your triggers are will give you a chance to prepare yourself for how you will react when it happens.

Meditate

When recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction, every part of your body needs to heal and recover from what you put it through when you were using. Without doing this you can not truly begin the recovery process. This includes your mind, body, and even your spirit. A great way to focus on healing all three simultaneously is by practicing meditation. When it comes to addiction recovery, meditation has many benefits including:

Making better choices in everyday life
Reacting better to things that happen in your life without having to turn to drugs or alcohol
Lowering your stress and anxiety levels

Prioritize Nutrition

Most people who suffer from addiction also suffer from poor nutrition or even malnourishment. This can be the result of using money that would normally go to food for drugs or alcohol. It can also be the result of just simply not focusing on your nutrition as a result of your addiction. Regardless of the reason, as part of the healing process, it is important to prioritize a properly balanced diet. Not taking the time to focus on your diet and nutrition can lead to issues such as sleep problems, low energy, and other ailments such as headaches. When you aren’t feeling well, you might be more tempted to turn to drugs or alcohol again so you can feel better.

Learn How To Relax No Matter What the Situation

One of the biggest reasons why someone relapses is because they become stressed out or suffer from some sort of anxiety. Being able to relax the body and mind on your own without the help of any substances can go a long way when it comes to maintaining your sobriety. How can you relax the body and mind naturally? Here are some ways:

Taking slow, deep breaths
Listening to calming music
Soaking in a tub
Meditating
Practicing yoga
Journaling
Focusing on art or another activity that you enjoy
Massage
Herbal tea or other warm, non-alcoholic beverages

Whatever works best for you, being able to stay calm and in control will help keep the cravings and triggers away.

Create a Strong Support System

Having a strong support system is another one of the vital things that you can do in recovery to help avoid the chances of a relapse. After all, it’s likely that your old group of friends are the ones you used with. Not only is it not likely that they will be supportive of your new sobriety, but hanging around them again would be considered a trigger.

Surrounding yourself with positive people, especially those who are also in recovery like you, can help not just with your overall mental well-being but it can also help with managing your triggers and cravings since the other people in your support system have likely gone through similar things. Other benefits include:

Encouragement and positive reinforcement
The chance to help and support others
Being held accountable for your choices in sobriety

Are You Interested In Learning More About Coping Skills for Substance Abuse?

Whether you are someone who is looking to get sober for the first time, or you are someone who has relapsed, it’s important to know that it is ok to ask for help. Going to a treatment center like Harmony Place can not only save your life, it can also teach you valuable skills when it comes to coping skills in recovery.

If you or someone you know is suffering from an addiction and could benefit from one of the many treatment programs that we offer, contact us today. It is our goal to make sure that every person that comes into our facility goes on to live a happy, healthy, and sober life.

Chris P

I've been to 12 rehabs over the last 20 years and NO other place has touch like Harmony Place! From the owner right down to the cleaning lady, everyone here is kinda and warm. God has blessed this place and I feel privileged to have come through here. I recommend anyone who is going through their struggle with mental health or substance abuse to pick up the phone and come! You won't regret it!

Joseph S

This place is incredible, kind, loving, patient, rigorous, educative, caring and the best place for recovery. Ill be part of the alumni crew

Monica G

I had very good experience at Harmony Place From first day I came, staff was very kind and make me feel welcome and safe. Everyone was friendly and always try to help me. The therapists are very good and caring. They listen to me and help me understand my problems better. I learn many things from them and feel stronger because of their support. The nurses also very nice and professional. They always check on me and make sure I am okay. Food was good and facilities were clean and comfortable. It help me feel more relaxed and focus on my recovery. Management also doing very good job. Everything was organized and you can see they really care about patients. I am very thankful for this place and all the people who work here. I recommend this center to anyone who needs help.

Denton

Awesome place great people u want to check this place out most definitely 😜

Tyler

A treatment center where the owners truly care about your recovery and after care.. cannot recommend enough

Jodana S

If you want to detox painlessly this is the place! The staff is A1. They truly care about us. The groups are awesome . Residential is crazy awesome! You live in a mansion. With a private chef who makes the best food. Community meeting that gets results fast, they care about your opinions. Pool and Jacuzzi are beautiful. If your struggling with addiction this is the house you should come to. I LOVE HARMONY PLACE!!!!! Thank you to all the staff they go above and beyond to make this experience comfortable therapeutic. Don't spend another day in your addiction come to Harmony Place right now!

