In early recovery from drug/alcohol addictions, as with other addictions as well, there are things that “trigger” the recovering addict into thinking that may result in relapse behavior. From one addict to the next, these things will have similarities as well as differences, depending upon the person and the addiction.

Examples of situations or items that may trigger a relapse to alcohol use/abuse would be a time of day when the recovering addict would normally have their first cocktail or a time of day when they would begin their drinking behavior if a consistent pattern had been established. Another might be seeing a commercial on television portraying a particular favorite brand of wine, beer or alcohol. Scenes of drinking behaviors in movies or portrayed on television could also trigger that response, as well as certain objects that were significant in the drinking history of someone, such as a favorite martini glass or shot glass. Other triggers for recovering addicts can be the smell of a favorite beverage or driving by a bar or liquor store that was a favorite during their drinking days. Even driving in the same neighborhood or on the same street may bring up memories that are uncomfortable and difficult to contain.

For recovering addicts who used/abused drugs, it may be just as simple to be triggered by events or by seeing certain objects that are reminders of the old ways and behaviors. In those instances, it can be a lighter that was used for smoking marijuana, or a match strike that smells of sulphur for an addict who used matches to “cook” their drugs before injecting them with a syringe. The sounds of certain types of music can act as a trigger, as can many types of sensory stimuli they are not aware of until they encounter them in a new environment and feel the tug of the old days pulling them back into the addictive behavior.

Relapse prevention is an important factor in treatment for addictions. Without an open awareness of what some of their triggers may be, addicts are left unprepared for meeting and working through those triggers without relapsing into behaviors or even ways of thinking that are going to prevent them from successful abstinence. It is the same parts of the brain that will figure largely into their recovery that are heavily inundated with these types of sensory stimulus. Key to recovery being successful is that they uncover and have contingency plans available for these moments when they are hit hard with old sights, smells, sounds and situations that were inviting for them during that time of life and in those circumstances. It is important for the addicts in recovery to have back up plans available so they can be on guard to the triggers and then to walking away without succumbing to the temptations that will arise when those triggers are met.

Relationships with other recovering persons can be priceless in these situations; because they will inform the newly-recovering addict about how they met and overcame similar circumstances and validate the feelings that come up. A misconception that most newly-recovering addicts have is that the knowledge they have gained about their addiction is adequate to keep them from relapse. This is not the case. When those triggers are met and encountered unawares, they have powerful pull on every addict, whether they have knowledge about their addiction or not. So when they learn that they are not alone in fighting off the temptations faced with those triggers, they have a stronger weapon with which to resist.

Kelly McClanahan has an MSW in clinical social work, with a specialization in substance abuse treatment. Having worked in this field for over 20 years, she is currently working on her certification as an addictions’ counselor.

Feelings are rampant in early recovery. Fear is a big and powerful part of emotional imbalance. So are sorrow, anger, remorse, guilt, and general feelings of free-floating anxiety about what will come, what has gone happened during active addiction, and what is going to happen as a result of these situations.

It may seem that all of your emotions are present at once, making their presence known in different ways. It is possible that sleeplessness and tension will manifest because the calming influence of medication is eliminated in recovery. It feels like it will never end, but it usually does and it usually will. How does one get through the initial discomfort of emotional disregulation that is part and parcel of early recovery?

Learning to identify and talk about these feelings is the first step toward living with them. Historically, it was necessary to drown them in alcohol or shove them aside with drugs. It does not work, and now they have become overwhelming in their demands for attention. Talk therapy, even with an understanding and compassionate friend, is the beginning of welcoming feelings back into our experience. There is tremendous freedom in admitting that feelings are new to us and uncomfortable, even pleasurable ones. Learning to identify what is being felt can be an empowering and exciting new way of beginning as well.

Sayings in recovery settings, such as “Feelings are not facts” indicate the need for allowing feelings to come up and through our experience. They don’t need to dictate how we behave or respond, certainly reaction is not a necessary way to deal with emotions. They come and they go, if we allow them to. When we ignore or deny them, they have a tendency to build up inside until we are forced to acknowledge that we are feeling something. Rather than allow emotions to drive our lives to the brink of exploding or imploding back into old behaviors of active addiction, it is simpler and less dangerous to feel, identify, express and release emotions. This sounds daunting to those who have spent vast amounts of time and money keeping them at bay. With practice and patience, however, it becomes more comfortable and easier to do.

