Purpose 🎯

Increase awareness of internal and external triggers that contribute to cravings, urges, or substance use.

Let’s Investigate Triggers 🔎

Create two categories with the patient:

• Internal triggers: emotions, thoughts, physical states, memories, stress, boredom, loneliness, or discomfort
• External triggers: people, places, times of day, routines, environments, conflict, access to substances, or social situations

Identify the patient’s highest-risk triggers and the situations where they are most likely to appear.

Building Trigger Responses 💡

For each high-risk trigger, help the patient identify one realistic response, such as leaving the situation, using grounding, calling support, delaying the urge, changing routines, or using a planned coping strategy.

Telehealth / Whiteboard Version 💻

Use a two-column table labeled “Internal Triggers” and “External Triggers.” Add a third column for “Possible Response.”

Why This Works 🌱

Identifying triggers helps patients anticipate risk and practice intentional responses before cravings or substance-use patterns escalate.

Clinical Pearl 🧠

Avoid framing triggers as excuses. Emphasize that trigger awareness increases accountability, preparation, and choice.

Documentation Language 📝

Patient completed a trigger identification activity to increase awareness of internal and external triggers and develop practical responses to high-risk situations.

Clinical Focus: Trigger Awareness, Craving Management, Relapse Prevention