Triggers are the invisible hands that push you toward relapse. They can hijack your brain chemistry, emotions, and decisions before you notice.
In this episode, Matt shows you how to anticipate triggers, outsmart them, and transform them into fuel for freedom—using science, strategy, and spirit.
You’ll learn:
- The habit-loop mechanics of triggers
- The inner vs. outer trigger map
- The 5 Dimensions of Triggerability (a dashboard for risk)
- Why biochemical repair can shut down cravings fast
- The 6-step path to becoming untriggerable
- A complete toolkit: nutrients, journaling prompts, breathwork, recovery capital, emergency plans
🎙️ Matt’s Story: Supplements & Social Triggers
Cravings once felt like a monster inside me—biochemical slavery. Then I tried targeted nutrients (Apex Energetics Dopatone + Gabatone) and within 48 hours the physical cravings were gone.
But a deeper threat remained: social triggers. My world revolved around using—friends, hangouts, rituals. Even with cravings quiet, the environmental gravity was strong. The life-saving choice? I left the friend group. Not out of superiority—out of self-preservation.
Lesson: Biochemistry matters. Environment matters. Both inner and outer triggers matter. Real recovery addresses both.
🔍 What Are Triggers, Really?
Definition: Triggers are desire activators—internal states or external cues that lower defenses and amplify craving.
- Visible: a friend offers a drink; a dealer texts; an ad
- Invisible: a smell, low serotonin/GABA, euphoric recall
“The attempt to escape from pain is what creates more pain.” — Gabor Maté
Inner vs. Outer
- Inner: low dopamine/serotonin/GABA/endorphins; HALT (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired); anxiety, boredom, grief
- Outer: bars, parties, media glamorization, neighborhoods, people, objects/rooms linked to using
They interact. Low blood sugar (inner) + walking past your old bar (outer) = stacked trigger.
🧠 The Science: Habit Loop & Biochemistry
Habit Loop (Duhigg):
- Cue → 2) Craving → 3) Response → 4) Reward
With repetition, the cue itself fires the craving.
Biochemical lens:
- Low dopamine → seek stimulation
- Low GABA → seek sedation
- Low serotonin → seek escape/comfort
- Low endorphins → seek pain relief
Why willpower fails: You’re fighting biology with psychology. Balance the chemistry, and the cue loses bite.
“Between stimulus and response there is a space… in that space is our power.” — Viktor Frankl
📊 The 5 Dimensions of Triggerability (Your Recovery Dashboard)
- Quantity — How many triggers at once?
- Quality — How intense is each one?
- Duration — How long is it hitting?
- Recovery Capital — Your physical/psych/social/spiritual reserves
- Law of the Vacuum — Have you replaced the old rewards?
Use case:
Low sleep + payday + invite from old friends (Quantity high; Quality high; Duration 2 hrs; Capital low; Vacuum 2/10) = High relapse risk.
Upgrade capital + preplanned replacements = Risk collapses.
🧭 Inner Triggers: Hidden Alerts of Body & Mind
HALT (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired) = flashing sirens.
Neurotransmitters on empty = craving machine.
Silent assassins: vague unease, restless boredom, euphoric recall.
Reframe: Inner triggers are messages:
- Feed me, Rest me, Calm me, Connect me, Love me.
“Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your unguarded thoughts.” — Buddha
🌐 Outer Triggers: The World That Pulls You Back
Neon bars, curated media, persuasive ads, old neighborhoods, people (mirror neurons), and even rooms/objects can cue memory and chemistry.
Osmosis effect: Your five closest people shape your baseline. Upgrade the circle, upgrade your sobriety.
Outsmarting outer triggers:
- Change routes & rooms; clear objects; limit glamor media
- Time-box exposures; stack support on risky days
- Build a recovery-aligned social ecosystem
🛡️ The Path to Becoming Untriggerable — 6 Steps
- Awareness — Map your Achilles’ heel (inner + outer).
- Prevention — Design the environment; lower baseline stress.
- Plan Ahead — Strategy before urgency (events, payday, holidays).
- Objectivity — “This is a trigger. It will pass.” (urge-surfing)
- CANEI — Constant And Never-Ending Improvement.
- Mastery — Triggers become teachers.