Begin with the most prevalent of your feelings. Identify one or two, such as anger and fear. You could say to yourself, “I am feeling anger right now. I am not sure what to do about it, but I am going to allow it to be my feeling right now. I am also feeling afraid or fear. I am going to talk to someone about this feeling, because I do not know what else to do about my fear and my anger. Perhaps they can help me get through those feelings.”

This is the tiniest of beginnings, but will make a large difference in your life, as you learn to look at your feelings and hold them as not being a part of you. You are not your angry feelings, nor are you those feelings of fear. They are just feelings, not a piece of your identity. Chances are good that they will pass after some time of acknowledging and feeling them, talking to someone about them, and perhaps exploring what is bringing those feelings to you at this time. Checking out from feelings is not necessary any longer; you are now in the process of recovery.

Kelly McClanahan has an MSW in clinical social work, with a specialization in substance abuse treatment. Having worked in this field for over 20 years, she is currently working on her certification as an addictions’ counselor.

Recovery from addiction can seem like a never-ending process, and so it is, from a standpoint of healing. Life is a never-ending learning and growing process, so it is with healing. Because recovery embraces all of the addicts’ life, both before and after they enter recovery, it will be never ending. That does not need to be as daunting as it may sound. Healing is a circular and spiral process at the same time, not a linear one. As recovery deepens over time, the recovering person will come to the same issues and hit the same brick walls they came into the recovery process with.

While these issues will certainly heal, the process will bring them back into focus again and again, for deeper and more significant healing. As recovery goes on, the same person will address their important emotional growth on deeper and more significant levels each time they work through the same troubles that were present for them in their addiction.

As an example, if Henry has had trouble with intimacy before his recovery, he will become more and more involved in intimate relationships with others as his recovery progresses. If he is stable in maintaining his growth and development in recovery, he will address the need to develop deeper intimacy in these same relationships, as well as any others that may come along. Long term relationships develop deeper intimacy as they go along, so will Henry’s need to learn to go deeper into the intimacy of relationships. This is something that he could not come to terms with in his addiction. The longer he remains in recovery, the greater his ability to go deeper into intimacy with others will become. Therefore, the never-ending process has rewards that are a part of, but separate from, his recovery. Due to his recovery, Henry will be able to address his issues with intimacy in ways that he would never have dreamed possible. This is true for all who are in recovery, no matter what their issues may be.

Healing in a circular pattern means that we will come back to the point of the issue with certain things in our lives over and over, not necessarily on a predictable basis or pattern, but repeatedly as we deepen our strengths in other areas as well. The spiral pattern means that we will come closer and closer to the core of who we dream of being and closer and nearer to our heart centers as we grow. The energetic patterns of all matter are circular and spiral, such as the movement of the Earth around the Sun and other orbits, such as the helix of an atom. If energy is circular and spiral, then it is fitting and appropriate to visualize healing as such. As we grow closer and closer to our heart centers, over time, we will become freer and freer of the old patterns of behavior and belief that were part and parcel of addictions.

Recovery will then become a journey, not the destination some believe it to be. The journey takes us into the realm of our heart centers, which is the center of the circular pattern as well. As we grow deeper and deeper into our hearts, we become more and more healed from the ideas and behaviors that we practiced in our addiction and more and more available to participate, not only in healing and recovery, but in a beautiful life.

Kelly McClanahan has an MSW in clinical social work, with a specialization in substance abuse treatment. Having worked in this field for over 20 years, she is currently working on her certification as an addictions’ counselor.

Recovery is a process for those who have lived an addictive lifestyle. There are behavioral changes that will not happen for long periods of time, if ever for many. Relapse is a common occurrence and honesty does not occur all at once, just because the substance is removed from the addict.

