Alcohol is by far the most widely used drug in the United States. You can find a drink almost anywhere you go, from restaurants to family gatherings, sporting events to baby showers. Alcohol is a central part of society and a common part of gathering and socializing with others. While not everyone who drinks has an alcohol problem, alcohol addiction is also a widespread and ongoing issue for millions of Americans.
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 137.4 million people, or nearly half the population ages 12 or older, reported having at least one drink in the past month. Of those individuals, 29.5 million people, or 10.5%, have an alcohol use disorder (AUD), meaning they have a chronic alcohol problem and continue drinking despite the negative social, occupational, or health consequences that occur.
Thankfully, AUD is a treatable condition, and recovery is possible. Although millions of people experience alcohol use disorder every year, thousands also manage to establish and maintain recovery. Alcohol use disorder is a chronic, relapsing condition, though, which means it requires ongoing intentional work to manage triggers and prevent relapse.
Learning and incorporating effective strategies to identify and work through your triggers is crucial for preventing relapse and maintaining recovery. One important component for millions in recovery is outpatient addiction treatment. These programs help you build a solid foundation for your recovery and equip you with the coping skills and tools to prepare for and manage the inevitable triggers that will arise.
Continue reading to learn more about alcohol use disorder, managing triggers, preventing relapse, and the outpatient alcohol addiction treatment programs that can help you start your journey.
What are Triggers?
The American Psychological Association defines triggers as stimuli that elicit a physical or psychological reaction, such as a bad memory that causes a negative emotional response. In the context of alcohol use disorder, triggers are situations, experiences, or memories that cause an intense and overwhelming desire to drink.
Some are predictable, like driving past an old bar you used to go to often or going through a breakup. Others are more subtle, like an unexpected song on the radio or a smell that reminds you of old memories. There are two main types of triggers for alcohol use disorder:
- External triggers: External triggers include things like environmental cues, social situations, or stressors. Some examples of external triggers are spending time around people who are drinking, stopping by a friend’s house where you used to drink a lot, or the sound of a can cracking open.
- Internal triggers: Internal triggers are more psychological, including emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations. Examples of internal triggers include the emotional distress that comes after a big argument with a loved one, feeling lonely or misunderstood, or feeling stressed about work or money.
Triggers are an inescapable part of the recovery process. No matter how long you go without a drink, you will find things that pop up out of nowhere and test your recovery. If you want to avoid relapse, you must learn to identify, understand, and cope with these inevitable stimuli. Though they often come up even years after your last drink, the more you prepare for them the better equipped you will be to handle them when they arise.
Understanding Relapse
Alcohol use disorder is a medical condition characterized by problematic drinking behaviors that lead to growing consequences and significant distress. It is a chronic, relapsing condition, so relapse is an unfortunate but common experience for many people who attempt to quit drinking.
Similar to other conditions like heart disease or asthma, there is no “cure” for AUD. People enter remission for these conditions, but there is always the chance that it may return as strong as it was before. Similarly, you can stop drinking for weeks, months, or even years, but the chance that you can return to drinking normally is unlikely. Your brain may trick you into thinking that you can control your drinking and lead you to relapse.
Relapse rates for AUD are similar to those for other chronic medical conditions, around 40 to 60%. Thankfully, much like other chronic illnesses, developing and following a treatment plan can lead to long-term recovery. There are steps you can take to recognize the thoughts that precede a relapse and prepare a plan for when they arise.
The Role of Outpatient Alcohol Addiction Treatment
Outpatient alcohol addiction treatment is a crucial part of the recovery process for thousands of people each year. These programs provide high-quality mental health and addiction recovery services three to five days per week for two to three hours per day. Outpatient programs are designed to help people overcome AUD and remain in recovery while still maintaining their daily responsibilities. They work with you to develop a treatment plan, learn strategies for managing triggers, and put those into practice in your daily life so you can prevent relapse. What is the role of outpatient AUD treatment?
Separate You From Alcohol
The first step of any alcohol addiction treatment program is to separate you from alcohol. Treatment approaches are not effective if you are still drinking. You must eliminate alcohol before you can start any effective outpatient AUD program. If you find you cannot quit drinking on your own, you may require medical assistance to separate from alcohol before you attend outpatient alcohol addiction treatment.
Realizing the Risk of Relapse
Many people come to treatment hopeful and confident they will never drink again. Perhaps you have reached a dark enough rock bottom that you feel drinking again is almost impossible. However, if you have AUD, the chance of relapse is always a possibility. It is unlikely that you will ever be able to safely drink again, no matter how hard your mind may convince you to try.
One of the next steps of outpatient treatment is teaching you to recognize and accept the risk of relapse and the dangers that come with it. Once you understand the weight of your condition, you will be more willing and able to do the work to maintain recovery.
Identifying Personal Triggers
Identifying personal triggers is a key component of any effective outpatient alcohol addiction treatment program. Everyone has a different set of triggers that affects them most and you must identify which external and internal triggers are most challenging for you. This starts with cultivating self-awareness and practicing mindfulness, two skills you will learn in outpatient AUD treatment. These skills come from spending time in both individual therapy and group sessions.
Developing Coping Strategies
Once you understand your triggers, the next step is developing coping strategies to prepare for and manage them when they arise. Similar to triggers, coping strategies are unique for each individual. You must determine which coping strategies are most effective in combating your triggers when they arise. Some examples of healthy coping strategies include:
- Meditation
- Journaling
- Self-reflection
- Deep breathing
- Mindfulness
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Exercise
- Cuddling with your pet
- Going for a walk or a drive
- Socializing with friends
- Spending time with family
Not all of these coping strategies will resonate with you. Your job is to identify which are helpful and which are not as useful. Once you know which coping strategies work best, you can practice making use of them when your triggers arise.
Practicing Your New Skills in Real Life
The greatest benefit of outpatient alcohol addiction treatment programs is the immediacy with which you can practice your new skills. You are not isolated from the real world as you are in an inpatient setting. Instead, you return home after each session and have the opportunity to practice what you learned during your time in treatment that day.
Thankfully, you have multiple sessions throughout the week where you can return and check in with your treatment team, identify areas for improvement, practice your skills, and try again after your sessions. You can quickly determine which strategies work best in real life and which you should discard so you can develop an effective relapse prevention plan immediately instead of waiting until your time in treatment is over.
Local Outpatient Alcohol Addiction Treatment in San Bernardino, CA
Outpatient and Intensive Outpatient treatment and is most effective when you seek a local program near you. These programs are meant to complement your life and integrate with your life so you can learn to live sober without having to leave your responsibilities behind. This means you can still go to work, show up for your family, and spend time with friends while receiving vital treatment, care, and support for overcoming alcohol addiction.
If you are a man in San Bernardino, CA, or the surrounding area, New Origins is an outpatient addiction treatment program that can help you. We provide a path out of the suffering of alcoholism and into the light and freedom of recovery. Through a combination of therapy, counseling, medication-assisted treatment, and ongoing monitoring and follow-up, we help you overcome AUD and create a recovery plan that works for you.
To learn more about outpatient alcohol addiction treatment at New Origins, call us at (855) 984-1788 or submit an online request form and speak with an admissions specialist today!
