We Should Stop Talking About Triggers

Professional Experience Article

Those of us who are involved in addiction treatment, either as counselors, administrators, or consumers should stop using the word “trigger.” In common usage “trigger” refers to an internal response to an external stimulus – usually something experienced through the senses. The APA calls it “a stimulus that elicits a reaction” (American Psychological Association , 2020). It can be a reminder of previous experiences or something that in the past would have resulted in using the substance or behavior of choice. For someone seeking to establish or maintain a recovery program, a trigger is an unpleasant experience because it can initiate cravings or thoughts of use.

Most people recoil from a trigger and quickly find a way, hopefully positive, to distract themselves. Treatment providers encourage persons experiencing triggers to call a support person, read some recovery literature, take a walk, take a nap, or perform some other self-caring activity. Some respond by choosing an alternative negative behavior – instead of using the drug they suddenly crave; they will eat something unhealthy or engage in connection with someone equally toxic. Others will lose themselves in some technical black hole of scrolling through their phone, playing a video game, or bingeing on a streaming service. A trigger is seen as a negative experience from which one should quickly escape for fear of impulsively using the drug of choice.

A common goal of a treatment plan is to identify triggers and find new ways to manage them. This goal illustrates how triggers are considered a negative factor in substance abuse recovery. The attitude is that triggers are to be avoided and a person with solid recovery will not have any triggers. This attitude eliminates opportunities for self-exploration and growth.

For persons who have experienced trauma, a trigger can be a reminder of events of the past. No one likes to recall these memories and there is a tendency to push them away as quickly as possible with the thing that works best – an addictive substance or behavior. There is a fear of the emotions that arise when events are relived. Triggering a trauma memory can transport that individual from the current moment to the time and place where the event occurred because of a split-second sensory input. That smell, sound, color, touch, or glimpse of an object can stir a person into emotional dysregulation.

No one wants to be reminded of an uncomfortable memory. However, in recent years, the term “trigger” has become ubiquitous and over-used. It has become an excuse to isolate and avoid interaction with others. Some have used the word as an excuse to avoid positive recovery experiences such as twelve-step meetings. And it has become an excuse to relapse. More than one client has told me a relapse occurred because “I was triggered.”

I propose that we change the language and borrow a phrase from Richard Schwartz, developer of the Internal Family Systems model. Let’s substitute the word “trailheads” for “triggers.” A trailhead is the beginning of a trail. It can represent excitement, mystery, and even fascinating. It is the start of a journey of exploration and discovery. Rather than shy away from it in fear of what will be revealed, we are invited to begin exploring and discovering what is beyond on the trail. A trailhead in recovery is an invitation to begin to explore the internal response to an external stimulus. We can encourage others and ourselves to travel this trail of self-discovery and uncover a deeper understanding of our natures.

We should teach the individuals we work with to welcome a trailhead as an opportunity to grow in recovery. Trailheads therefore are not an excuse to return to using but to learn more about oneself and to utilize that information to make changes. Encouraging curiosity and courage to explore a new experience can be growth-producing. And, like the advice given to hikers on many popular trails, including the Appalachian Trail, “don’t go alone.” Taking a trusted person down an unknown trail, whether that person is someone from a support network, a sponsor, or an addiction professional, can make the path safer and friendlier.

Encouraging exploration of a trailhead can be similar to encountering a new path. Mindfully recalling what was happening just before the trailhead was encountered is the start. What do you notice? Do you feel anything in your body? What are your thoughts? These can be shared in a journal or in a conversation and will likely lead to new self-awareness.

So let’s encourage finding trailheads.

Written By: Theresa Ritz, LMHC, MCAP

Theresa Ritz earned a bachelor’s degree from Wheeling Jesuit University, in Wheeling, West Virginia. She earned a Juris Doctorate and a Master’s in Science in rehabilitation counseling from West Virginia University, where she serves as adjunct faculty in that program. She is an LMHC and is certified as a master’s addiction professional. She is clinical director at Footprints Beachside Recovery in Treasure Island and owns a private practice in Clearwater specializing in trauma.