You will not get addicted to something if nothing triggers you in the first place. An addiction is something that spurs from a certain source, for a certain reason, and one crucial step for you to stop your bad habits is knowing your triggers.
Most of the time, addicts are not aware of these triggers, that is why they find it harder to deal with their condition. They just continue to cope with their addiction without really knowing what makes them do things in the first place.
When you know your triggers, it will be much easier for you to deal and combat your addiction.
Know Your Triggers to Stop Your Bad Habits
Early on your journey to stopping your addiction, it is a good idea to take a complete inventory of all your personal triggers so that you will know the best way of handling tempting situations when they arise.
These triggers can be mental, emotional or situational and they usually come out of nowhere, catching you off guard and wrecking your desire of getting rid of your bad habits. However, by learning your triggers early on and learning how to spot those triggers that will put you at the worst risk; you can lessen your chance of being swept up again the heat of the moment.
A Glimpse to the World of Triggers
Triggers can come in different sizes and shapes. Although there are a lot of common triggers that are specifically risky for most people battling with substance abuse, there are also those personal triggers which can hold a particularly special meaning to you alone, like a date that reminds you of the lost of your loved one or another emotionally draining event.
While only you will be able to assess your personal triggers and how they impact your life, it can be of great help to go through the most common triggers and come up with plans that will help you stay away from situations where they usually appear.
The most avoidable situational triggers include:
- Drug paraphernalia
- Clubs, bars and other famous drinking establishments
- Pornography
- Smoking cigarettes
- Other people that you abused substances with
- Possession of large amounts of cash
- Prescriptions for pain medications even if use is under supervision
Aside from these situational triggers, there are specific emotions that can trigger the desire of abusing substances. Frustration, depression, anxiety and anger can all prompt the urge of turning to alcohol or other substances as well as loneliness, inability to sleep and boredom.
Identifying your triggers will require you to take a personal inventory of emotions that you associate with your addiction. You need to come up with a plan of things that you can do instead of turning to alcohol or drugs. Activities such as reading a good book, calling a friend or exercising will distract you from your cravings.
It can also help if you reach out to your family or friends so that you can positively cope with your emotions. By discovering what your triggers are, it will be easier for you to develop healthy and useful strategies for avoiding and overcoming these triggers and lessening your chances of shifting your focus from your determination to stop your bad habits.