At some point, and sometimes "out of the blue", you'll be faced with situations that will trigger the urge to relapse or slip. We call these high-risk situations, which can be caused by triggers. Review this Emergency Coping Plan to help you deal with these situations. If you feel the urge, or are tempted to slip:
AVOID the situation. Identify the situations as one in which you'd be tempted to drink. For most, high-risk situations are times of the day, activities, emotions or even people that tempt you to drink or remind you of drinking. Plan how you'll avoid these situations. Plan for alternate activities.
LEAVE the situation. If you find yourself in a high risk situation, leave immediately or contact someone who can help you.
DISTRACT yourself from cravings. If you find yourself in a situation you can't leave and you get a craving, distract yourself from the craving by:
- Thinking about something else, like your Coping Plan or Reward Plan or perhaps how the progress you've made or how your body is healing itself.
- Do something else to distract yourself. Try drinking water or deep breathing exercises.
- Thinking about an upcoming event in your life, such as a vacation.
DELAY acting on the craving If you can't keep your mind off the craving, then make a deal with yourself that you'll wait 15 minutes before you give into the craving. The craving will usually pass in a couple of minutes anyway. If you keep delaying, the craving will go away.
Use SELF TALK A craving may be accompanied by negative thoughts about your ability to resist it. Use positive self talk statements to combat your negative thoughts.
We encourage you to print this document and keep it somewhere handy (such as in your purse, on your fridge, in your wallet, gym bag or desk drawer).
Samantha, Health Educator
