Fighting off triggers is a part of a full recovery. You can’t exercise your demons without dealing with them in your current reality. By confronting and not running, you are setting the pace for the right kind of treatment.
Plan Ahead
Most of the tips for managing triggers is preventative. Even when you’re seeking help from residential treatment in Sonoma, planning ahead will always be a good idea. Based on your past and present history, there should already be a tight understanding of what triggers an addiction. Take this information and personalize it so that it fits your agenda. If you have a drinking problem, then keep a firm distance away from visitors who maintain a lifestyle out of the bottle. And if certain activities at a residential treatment bring on your addictive qualities, then speak up to someone in charge.
Recognize When it Happens
Triggers are not as black and white as a character trait in a movie. People around you won’t magically call out your behavior as being suspicious. This is why it is important for you to be the first person to recognize these triggers. You should be the one to call out your own behavior before anyone else intervenes. Although this won’t happen in the beginning, it is the eventually goal in order to improve treatment and personal growth. Everyone will always have your back, but addicts have to be willing enough to do the work on their own.
Environmental Changes
A lot of addiction triggers come down to the environment you spend the most time in. Take a look at what this means for something like gambling addiction. Watching sports on television seems innocent enough if you don’t factor in the environment that makes up its appeal. Whether you’re in a bar or at home, the urge to gamble or drink alcohol will be high. There is no alcohol in a residential treatment area, but watching sports you used to bet on will still create a familiar environment. These are the type of environmental triggers that are easy to avoid when you stay aware of your surroundings.
Old Habits
Some people find it impossible to go to sleep without the television being on. And some people can’t unwind after work without drinking alcohol. Old habits are hard to break, especially when you’re making a complete life change. Instead of dwelling on the past, replace the old bad habits with simple positive ones.
Solitary Mindsets
Residential treatment will be less effective when you stay to yourself. This is a problem that can become common for individuals that feel a sense of shame. There is nothing to be ashamed of, as everyone in the world has an obstacle in life. Since the area is housed by people with familiar backgrounds, the similar goal of staying clean becomes much more bearable to take on together.
Playing For Keeps
Addiction doesn’t have an off and on button that you can press for convenience. Managing triggers is a constant struggle, but with practice it will become a simple way of life. Lean on the help from residential treatment, and you’ll never be alone in the journey.