How to identify your game triggers

Shortly

A trigger is a situation or condition after which the probability of playing increases sharply. You can see them if you slow down the moment of selection and keep minimal records. Your task: in 1-2 weeks to collect a personal card "that includes me," and then set up barriers and replacements for each type.

1) What are triggers: 4 classes

1. People - who do you start/continue with more often (friends, streamers, chat).

2. Places - physical and digital (loneliness at home, bed at night, certain sites/applications).

3. Conditions - emotions and physiology (boredom, anger, euphoria, anxiety, fatigue, alcohol, lack of sleep).

4. Events - external reasons (salary, promotional push, "almost-victory," sports broadcast, quarrel).

Principle: the trigger does not "make" play - it increases the probability. Our goal is to make this influence visible and manageable.

2) Samotest to start (2 minutes)

Check the box what happens more than 1-2 times a week:

Night attempts to "finish "/" return "
Playing after alcohol/strong emotions
Clicks after fluffs/mailings/streams
"Empty windows" (boredom, waiting)
Disputes/conflicts → "go to the game"
Salary/bonus → "check luck"
Sports/events → "for the sake of interest"

Count ≥3 - begin 14-day follow-up (below).

3) Instrument No. 1: diary "STOP-5" (60-90 seconds)

After each pulse/session, fill in the line:

Trigger: People/Place/State/Event (Short)
Thought: what flashed ("I will return," "there is a game," "I will miss a chance")
Emotion 0-10: euphoria/anger/anxiety/boredom
Replacement: water/walk 10 min/call/shower/breath 4-2-6
Bottom line: played/did not play; +/-

💡 Important: honesty> ideality. Even 5-7 records a week already show the picture.

4) Tool No. 2: "Matrix L-M-S-S"

Make a table with 4 columns:

People	Places	States	Events

Fill in at the end of the day 2-3 points that met. Mark "" opposite what was accompanied by strong craving (≥6/10) or real game. In a week, you will see clusters (for example, "night + loneliness + push").

5) Instrument No. 3: "emo-temperature" scales

Before the session/at the moment of traction, evaluate three axes (0-10):

Euphoria (excitement)
Anger/irritation
Alarm/voltage

Rule: if at least one scale> 5 there are no → bets today, turn on the timeout 24-72 h. This will very quickly highlight trigger emotions.

6) 14-day diagnostic plan

Days 1-3. Basic data collection

Turn on the reality-check timer for 25-30 minutes (reminder "how do I feel/why do I play? »).

Start "STOP-5" and Matrix L-M-S-C.

Turn off "quick deposits" and promo fluffs (so triggers are visible, not masked by speed).

Days 4-7. First patterns

Calculate which 3-5 triggers were more common.

For each - come up with a replacement and barrier (see § 8).

Spend one "control evening" without screens an hour before bedtime.

Days 8-14. Hypothesis testing

Test: remove 1-2 key triggers from the environment (for example, a night phone to another room, a block of expanding streams).

Evaluate the thrust and frequency of the inputs.

Bottom line: make a TOP-5 of personal triggers and a plan for the month.

7) Signs of hidden triggers

Cascade "three in one": for example, "salary → meeting friends → night."

Micro-anchors: music/smell/drive home where "always included app."

Cognitive trigger words: "finish," "today is my day," "a little bit."

Body: hunger, dehydration, fatigue (often disguised as "craving").

8) How to defuse different types of triggers

A. People

Risk: "X plays with me," "chat warms up."

Barrier: softly pause from joint sessions; mute/anfollow trigger chat channels.

Replacement: "partner of responsibility" (friend to whom you send the result: time/result, without details of bets).

B. Seats

Risk: bed at night, "gaming corner," specific sites.

Barrier: Phone charges in another room; Freedom/Cold Turkey/LeechBlock blocker, domain whitelist.

Replacement: reading table/laptop only for study after 22:00; ritual "tea + book 10 min."

C. Conditions

Risk: boredom, anger after conflict, euphoria after victory, anxiety.

Barrier: emo-scale rule:> 5/10 → timeout 24-72 h.

Replacement: breathing 4-2-6 × 6 cycles, shower/walk, "quick replacements" (list of 5 items in sight).

D. Events

Risk: salary, sports event, promotional letters, "almost victory."

Barrier: auto transfer of part of the salary to a "non-removable" account; mail filters; disabling autospins/turbo; time limit per session.

Replacement: "payday night" plan with no screens; watch sports with a "bet on knowledge" (summary, without money) or in a company where they do not place bets.

9) Constructor "Barrier + Replacement"

For each trigger, complete:

Trigger: ________
Signal (as I know it): thought/emotion/place/push
Barrier (what prevents you from turning on): block, limit, delay, whitelist
Substitution (what do I do instead): 10-min activity/contact/task
Support: to whom I write/send a screen when the barrier is triggered

Example:

Trigger - night, phone in bed.
Signal - yawning, tape scrolling.
Barrier - the phone charges in the corridor, "night silence" 23: 00-08: 00.
Replacement - audiobook 10 min + breathing.
Support - message to the responsibility partner "offside."

10) Checklist "3 minutes before the session"

Emo scales ≤5/10 on all axes
Time/loss limits are set, reality check every 25-30 min
Whitelisting markets/games, no "new"
Exit plan (ritual) recorded
First calendar pause in 25-30 min

If at least one item is "no" - reschedule the session.

11) "Red zone" markers (high-risk triggers)

Night sessions, alcohol, conflicts, big wins/" almost-wins."

Attempts to raise limits "today."

Stealth (erasing history, secret deposits).

Action: timeout 24-72 hours, blocks per device, conversation with a loved one/specialist.

12) Weekly review (15 minutes)

Answer 5 questions:

1. TOP-3 trigger of the week?

2. Which replacement worked best?

3. Where the barrier turned out to be too soft - what to strengthen?

4. How many days were there without playing/deposits?

5. What will I prioritize for the next week (1-2 points)?

13) Examples of ready-made "anti-trigger" sets

"Boredom of the evening screen" → Pomodoro 25/5 to read/study + Freedom block of social networks/casino + list of quick replacements on the table.

"Salary" → Automatic transfer of 30-50% to a "non-removable" account + meeting with a friend/sport instead of "good luck evening."

"Euphoria after winning" → Stop-win + partial output of 30-50% profit + timeout 24 hours.

"Anger after the bad bit" → STOP-90 (breathing, water, output) + the rule "no decisions 24 h."

14) When to connect help

Triggers "shoot" more than 3 times a week and bypass barriers.

Debts/stealth/insomnia appeared.

There are anxiety/depression/panic episodes.

Suitable: CBT specialist, mutual assistance groups, debt consultant. With crisis thoughts - emergency services of your country.

15) Withdrawal

The definition of triggers is not psychoanalysis for years, but 1-2 weeks of honest observation + simple tables. Name your "People-Places-States-Events," put up barriers and prepare replacements. The regular weekly review keeps the course, and extinguish the "red" triggers with timeouts and support. So you translate excitement from automatic reaction to a controlled solution.