At five months, you have something you didn't have in early recovery: data. You know which situations are actually high-risk for you — because you've lived through some of them. You know which emotional states precede craving. You know which people make things harder and which make them easier. You know what your early warning signs look like.
This data is the raw material for a relapse prevention plan that actually works. Not a generic "avoid triggers" framework, but a specific, personalized document that addresses your actual vulnerability map with your actual responses.
TL;DR: A written, specific relapse prevention plan — trigger map with if-then responses, early warning signs, named support contacts with their actual phone numbers, and a response protocol for craving episodes — is one of the most evidence-supported relapse prevention tools available. G. Alan Marlatt's relapse prevention therapy (RPT) framework provides the structure. Five months of lived experience provides the content. The plan needs to be written, shared with one person, and reviewed quarterly.
Why a written plan outperforms mental preparation
The cognitive psychology research is clear: in high-stress, high-craving situations, the prefrontal capacity that supports deliberate decision-making is significantly compromised. In the moment when you need the plan most, your cognitive resources for constructing a response on the fly are least available.
A written plan bypasses this limitation. You don't need to construct the response under pressure — you need to execute one you already have. The plan was built when your thinking was clear; it's accessed when your thinking is under stress. This is the implementation intention research applied directly: specifying the "if X, then Y" response in advance dramatically increases the probability of the planned behavior occurring.
The plan also serves a second function: it externalizes your recovery awareness, making it harder to quietly revise the rules when the situation makes that convenient. A written, shared plan creates a specific accountability layer.
Building the trigger map with five months of data
Your trigger map at month five is substantially richer than the one you might have had at week four. Go through the following systematically:
Situational triggers. What specific situations have produced craving or made using feel tempting? Not in the abstract — be specific. "Professional celebrations with colleagues who used to use with me." "Hotel bars when traveling alone for work." "Being around cocaine when someone else is using." "Friday evenings when I have no plans." List them.
Emotional triggers. Which emotional states have preceded strong cravings in the past five months? Anger? Loneliness? The specific anxiety of high-stakes work situations? Boredom? The elation of success? Be honest about the emotional texture of your highest-risk states.
People-based triggers. Which specific people, in which contexts, create vulnerability? Not "people I used with" generically — which specific people, in what settings? This matters because the same person in a work meeting may be neutral while the same person at a social event is high-risk.
Cognitive patterns. What are the thoughts that most commonly bridge a vulnerable state to a lapse decision? "I've done well enough to deserve this." "This is a one-time exception." "One time won't reset my recovery." "Nobody will know." Identify your specific rationalization patterns — they are predictable and recognizable once named.
The if-then structure: specific responses to specific triggers
For each high-risk category in your trigger map, specify the response:
If I'm at [specific high-risk situation], then I will [specific action]. Not "I'll manage it" — a specific action. Leave after an hour. Stay near my non-using friend. Have the exit text ready to send. Drive myself so I can leave independently. Call [specific name] before I go and after I leave.
If I feel [specific emotional state] and a craving is activated, then I will [specific action]. Physical movement — walk, run, exercise. Text or call [specific person]. Do [specific activity] for 20 minutes and reassess. Wait 30 minutes before making any decision related to the craving.
If I notice [specific cognitive rationalization], then I will [specific action]. Name the thought as a rationalization, not a decision. Text [specific person] that I'm having this thought. Review this plan. Do not act on the rationalization for 30 minutes.
The specificity is the mechanism. "I'll manage it" is not a plan. "I'll text X and tell them what's happening" is a plan.
Who to tell and how to keep the plan current
Tell at least one person. The plan works better if at least one person in your life has read it — knows your high-risk situations, knows your response plan, has been explicitly asked to be a contact when you're in a high-risk state. This person should have your explicit commitment that you'll contact them if you activate your plan, and you should have their explicit agreement to be available for that contact.
This is not about surveillance. It's about having a named, committed support link in your plan rather than a vague "I'll reach out to someone."
Review quarterly. A plan written at month five will need updates at month eight — new situations encountered, adjustments to what has worked, triggers that have shifted. Schedule a specific date to review and revise the plan. Put it in your calendar now.
Keep it accessible. The plan is useless if you can't access it when you need it. Keep a copy where you can reach it from your phone. Know where it is. If you use it, note what worked and what didn't.
A relapse prevention plan is not a guarantee. It's a preparation that dramatically improves your odds in the moments when preparation matters most. Five months of data makes yours better than almost anything you could have built earlier. Write it, share it, keep it current.
Part of the Recovery Reads cocaine series.
Coach Aria — private 12-week cocaine recovery program. coacharia.com/signup