On Triggers and Playing Detective

Addicts come in many ways. The lonely shell of a human traversing the gutters of the city high on synthetics. The conscious teen making sure to work off every single calorie to stay in shape.

Why?

It doesn’t even feel good anymore. The fleeting high is almost always replaced by substantial regret.

The cycle is endless, but it’s not impossible to get out of. You just have to stop it at its source.

The afflicted may be chasing the feeling of euphoria, but that’s not what makes getting high a habit.

Sometimes it’s the simple act of turning the knob to the closet for the workout fiend. Once reaching in to grab their shoes. That’s the trigger for running until they pass out.

For the drug hound, it may be as simple as feeling the smooth metal in their pocket. Or taking off their backpack to unzip it.

The key is the source and sometimes you need to do a little sleuthing to find it.

Try removing certain steps of the process up to the act of addiction.

Hide the tourniquet you use to tie your veins up tight. Throw out your running shoes.

If you still find yourself afflicted, go a step further.

Remove the knob from your door or sew your pockets shut.

There’s one small twig that always breaks the camel’s back and it’s all bad news from there.

Find your triggers. Remove them from the equation and see if it’s solved.

After all, addiction is just a very cemented habit.