There are a large number of things a person can do instead of giving in to their triggers. Triggers in addiction treatment are person, places, and things that trigger an addict, alcoholic, or person with an eating disorder to engage in their addiction. In drug rehab, one of the main focuses is on triggers. What are some common triggers? Here is a list of some of the more common drug addiction triggers, such as the smell of money, ex-girlfriend/boyfriend, pornography, entire cities, certain types of music, images, movies, parents, etc.
A trigger can be anything that reminds the addict or person with an eating disorder of engaging in their addiction. On E! in a reality show called, What’s Eating You? one of the dietitians confronted her male eating disorder client with a bag full of his triggers. Presenting the addict, alcoholic, or person with an eating disorder with their triggers is not uncommon in treatment, although it may seem to the outsider that the clinician is playing with fire. The question many outsiders often ask is, why would you intentionally trigger someone with an addiction? The answer is desensitization. In the “What’s Eating You?” episode, when the dietitian confronted the male eating disorder patient with his food triggers, the audience could visibly see his discomfort level increase. Often, triggers will result in physical symptoms such as sweating, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and an increase in dopamine, according to research.
A good clinician will work on an addict’s triggers while in treatment. At one facility I worked, processing triggers was a daily group. Patients would process the triggers they faced every day in a group format using a Trigger Chart Worksheet. The point of the group was to help the client/patient in the safety of a drug rehab center and process their emotional, physical, and relational triggers. The point of using desensitization techniques is to reduce the impact of a particular trigger; in the same way, someone afraid of flying has to confront actually getting on a plane, and flying is to reduce the physical and psychological response of a trigger. Drug rehabs learned a long time ago that shielding an addict or alcoholic from their triggers while in treatment produced relapse because simply keeping a person away from their triggers does not work in the long run. There is something to be said for keeping an addict away from triggers at the beginning of their treatment, but eventually, inevitably, any quality drug rehab will help the client face their triggers.
Here is a list of things people can do instead of using when faced with their triggers:
- Go to a meeting
- Call a sponsor
- Take a shower
- Journal
- Clean the house
- Play with your kids
- Walk your dog*
- Get a massage
- Work out at the gym
- Go to the pet store*
- Take a bubble bath
- Take a nap
There have been studies that have shown the healing aspect of pets in treatment. Many drug rehabs allow people to bring their dogs or pets, while others have a therapy dog on site.