Once you’ve made the courageous decision to get help for alcoholism, you need to be prepared for alcohol triggers when you leave your treatment center.
Liberty House Recovery is one of the top alcohol rehab centers in Michigan. Contact us today to learn more about how our Michigan drug treatment center can help you or a loved one overcome alcohol abuse.
What Are Alcohol Triggers?
Triggers of alcoholism refer to any experience or sense that relates to alcohol addiction and can pose a threat to sobriety.
- Triggers can be places, people, sites, smells, or anything else that reminds you of alcohol and when you used to have untreated alcoholism
- Triggers and cravings are two main sources of relapse in up to sixty percent of people after recovery
- Therapy and ongoing group support can give you tools for managing triggers of alcohol without succumbing to alcohol
Examples of Alcoholism Triggers
Alcoholism triggers look different for everyone.
Bars and Restaurants
Bars and restaurants are some common alcohol triggers. If, for example, there was one bar where you used to go to every weekend or a restaurant around the corner from your work you would visit for happy hour, simply seeing those locations, driving by them, or even hearing their name could be triggers of alcoholism for you.
People
Some alcoholism triggers can just be people, especially if you used to drink a lot with specific people. If you have a group of friends with whom you always drink, talking to them, hanging out with them, or even seeing them might be a trigger for you.
Venues
Sometimes other venues or specific experiences are triggers of alcoholism for clients, like sporting events where alcohol was a common part of the experience.
Drinks
For other people, alcohol triggers might be the actual drinks, seeing the labels, seeing a commercial, having bottles in the house, or seeing other people around you drink.
Stress or Pain
If drinking was a coping mechanism for stress or pain, experiencing high levels of stress at a new job or chronic pain from an old injury might be a trigger that influences your risk of alcohol consumption.
How to Manage Alcohol Triggers
Treatment centers like Liberty House Recovery provide education, aftercare, and support to prepare you for the potential triggers you might face.
Managing alcohol triggers will look different for everyone based on circumstances, experience, and how they are feeling that day. Some examples include:
- Avoiding places where you once consumed alcohol
- Not being around people who drink
- Finding sober hobbies
- Socializing with others in recovery
- Practicing mindfulness or meditation
- Managing stress or pain with things like yoga, exercise, or other holistic care
With our facility, participation in individual therapy gives you an opportunity to learn more about different triggers of alcoholism specific to your circumstances. Individual therapy will allow you to work with someone you trust and find individualized coping mechanisms.
Change Your Routine
During your individual and group therapy sessions, you’ll learn the importance of changing your routine from what it once was. If you used to go to the same restaurant after work for happy hour, it’s important that you replace that activity with something else, preferably a sober activity with sober individuals.
Changing your routine might also include changing the people with whom you associate. There’s no reason you have to avoid the exact same people unless they are not supportive of your recovery, and they are more likely to encourage you to drink or drink in front of you despite requests to the contrary.
You’ll have to learn managing stress and pain during your therapy sessions at our residential program. Simple things like yoga, meditation, or mindfulness can be useful tools when combating temporary discomfort or acute stress.
Aftercare
All clients need ongoing help after treatment ends. Aftercare and ongoing support services are integral to easing back into a daily routine with continuing support. Without any aftercare, you are more likely to struggle with triggers and up to sixty percent more likely to relapse.
We also provide access to ongoing support in the form of alumni programs and community resources AA meetings. During these meetings, you can talk about shared alcoholism triggers and what things you have tried successfully or unsuccessfully as a way to manage those triggers. You can learn from other people who have endured similar alcohol triggers. Reach out to Liberty House at 866-686-0319 to learn more about our alcoholism aftercare programs and how we can help.