Riding the Craving Waves
Creating a Relapse Trigger Inventory
Multiple situations can “trigger” a craving or urge to relapse into acting. This can be sexually acting out, unfaithfully or through the Internet. The topic today is all about riding the “craving wave” and exploring your relapse trigger inventory. It is important to actively participate in this exercise, and give yourself permission to fill in all the questions.
An inventory is a way to “take stock” or “make a list”. The following is a practical exercise for both people struggling with addiction and those that support them.
Exercise 1: Rank each potential relapse situation from most difficult to manage to least difficult to manage. (1 most and 5 least difficult) don’t be afraid to add your own personal situations.
- Social Pressures
-Emotions
-Work Situations
- Romance
-Physical Condition
-Celebrations
-Specific People
- Places or Things
-Other:________________
Exercise 2: For each potential relapse situation, rank each trigger from most difficult to manage to least difficulty to manage. (1 most and 5 least difficult) don’t be afraid to add your own personal situations.
-Social Phobia
-Boredom
-Stress
-Time Alone
-Sexual Impulse
-Arguments with loved one
- Seeing someone you desire
-Activity that reminds you of it..
-Other:________________
These are two exercises that will help you start to take an inventory about your relationships with sex addiction and/ or pornography addiction. This is a great starting point to offer you a insight into your own behaviors with sex and pornography.
After completing the previous exercises. The next step I would start to help you with is building more awareness and specifically ways to create a relapse prevention plan.
Dr. Ryan is a clinical psychologist that specializes in addiction and sexual awareness. He is a expert in the perils and pitfalls of pornography addiction. Please contact him at ryan@healingsouls.com or 952-261-5269. You can visit his website to schedule a 30 minute complementary consultation via the phone.
