Addiction Treatment- Triggers & Relapse Prevention

31. October, 2010General PenfieldNo comments

Triggers & Relapse Prevention
Eph. 6:12 For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.
2 Cor. 10:4-5 We use God’s mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil’s strongholds. With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ.

One of the most aggravating and yet inevitable truths in recovery is the fact that we will think about using!! Turning a blind eye to, or not dealing with these thoughts will lead to the continued progression of a relapse. As addicts and alcoholics we will face things, almost daily, that will remind us of using. As an alcoholic, passing by a liquor store with its flashing neon sign may remind us of drinking. As an addict, we may go into a gas station or convenience store and placed right there by the register is those little glass tubes, you know, the one’s with the rose in them! Or, you might notice the rolling papers on the shelf behind the cashier. Certain things no matter how subtle can evoke thoughts, cravings and use. These are known as TRIGGERS. Most triggers center around people, places and things associated with using.
For Example: Getting paid, holidays, Fridays, your dope dealer, his dope dealer, flashing neon signs, TV commercials, etc…..
Approximately 80 % of our triggers we can do something about, or avoid, 20% we cannot. We must learn to recognize the thoughts before they become cravings. Once the thought has become a physical manifestation (psychosomatic) it becomes harder to get out of. Think about ice cream long enough and it will become a craving. Next thing you know, you sitting in the drive thru at the local Dairy Queen!!!

TRIGGERS=THOUGHTS=CRAVINGS=USE

One of the most dangerous triggers is romancing. Talking or thinking about the “good ‘ole times”. Our minds naturally tend to remember the good things and forget the bad. It is a part of addiction and is known as “euphoric recall”. We tend to remember the events and forget the consequences.
Example:
A man goes fishing with his friends. They spend the day fishing and drinking. They are having such a good time that he ends up staying out longer than expected and drinking so much that by the time he gets home he is late and very drunk. He is confronted by his wife who asks where he has been. She smells the alcohol, knows he is drunk and kicks him out of the house until he sobers up. The next time he sees his friends, he remembers the “great time” they had fishing more than he remembers the consequences of the argument with his wife and out of his mouth comes, “boy we had a great time, when are we going again!!!!!!!!!!”
The euphoric recall surrounding drugs and alcohol use can be so powerful that we lose touch with the reality of the situation. Seeing old friends or riding through old hangouts can trigger the euphoric recall of using. These triggers can create cravings, urges and eventually use.

Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.