5. Cravings & Triggers
Let's talk about cravings and what may trigger them this week, shall we?!
A craving is a desire to use alcohol and/or drugs and can be experienced as thoughts/ memories, and/or physical sensations (sweaty palms, pounding heart, upset stomach, etc.). The intensity of cravings varies; they can be extremely mild, extremely strong, or anywhere in between. An average craving only lasts for about fifteen/twenty minutes so if you don’t act on it, it will eventually pass! I like to think of cravings as ocean waves because of the way they come and go, some being stronger than others.
A trigger is something, anything that causes a craving. Anything associated with drug use or addiction can potentially be a trigger for an addict. Triggers are external, internal, and situational. External triggers consist of any people, places or things that may cause cravings. Internal triggers are emotions, feelings and/or thoughts/memories that may cause cravings to use alcohol and/or drugs. Finally, situational triggers are social situations that may cause cravings for the addict. Literally anything an addict may encounter in their daily life can be a potential trigger. If they are not successful at identifying what their own triggers are, they are ultimately at a much greater risk to relapse.
External triggers consist of people, places and/or things that cause cravings to use alcohol and/or drugs. You’ll often hear recovering addicts that have a substantial amount of clean time under their belt suggest to addicts in early recovery that they avoid the people they used with, the places where they used and the things they used or used with. Now it’s much easier said than done, but the idea behind it is valid. I had many external triggers as I was first beginning my recovery journey. At first, gas stations, where I purchased most of my alcohol during my addiction, were a HUGE trigger for me so I had to avoid going into them for well over a year. I would either pay at the pump or avoid the gas station all together. Until I felt comfortable enough that I could manage those cravings that were triggered from me entering a gas station, I simply stayed away.
Internal triggers are emotions, feelings and/or thoughts/memories that cause cravings to use alcohol and/or drugs. These types of triggers can be more difficult to identify being that they aren’t visible, as they occur within the addict. Anger has always been one of my main internal triggers. For many years in active addiction, I would simply use drugs to “cope” with my feelings of anger. Today as feelings of anger present themselves in my life, I am much better prepared to deal with them, soberly!
Finally, we have situational triggers. These are just what they sound like; uncomfortable/unwelcomed situations or events that cause cravings to use alcohol and/or drugs. To this very day, someone close to me passing away causes extremely strong cravings to use. For the longest time I thought using drugs was the only possible way to deal with the death of friends and/or loved ones.
As an addict, I hate feeling uncomfortable. That’s a huge reason I used alcohol and drugs in the first place. As I continue my recovery journey, I am constantly adapting new techniques and finding new ways to appropriately deal with my triggers and the cravings they produce. I can tell you with 100% certainty that using alcohol and/or drugs is NEVER the answer to ANY problem. It is a temporary fix that will only makes things worse in the long run. Trust me on this one.
And remember, if you’re struggling, or know someone who is struggling, please don’t lose hope. If that had happened to me, I wouldn’t be able to help spread awareness today.
