Your Key to Alcohol Addiction Recovery: 15 Tips on Avoiding Triggers
Many people talk about what triggers their alcohol abuse but they do not talk about how to keep from using. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a solid treatment program teaches you to identify and deal with your triggers. Although the advice to trust in treatment is good, do not forget that your treatment depends on you. There are ways that you can avoid your triggers.
1. Find New Places to Hang Out
Bars are one of the ultimate triggers of substance abuse. Find new places to meet friends. Have coffee, stop at the library, or go to places that do not serve alcohol.
2. Meet New People
Chances many of your friends either use alcohol or are alcoholics themselves. If they do it is important to find friends who can help you in your sobriety.
3. Develop your Interests
When you develop new interests you not only distract yourself from using alcohol, you also find new people and places to hang out.
4. Pick a Hobby
Putting time into your interests and hobbies distracts you from alcohol use and cravings.
Hobbies are an excellent way to stop yourself from drinking and craving alcohol.
5. Attend Events and Activities
Attending events and activities can get you out of the house and help to keep you from obsessing about alcohol. Events and activities are found in your newspaper and online sites for your area.
6. Decide to be Proactive
When you are proactive about your addiction and plan ahead you are less likely to drink.
7. Avoid Boredom
Boredom is an addict’s enemy. By avoiding it you can stop yourself from drinking because of it. Find things that you are interested in and do them.
8. Treat Mental Health Issues
A very big portion of drinking is self medication. By treating any mental health issues that you have, you won’t have to use alcohol to self medicate any more.
9. Keep a Journal
Keeping a journal is a great way to both relieve stress and keep track of what triggers your cravings. Knowing your triggers is the first step to avoiding them.
10. Study your Triggers
By studying your triggers carefully you can plan ahead to avoid them. Triggers can sneak up on you, if you do not know everything about them.
11. Learn to Diffuse the Triggers
After you learn your triggers, it is important to know how to diffuse them. If you find yourself somewhere experiencing a trigger leave or call a friend to help.
12. Think Carefully about Getting into a Relationship
When you are focusing on recovery, relationships can blindside you with a trigger. Most triggers are stress related. A relationship can put stress on your recovery.
13. Try to Avoid Stressful Situations
By avoiding stressful situations, you can avoid most triggering situations. Stress is the number one trigger for relapse in most addictions.
14. Avoid Overconfidence
If you think you can deal with using alcohol again, you have become overconfident. Although you should not fear your triggers, you also should not confront them before you are ready.
15. Seek Help when you Need It
If you need help call 800-839-1686. We can help you find the treatment you need to give up alcohol once and for all.