HALT When You are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired

"H.A.L.T. When You're Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired."

Common triggers to relapse are hunger, anger, loneliness, and exhaustion. Instead of eating when hungry, addicts tend to turn to their addictive substance or behavior of choice. Instead of dealing with their anger, addicts tend to try to escape with their drug or addictive behavior of choice. Instead of connecting with someone else when lonely or resting when tired, addicts fool themselves into thinking they can press on so long as they have a "drink or two" which turns into three, and four, and....

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To-do:

Every time you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired, HALT and address that symptom appropriately. Don't do anything else until that need is taken care of. Think ahead by carrying a bag of peanuts, knowing your sponsor's and friends' numbers, and knowing where to get rest. Deal with these triggers preemptively by creating a good timetable for daily nutrition, exercise, rest, and group support. You can deal positively with unpleasant feelings!