When Stress Strikes: How It Can Trigger Relapse and What to Do About It

Stress is an inevitable part of life. Whether it comes from work, relationships, finances, or significant life changes, we all face stress in different forms. But for individuals in recovery from an eating disorder or substance use disorder (including alcohol), stress can be more than just uncomfortable—it can be a powerful trigger for relapse.

Understanding how stress affects recovery, and more importantly, how to manage it, can make a crucial difference. In this post, we’ll explore why stress is such a potent trigger, common relapse triggers, early warning signs, coping skills, and a crisis plan to help you stay grounded and supported.

Why Stress Can Trigger Relapse

In recovery, your nervous system is still healing. Eating disorders and substance use often develop as a way to cope with difficult emotions or environments. When stress rises, the brain may revert to old wiring—habits that once felt like survival.

Here’s how stress plays a role:

• It activates the fight-or-flight response, making it harder to think clearly or regulate emotions.

• It brings up familiar feelings like shame, fear, anxiety, anger, or lack of control—common drivers of eating disorders or substance use.

• It reduces access to healthy coping strategies, especially if you’re tired, overwhelmed, or unsupported.

Even long into recovery, high stress can make the idea of returning to old behaviors seem tempting or numbing, and even at times, comforting.

Common Triggers for Relapse

Relapse doesn’t usually come out of nowhere. There are often specific people, situations, or feelings that act as triggers—especially under stress. Some of the most common include:

• Conflict: Arguments with family, friends, or partners

• Loneliness or isolation

• Holidays or anniversaries: Including trauma anniversaries or past relapse dates

• Changes in routine: Traveling, starting a new job, moving

• High-pressure environments: School, work deadlines, or competitive settings

• Negative body image or weight changes

• Social comparison (especially on social media)

• Being around substances or people who use them

• Being around people who diet and talk a lot about body image, criticize other people's eating choices, weight, and bodies

• Fatigue, hunger, or illness: When your physical needs aren’t met, mental resilience drops

• Guilt or shame: Feeling like you’re not doing “well enough” in recovery

• Success: Sometimes even good stress (like a promotion) can bring up fear of change or unworthiness

Identifying your specific triggers can help you create a more personalized and proactive recovery plan.

Signs That Stress May Be Leading to Relapse

• Increasing preoccupation with food, weight, or body image

• Skipping meals or bingeing

• Using compensatory behaviors: purging through vomit, overexercising, use of laxatives

• Using diet pills or GLP 1 medications intended for weight loss

• Isolation or pulling away from support systems

• Romanticizing past substance use ("I was calmer when I drank...")

• Cravings or obsessive thoughts about using

• Sleeping too much or not enough

• Feeling “on edge,” numb, or emotionally exhausted

• Lacking accountability and honesty

  
  

If you’re noticing these signs, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means your brain is reaching for help. Let’s give it something better to reach for.

Coping Skills for Stress in Recovery

1. Name the stressor. Sometimes stress lingers in the background. Saying, “I’m overwhelmed because of this deadline” can reduce its power.

2. Use grounding techniques. Try the 5-4-3-2-1 method: name 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste.

3. Create a coping box, cards, or kit. Include things like affirmations, fidget tools, comforting scents, a recovery journal, or a playlist that brings calm.

4. Move your body with intention. Gentle yoga, walking, stretching, or dancing can help release stress without feeding into compulsive behaviors.

5. Connect with someone safe. A therapist, sponsor, recovery friend, or loved one. Connection is often the antidote to both stress and relapse.

6. Write a "stress script." Practice writing down what you want to say to yourself when stressed: “This is hard, but I’ve gotten through hard things before.” A craving is a call for care—not a command.”

Final Thoughts

Relapse doesn’t begin with a drink or a skipped meal—it starts with unmet needs and thoughts that are kept secret. Stress is not a weakness or a sign you’re failing. It’s a cue that you need more support, care, or gentleness.

You deserve a recovery that is flexible, human, and forgiving. Give yourself some grace! and please know that if you’re struggling today, you are not alone—and you are not back at square one. Use your plan, lean into your tools, and reach out. Every time you choose recovery in the face of stress, you rewire your brain for resilience.

At Home For Balance, we believe in the transformative power of the therapeutic relationship to inspire change and effectively manage stress. Our team of dedicated professionals specializes in a wide range of mental health concerns, offering a personalized and holistic approach to healing. Whether you're navigating stress, anxiety, or other challenges, we’re here to support you on your journey to well-being.

Take the first step today—contact us at info@homeforbalance.com or 561.600.1424 to schedule a FREE 30-minute consultation!

Here’s a curated list of books for stress management and relapse prevention, covering both eating disorders and substance use recovery, as well as general emotional regulation and trauma-informed coping. These can be great for personal use or to recommend to a loved one.

📚 Stress Management & Emotional Regulation

1. "The Stress-Proof Brain" by Melanie Greenberg, PhD. A neuroscience-based guide to managing stress, anxiety, and overwhelm through mindfulness and self-compassion.

2. "Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle" by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski. Focuses on how to complete the "stress cycle" and avoid emotional exhaustion—especially for women.

3. "Radical Acceptance" by Tara Brach, PhD. Helps you cope with distress and self-judgment through mindfulness and self-compassion.

4. "Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself" by Kristin Neff, PhD. Teaches how self-kindness can replace the inner critic, which often fuels relapse and disordered behaviors.

5. "The Body Keeps the Score" by Bessel van der Kolk, MD. For those whose stress is rooted in trauma, this book explains the mind-body connection and healing practices.

💪 Relapse Prevention – Substance Use & Alcohol

6. "Staying Sober: A Guide for Relapse Prevention" by Terence T. Gorski and Merlene Miller. A classic in the addiction field, covering the warning signs and how to develop a strong recovery plan.

7. "Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions" by Russell Brand. Personal, irreverent, and honest—a modern take on 12-step recovery for a younger or non-traditional audience.

8. "Beyond Addiction: How Science and Kindness Help People Change" by Jeffrey Foote, PhD, et al. Great for individuals and families—based on CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training).

9. "The Mindful Path to Addiction Recovery" by Lawrence Peltz, MD. Blends mindfulness practices with relapse prevention techniques.

🍽️ Eating Disorder Recovery & Relapse Prevention

10. "8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder" by Carolyn Costin & Gwen Schubert Grabb. Practical, hopeful, and written by a recovered therapist and her client.

11. "Life Without Ed" by Jenni Schaefer. Personifies the eating disorder and teaches how to separate identity from illness—ideal for those in early recovery.

12. "Eating in the Light of the Moon" by Anita Johnston, PhD. Combines storytelling and metaphor to explore emotional eating and body image in a powerful, accessible way.

13. "Sick Enough" by Jennifer L. Gaudiani, MD. A medical guide that helps validate experiences and understand the physical toll of eating disorders.

🧰 Bonus: Interactive Workbooks

14. "The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook" by McKay, Wood, Brantley. Filled with skills for distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and mindfulness—great for relapse prevention.

15. "The CBT Toolbox" by Lisa Dion, LPC. More than 200 tools and worksheets for identifying patterns and replacing them with healthy behaviors.

Below is a FREE PDF to create your "Crisis/Relapse Prevention Plan".

Creating a Crisis Plan.pdf

Download PDF • 4.10MB