Since the onset of the 12-step recovery programs, there has been a problem for those new to the groups with those who have less than perfect behaviors (which is everyone!). Because they have learned strongly the ways to manipulate and coerce others, this behavior may continue to develop in their recovery. New members may encounter those whose motives are less than sterling.

Women especially may fall prey to men who are less than forthcoming about the reasons they want to date them or see them even for an innocuous sounding cup of coffee. Because both parties have damaged ideas about what constitutes appropriate behavior, feelings may be hurt and someone emotionally damaged in the exchange. This is a frequent occurrence as well.

How to arm newly recovering clients against the possibility of encountering predators (or being one!) in 12-step groups is a challenge for many who work with treatment. There are numerous things that should be taught to clients. The first thing that they need to know is that 12-step groups can, and many do, include members who have done things that are criminal to others. Sometimes there are people who have committed assault on women (or men), convicted rapists, suspected rapists, child molesters, and burglars; perhaps others who have killed someone and served time, and certainly quite a few guilty of dishonesty and stealing, whether caught and convicted or not. These persons are welcomed to 12-step recovery groups, because the nature of the group is one of recovery. It is truly believed, and the idea embraced, in these groups that everyone who wishes to recover and considers themselves a member of the group can be and is.

Being a member of a recovery group does not guarantee that they have changed all of the behaviors that were problematic socially. Many talk a great game in the meetings, seeming quite charming and spiritually centered, but are still perpetrating great dishonesty outside the group, and sometimes with other members. There are stories in abundance about this type of situation. It must be stressed that everyone should be somewhat careful when becoming involved with persons that they do not know. Just because they belong to a group that no longer participates in addictive behavior, or that they say they do, does not mean that they do or that they have ceased all other unacceptable activity. Money still gets stolen from the meetings, clubs and members personally. Cons are perpetrated, and (sadly) people are assaulted by other members. It is
important that new members use discretion and good sound judgment in forming relationships with others in this setting.

Most importantly, it is important that families understand the need for mothers and fathers to be extra careful when taking children to meetings. It is sometimes necessary, but should be avoided as much as possible. They are too young for the language that is frequently used, and they are not able to understand the nature of what is happening anyway. Some meetings will ask them to leave, some have childcare arranged with another member. The stories of children who are hurt, molested and learn things that are inappropriate for them to learn are abundant. Please encourage parents to find alternatives to this practice.

Kelly McClanahan has an MSW in clinical social work, with a specialization in substance abuse treatment. Having worked in this field for over 20 years, she is currently working on her certification as an addictions’ counselor.

A Panic Attack is an extreme stage of fear that happens for no perceptible reason and is illustrated by the following symptoms, though you only need to experience four of them to categorize your situations as a panic attack:

The symptoms are shortness of breath or smothering sensation; dizziness, unsteady feelings or faintness; accelerated heart rate; trembling or Shacking; numbness or tingling sensations in fingers, toes or lips; chest pain; flushes or chills; fear of going crazy; fear of becoming seriously ill; sweating; choking and nausea.

Feelings of unreality are part of a Panic Attack 

If you experience an attack with fewer than four of the above symptoms is called a limited symptom attack. Panic attacks have different time frames; they can build gradually over a period of several minutes or hours or strike very suddenly. While they can last from a few minutes to several days, most usually don’t last more than half an hour.

When anxiety or panic is felt regardless of where one is, it is called spontaneous anxiety or spontaneous panic, depending upon the degree of intensity. If the anxiety or panic occurs only in a particular situation, it is called situational or phobic anxiety or panic. If anxiety or panic is triggered by simply thinking of a particular situation, then this is called anticipatory anxiety or anticipatory panic.

People with anxiety-related problems often feel that they are alone and are the only ones that suffer form this problem. Nothing could be further from the truth. According to the National Institute of Mental Health anxiety disorders are the most common mental-health problems in the United States. During any given six months, about 9% or 16 million people in the country will suffer from any of the known anxiety-related problems. Also, during the path of their lives, anxiety-related problems will affect about 14.6% or 26 million people. In line with this statistics, it is very obvious that anxiety problems are not unusual but quite common in the US.