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