Use a Pen to Fight Your Triggers

One of the most helpful tools in 12-step recovery programs is the daily written inventory of what you did well that day, where you could improve, and if there is anything you need to set right with an apology or other action.

This practice can be extremely useful when you're learning how to cope with "triggers" – people, situations or foods that create an emotional response. For people recovering from anorexia, bulimia, food addiction or emotional eating, the first response to being triggered is to use their unhealthy eating behaviors.

By keeping a written record of what triggers you and bringing that to a therapy session or group, you can ask for help to learn how to change your default response and develop healthier coping mechanisms.

A therapist can take you through a role play where you actually rehearse what you will say or do differently the next time that situation comes up. You may also spend time looking deeper into what it is that triggered you in the first place. That awareness can be an important element of the healing process.

Your therapist can help you create a physical symbol of recovery so you can focus on that object until the trigger passes. I've known people to use a picture created in a therapy session, a stone or shell, a word or quote, a medallion or jewelry or even a pen with their name on it. This transitional object can effectively bridge the gap between the work done with the therapist and the triggering stimuli that takes place in everyday life.

The scariest thing about triggers is anticipating them. The first step towards gaining control over them is to capture them on paper and bring them down to size. Right then – triggers begin to lose their power.