Cass

I’ve been to 4 treatment centers before Harmony Place, and I can tell you without a single doubt that this is the absolute best by FAR. The past ones were luxury Residential Treatment centers that just treated every single client the same not tailoring to each individual, and were basically just in it for the money, dropping the ball each time. I can also tell you that I’ve never met the CEOs, but here, David comes to the facility almost every single day, and makes sure he get to know every individual here. He is incredibly kind, and was even willing to transfer me to another facility with a higher level of trauma therapy due to me having a lifetime of trauma and PTSD that just is going to take a long time to tackle. He truly cares about all of the clients having all of the tools that we need before getting released to the real world. No more of other CEO would ever be willing to miss an opportunity at making more money and even paired with my IMPECCABLE case manager to find a different facility that was more trauma based. My case manager, Sam, goes absolutely above and beyond in every single aspect. She makes sure you have a smooth transition into aftercare, provides out of this world advice when it comes to sobriety, and takes the time out of her day to make sure that FMLA and short-term disability are completely taken care of during your stay. I’ve never met a case manager that could ever compare to Sam. Ever. I feel lucky to have met her, genuinely. Marissa, my therapist, is SO SWEET, actually listens to you, and provides advice and therapy tailored to each individual’s experience. She’s handled every mood I’ve been in, never judged me, and allowed me to feel safe enough to tell her things I’ve never told any person or therapist in my 29 years of life. I’ve been going to therapy for the past 15 years, and none of those therapists even come close to how amazing she is. I’ve been to 4 other treatment centers in my life and none even come close to Harmony Place. The facility is clean, organized, and high-end. I would recommend Harmony place to my family, friends, and anyone seeking treatment. I feel SO BLESSED to have landed in their hands. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE IN THE CLINICAL STAFF BEYOND WORDS. I love you guys ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️. I feel more confident than ever in my Recovery.

Gabe H

Where to begin.. Harmony is a place that will forever be a part of my story as the first step in my recovery journey. I’m so grateful for this program. The staff is very friendly, and many of them understand what addiction is like, for they themselves have recovery stories of their own. They have an awesome team of therapists, group facilitators, nurses, RA technicians, medical and health professionals, a wonderful case manager for aftercare that cares deeply for your next steps; making sure you are set up for success. They have a wonderful admissions team (shoutout to Marielle who was so kind and understanding of my messed up situation). Everyone is very relatable and friendly. They invest heavily in the importance of diet and nutrition too - there’s a full time professional chef. I gained all the weight I lost and wanted back in the first two weeks lol. On top of the intensive programming they do throughout the day, they take us out to experience various kinds of outside groups to get a taste of the real world, and also take us on social outings during the weekend. If you’re serious about getting better this place will meet you where you’re at and prepare you to launch with a renewed mind and heart.

Monica P

I can't begin to explain just how amazing Harmony Place is. In fact, when we sit down with the owner, Jeff, and clinical director, David, on Monday mornings to have a house meeting, they ask us what they could be doing better. A bigger blender for smoothies is the ONLY thing we could come up with. Let me begin by addressing some negative reviews. If you notice many of them are from people, or are referring to people who have been asked to leave. It is because of harmony places protection of their clients that provide ideal conditions for healing and progress. There is a screening process that it is implemented where they make sure the clients they admit are ready to start a life of sobriety. Some people slip through the cracks. Some people find out a few days or weeks in that they've changed their minds. Some are inappropriate and break rules. It happens. When Harmony Place ask people to leave, It's because they are protecting the people who are here that want treatment. In effect, they're providing exactly what I needed for a genuine start to recovery. When I began my search for a treatment center, my requirements were that the facility's provide an environment in which its residents all want to be there and that it is ethically ran. I got that and so much more at Harmony Place. As well as a structured routine, they also provide a confidential and nurturing environment where one feels safe and where profound healing can begin. Their program offers a sound foundation where further progress in sober living is almost guaranteed. In group meetings, we enjoy getting to know ourselves again and with deeper understanding about why we are the way we are. We are provided with skills to handle real life. Its here that I've come to understand that its not addiction that has driven me to make a mess of my life. It is the trauma that I endured and not processing it correctly that lead to poor thinking patterns that opened the door to addiction resulting in poor life management. So we start at the bottom. Trauma. They help us understand that trauma has led to our own toxicity, what that trauma looks like and how to get out of our own way. Process groups help us learn how to take accountability and foster healthier relationships. I learned here that changing the way I think is absolutely possible and imperative to the healing process. Harmony Place offered me hope when I previously felt I was unfixable and a support team that truly loves me. Even after I leave here, I have contacts that almost demand I keep in touch and an alumni meeting where I can return to the facility on Thursday nights. I wasn't a 12 stepper when I came here but my first experience with it was not one where I was ready to stop using. I understand now that the steps will work for me. It's certainly is not the only modality that they teach. In one group, we are provided an opportunity to sit with a recently retired medical doctor to just ask questions. Another is with a nutritionist. There are a handful of people IN recovery that come to lead groups that are all accredited highly specialized where I felt understood and not judged. The knowledge I have gained here is life changing. It is also versatile and relatable for all types of people. my favorite group was dialectical behavioral therapy. There are breathing classes and sound bath groups and I started doing yoga in the morning. There's a dharma meeting they take you offsite that focuses on Buddhist values. A fantastic onsight chef provides three meals and you can have special requests. We facilitated our own Movie nights during free time. I cant forget to mention you get your own one on one meetings with your assigned primary therapist and there is comprehensive medical support complete with 24/7 nurses and a doctor that shows up throughout the week. If this is what you need to recover and you have mediCAL, cancel your mediCAL and get insurance Harmony Place accepts if you can. There are people to help you with that as well. Just call. Many, many thanks to the staff. ✔️Another life changed.🙏

Cody B

This is such an amazing place truly changed my life. I would recommend this place to anybody if they’re looking for a strong recovery house that truly cares about your recovery and not about just money So if you’re ready to change your life, don’t miss out on the greatness of harmony because this place is where it’s at

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