If we can learn to identify our triggers and stop them in their tracks – before they induce craving – then we have a much better chance to stay sober.
Unfortunately, triggers are unavoidable, regardless of the addiction. Think about alcoholics driving past billboard ads for beer, scotch, and vodka. Think about drug addicts watching television crime dramas where the ‘perps’ are selling or using drugs. Think about all of the attractive people (i.e., potential sexual partners) that a sex or porn addict sees on a daily basis. Then think about any addict at all dealing with the rollercoaster of life and the emotions it induces. Triggers are everywhere, and, as addicts, there is nothing we can do about that beyond learning to recognize them and to deal with them in healthy ways when they occur.
Task for Today
Think of three healthy ways you can deal with triggers. Then ask: “When is the last time I relied on one of these healthy coping mechanisms?”