“Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.”
— James Thurber
In last week’s reflection, I wrote about “habit slipping” as a factor that can precede relapse. Letting healthy routines slide leaves me feeling unsettled, anxious, and emotionally off balance. With awareness, I recognized another pattern that played a role in past relapses—what I now call “trigger stacking.”
I later learned the term is used in dog-behavior psychology to describe how multiple small stressors accumulate until an animal reacts. The concept applies to people too, especially in recovery.
A trigger in recovery terms is any internal or external stimulus that pulls the mind toward old habits of escape or numbing. In my current sobriety, I do not feel a desire to drink. The memories of past relapses help keep me grounded. But I remain aware of the kinds of situations that once felt like reasons to drink—attempts to avoid uncomfortable emotions or enhance positive ones.
Mindfulness has been essential here. When a trigger arises, I notice it, name it, and let it pass without attaching a story. Staying present allows the trigger to fade instead of building.
In the past, I pushed these feelings away instead of processing them, letting multiple triggers stack on top of each other. Combined with habit slipping, the pressure became overwhelming and led to relapses. A single trigger might have been manageable, but several ignored in a row created danger.
In my recovery now, mindful awareness of thoughts and feelings—pleasant or unpleasant—is necessary. Not dwelling in past regrets or future worries keeps me rooted in the present, where I can make steady choices.