Dallas BraggFormer crystal methamphetamine user, I help men who have sex with men break free from the addictive patterns associated with Chemsex. Currently expanding my expertise by seeking to become a Certified

Triggered by the good things in life. #relapseprevention #addictionandrecovery

5 Jan 2024 · 1 min

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In this brief talk, Dallas Bragg shares a personal insight from his early recovery journey: achieving positive milestones—such as sobriety anniversaries, new jobs, or graduation—can paradoxically trigger cravings for substance use. He attributes this to dopamine surges that the brain links to drug use and to a lowered sense of vigilance when life feels stable. Bragg recommends proactively incorporating these positive moments into a relapse‑prevention safety plan: inform trusted people about the milestone, schedule unavoidable social commitments, attend an extra meeting, or otherwise create concrete accountability. He invites listeners to suggest additional strategies to strengthen the plan.

Chapters

You know, when I was in early recovery, I was actually triggered by positive events in my life, not the negative ones. It could have been a milestone of sobriety, a new job, graduating from drug treatment. The accomplishment of the goal that I had been working toward made me want to get high. Scientifically, I think that has something to do with the dopamine release in your brain and the brain wanting to elevate that even more, and it associates dopamine with The substance. But I also think it has to do with letting your guard down. Because in the back of your mind, you think you don't have to be so vigilant anymore. Everything's going along fine, and you kind of forget about relapsing. One of the best alternatives for this goes back to every relapse strategy, which is a safety plan. Put a plan in place when— for when something really positive happens. It could be letting certain people know that you've reached a milestone, committing to a social event that you can't get out of. Going to an extra meeting if that's your thing. Or what would you add to this list?