Triggers are any situations that could lead you to use alcohol and other drugs. Triggers can be situations that cause challenging emotions, such as having a fight with your spouse or significant other, getting fired from a job, or facing the loss of a friend. Triggers can also be things in your environment that cause you to crave a drink or a hit, such as the smell of cigarette smoke, a beer commercial on TV, the liquor store on the corner, or even a sunny day when your favorite songs start playing on the car radio.
Triggers are normal—the important thing is not to act on them. Instead, call your sponsor or a recovery friend or go to a meeting. Just make it through the first moment, and then the next . . . eventually the trigger will pass.
Action for the Day
What triggers have you experienced this week? Can you remember how you felt and what you did to deal with them? Who will you call when you feel tempted to drink, get high, or use any mood-altering substance? Make sure you input contact information for this person on your mobile device.
Thought for the Day
“We are defined by what we attempt.”
