Three Huge Triggers for People in Recovery
By Mark Gladden — Published: 2024-02-02 — Updated: 2026-07-11
Categories: Sober Living
Everyone in recovery has triggers, which are small or large things that cause them to want to get high, drunk, or act poorly. These are things like situations or emotions (sometimes subtle) that caused you to use in the past. Because drinking or using drugs was your reaction in the past, when these situations happen to you as a newly sober person, you may feel triggered.
Understanding Triggers
Here’s how triggers work. Sally is a newly recovering alcoholic. She might feel a desire to drink when she passes the bar she used to go to every Friday night. She may be triggered on payday, when she used to spend part of her paycheck on a trip to the liquor store. When Sally gets in an argument with her spouse, her first reaction used to be to take a drink to “calm her nerves”.
Now that Sally is sober, she has to learn to understand and cope with her triggers.
3 Huge Triggers to Watch Out For
- Boredom: If you’re bored, you’re not moving forward. It’s time to find new hobbies and learn how to have fun in recovery. Start socializing with others in recovery. Go to sober events and explore meetings. When you find yourself getting bored, make it a point to start scheduling activities like going out with your friends or spending some time meditating.
- Loneliness: Loneliness is as dangerous as boredom, and it can creep up on you. When you’re new in recovery, it’s easy to feel lonely and overwhelmed. You are making new fsober riends by now, but it's still hard sometimes. Try to reach out to your sponsor and others in recovery if you’re feeling lonely. Go to a meeting when you’re feeling lonely. You may feel lonely, but you’re never alone. People want to help you stay clean and sober.
- Complacency: You’re skipping your aftercare meetings because you prefer to spend the morning in bed. You decide that instead of going to AA meetings every night, you’ll go every other night. You put your step work under a pile of magazines. When you bail on your obligations, you make yourself and recovery vulnerable to relapse. Do the work and keep the promises to yourself.
These are three big triggers for people who are new to recovery. Don't let boredom, loneliness, or complacency grab ahold of you. Instead, share with others where you're at in life. Go to as many 12-step meetings as you're capable, and don't pick up a drink or a drug. Take it a day at a time.
A structured sober living environment addresses all three of these triggers directly. A daily schedule fills the hours that boredom exploits, peer housemates combat loneliness, and clear house rules create the accountability that stops complacency in its tracks.
Looking for Sober Housing
Some people know they need extra support after finishing treatment. At By the Sea Recovery in San Marcos, we offer a structured, supportive sober living home for men in North County San Diego — designed to help you stay accountable, connected, and sober.
Check Availability or call 760-216-2077 to learn more about your options.
Tags: boredom, complacency, housing, loneliness, sober, triggers
Ready to take the next step? Call By the Sea Recovery at 760-216-2077 or contact us online.