Understanding triggers and cravings
If you’re trying to cut down on chemsex or are quitting and in recovery, it’s important to understand the triggers that would typically lead you back into chemsex. A trigger is something that releases a memory of drug use and can result in intense cravings. Triggers can be external or internal. External triggers can be environmental factors such as certain smells, a hook-up app notification tone, running into someone you know or passing through a neighbourhood where a drug dealer you know lives. Internal triggers are something within you that reminds you of using, like certain emotions or feeling horny.
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How to avoid triggers
- Try to avoid keeping any drugs at home.
- Consider deleting hook-up apps and phone contacts of any chemsex buddies.
- Plan ahead to fill time where you are most likely to want to use, especially at weekends.
How to manage cravings
- Distract yourself – try to find an activity you enjoy or something that occupies your mind, such as physical exercise, cleaning, meeting a friend or going for a walk.
- Do a visualisation exercise – try to visualise your drug use as a TV programme or a movie. Imagine watching yourself using drugs. Then grab the remote and switch to another programme or movie which shows you having a great holiday or being with someone you love.
- Use a fidget toy – some people find that something to fidget with is a good distraction from cravings. A simple and common one is wearing an elastic band around the wrist. Whenever you think about using, stretch and release the rubber band to give yourself a pain stimulus.
- Evoke a strong emotion – thinking about something that brings other thoughts and feelings to the forefront of the mind can help suppress cravings. For example, the state of the world (anger) or spiders (fear).
- Tell someone about it – if you have been triggered and are experiencing intense cravings, this is normal and nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed of. Maybe open up and talk to someone you trust about it.
- Remember cravings don’t last forever – sometimes it can feel like cravings will not go away, but they do. Cravings operate like a wave. At first they rise and get bigger, reaching a peak and then they break, retreat and disappear again.