“The wound is the place where the light enters you.” — Rumi
🕊️ Spiritual & Philosophical Tools
- Buddhism: 3 Poisons → 3 Antidotes (Attachment→Generosity, Aversion→Loving-kindness, Ignorance→Wisdom).
- Serenity Prayer: Accept / Change / Discern.
- Presence over escape: What you embrace, transforms (Tolle).
- Stoicism: We suffer more in imagination than reality (Seneca).
- Christian Mysticism: Renewal of mind and surrender.
- Indigenous Wisdom: Balance self–nature–spirit–community.
Shift: “Oh no, a trigger” → “Ah, a teacher. What is this asking me to heal?”
🧰 Practical Toolkit & Resources
🧪 Biochemical Repair (consult your provider)
- Dopamine: L-Tyrosine, Mucuna; products like Dopatone
- GABA/Calm: L-Theanine, Magnesium Glycinate; Gabatone
- Serotonin: 5-HTP, Tryptophan, Saffron
- Endorphins: DL-Phenylalanine (DLPA)
- Foundations: Omega-3, B-Complex, Vitamin D, protein + stable blood sugar
📓 Trigger Log (3 min/day)
- Cue? Feeling? Location? People?
- Rate 5 Dimensions of Triggerability (0–10 each)
- What helped? What to prep next time?
🧘 Mindfulness + Breath (2–5 min)
- Urge Surfing: watch the wave rise/fall
- Box Breathing: 4-4-4-4
- Body Scan: name sensations; soften
🏃 Movement
10–20 minutes: walk, mobility, yoga flow, stairs. Natural dopamine/serotonin/endorphins.
🧑🤝🧑 Recovery Capital Builders
Sleep, whole-food meals, hydration, therapy/coaching, supportive friends, safe spaces, prayer/meditation/service.
🌀 Replacement Rituals (Law of the Vacuum)
- Evening tea/elixir, sauna/bath, journaling, creative outlet, nature time, NA spirits (non-alc), community events.
🚨 Emergency Kit (on phone + in bag)
- 3 people to call; prewritten why I’m sober note
- Breath app playlist; walk route; replacement snack/drink
- If–Then card: If X happens, I do Y
📚 Books & Mentors:
- The Power of Habit — Charles Duhigg
- Dopamine Nation — Anna Lembke, MD
- In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts — Gabor Maté, MD
✍️ Action Plan + Worksheets (Copy/Paste into Notes)
A. My Top 10 Triggers (Inner/Outer)
1–10: _______________________________
B. Triggerability Score (0–10 each)
- Quantity: __ Quality: __ Duration: __
- Recovery Capital: __ Vacuum Replacement: __
Today’s Risk Summary: __________________
C. If–Then Plan (write 3)
- If _________ then I will __________.
- If _________ then I will __________.
- If _________ then I will __________.
D. Replacement Rewards Menu (at least 10)
- ______ 2) ______ 3) ______ 4) ______ 5) ______
- ______ 7) ______ 8) ______ 9) ______ 10) ______
E. 7-Day Recovery Capital Sprint
- Sleep hrs: __ Protein servings: __ Water: __
- Movement (min): __ Mindfulness (min): __
- Connection (call/text/meeting): __
💬 Pull Quotes
“Triggers aren’t moral failures; they’re energetic and biochemical events.”
“If you don’t replace, you relapse.”
“You can’t fight biology with willpower alone—stabilize the chemistry.”
“When triggers become teachers, freedom gets inevitable.”
🎛️ Episode Credits
- Host: Matt Finch
- Series: Strategic Recovery™
- Episode: 17
- Theme: Triggers, Habit Loop, Biochemical Repair, Spiritual Tools
- Length: ~ 46:13
❓ FAQ
Q: How do I know if a trigger is inner or outer?
A: Start with the body (HALT, mood, sleep). If your state is off, inner is primary; if the cue came from environment/people/media, outer is primary. Often it’s both—log it.
Q: I can’t avoid certain outer triggers (work events, family). Now what?
A: Increase Recovery Capital beforehand, bring replacements, attend with an ally, time-box, and pre-plan an exit. Debrief afterward in your journal.
Q: Supplements helped, but I still feel pulled back.
A: That’s normal. Biochemistry stabilizes urges, but environment + identity must shift. Upgrade your circle, room cues, routes, and daily rituals.
🙏 Thank you for being part of the Strategic Recovery community.
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