What are triggers and what do they have to do with drug abuse or addiction?
For people dealing with opioid dependence or drug addiction—including those in recovery—a trigger is a situation, a person, a memory, or a feeling that triggers the urge to use drugs. Stressful situations are a common trigger, but each person has his or her own factors that trigger substance abuse behaviors. There is no way to know ahead of time what details the brain has stored from any particular situation. But whatever they are, when those circumstances are encountered in the future, they can trigger memories of the good feelings produced by opioid misuse in the past, and, often, a desire—in the form of drug cravings or urges—to recreate that experience. The technical term for these memories is “conditioned associations,” but most people familiar with opioid dependence refer to them as triggers. Get confidential e-mails that can help support you as you work to reach your treatment goals. Get support now.
