The world is full of triggers, and they can hit us when we least expect them. Maybe it's the distinctive clink of ice in a glass at a restaurant, the familiar scent of a favorite bar as you walk past, or the surge of anxiety during a stressful meeting. These sensory experiences — sounds, smells, feelings — can set off a cascade of automatic responses before we even realize what's happening. Our heart might race, our palms might sweat, and suddenly we're caught in that all-too-familiar urge to drink.
For those trying to change their relationship with alcohol, these triggers can feel like invisible tripwires scattered throughout daily life. Traditional approaches often focus on avoiding triggers or using willpower to resist them. But what if there were a way to actually rewire our brain to process these sensory experiences in the first place?
Enter Sensory Integration Therapy (SIT), a technique pioneered by occupational therapist A. Jean Ayres in the 1970s. Originally developed to help children with sensory processing disorders, SIT has evolved into a powerful method that anyone can use to reshape their response to environmental triggers. At its core, SIT is about retraining the brain to respond more calmly and effectively to sensory input. This science-based approach doesn't just help us cope with triggers, it helps us transform our relationship with them entirely.
The Science Behind SIT
SIT works by exposing the brain to controlled sensory input, helping it learn how to process and respond in a balanced way. First and foremost, it reduces overstimulation by teaching the brain to better filter and process sensory input. Whether it’s loud noise, crowded spaces, or strong smells, overstimulation is a common environmental trigger for stress and alcohol cravings.
In addition to addressing the brain’s sensory information processing, SIT also strengthens emotional regulation. By engaging in sensory activities that soothe the nervous system, we are better equipped to manage emotional triggers without turning to alcohol. Better yet, the benefits add up over time: through regular practice, the brain’s plasticity allows it to form new neural connections and helps us break habitual responses to environmental triggers for good.
But what’s the mechanism behind SIT? A 2016 Frontiers in Neuroscience study suggests that it might have to do with calming the stress response at a biological level by reducing cortisol, the main stress hormone that has been linked to increased alcohol cravings.[1] Let’s take a closer look.
SIT To Lower Stress: What the Research Says
While researching the ways children with autism process sensory experiences, the study’s authors made some fascinating discoveries that shed light on why certain environments may overwhelm many of us — including those trying to change their drinking habits.
The study looked at how our bodies react physiologically to sensory experiences — things we see, hear, smell, and feel. The researchers measured cortisol (often called the "stress hormone") to track the effects of different sensory experiences on the body’s stress levels. They found that people who were more sensitive to sensory input showed higher cortisol levels in challenging situations.
For someone working to drink less, this finding has important implications. Those familiar ice cubes clinking in a glass, the smell of a favorite bar, or the general buzz of a social gathering — these sensory experiences can trigger a measurable stress response in our body before we're conscious of it.
The research also revealed that the more sensitive someone was to sensory input, the more their stress hormones increased in social situations. The study found that higher sensory sensitivity was directly linked to higher stress responses and that this relationship was especially strong in challenging situations. The stress response affected both the body (cortisol levels) and behavior (social engagement).
For those working to change their relationship with alcohol, these findings offer valuable insights.
- Your physical reactions are real. When you feel overwhelmed by certain environments or situations, it's not "all in your head" — your body is having a measurable biological response.
- Sensitivity varies. Some people are naturally more sensitive to sensory input than others. This fact might help explain why certain situations feel more challenging for some than others.
- Stress and triggers connect. The study shows that increased sensitivity to our environment can lead to increased stress responses, which many people report as a trigger for drinking.
Perhaps most encouragingly, this research reminds us that our responses to triggers aren't fixed. Just as our brain can learn to become sensitized to certain experiences, it can also learn new patterns of response. This neuroplasticity — our brain's ability to form new connections — means that, with practice and the right tools, we can develop healthier responses to previously challenging situations.
Using Sensory Integration Therapy To Manage Triggers
Understanding the science behind the ways our body responds to sensory triggers can help us approach these challenges with more self-compassion and more effective strategies. Rather than seeing triggers as insurmountable obstacles, we can view them as natural biological responses that, with awareness and practice, we can learn to navigate more successfully.
You can integrate elements of sensory integration therapy into your routine to manage environmental triggers more effectively. Here are some tips to get started.
1. Identify your sensory triggers.
Pay attention to which environments tend to trigger stronger sensory responses for you. Is it loud spaces? Certain smells? Particular social settings?
Knowing your sensory triggers allows you to prepare proactively for situations that might be challenging. This might mean choosing quieter venues or taking breaks from overwhelming environments.
2. Engage in calming sensory activities.
Incorporate activities that engage your senses in soothing ways. For example, try using weighted blankets for deep pressure, aromatherapy to calm the sense of smell, or textured objects to engage touch.
3. Create a sensory-friendly space.
Design a space in your home or workspace that minimizes environmental triggers and promotes relaxation. Use soft lighting, calming sounds, and comfortable textures to create an environment where your brain can reset when feeling overstimulated.
4. Use sensory tools during high-stress moments.
When faced with an overstimulating environment, carry sensory tools like noise-canceling headphones, stress balls, or calming scents to manage stress and cravings in the moment.
Summing Up
Sensory Integration Therapy offers an innovative approach to managing the ways the brain responds to environmental triggers. The beauty of SIT lies in its alignment with one of the most remarkable truths about the human body — our innate capacity to heal and adapt. By engaging intentionally with our sensory environment, we can retrain our brain to go beyond coping with triggers and actually transform our relationship with them.
This process can help us feel less overwhelmed while empowering us to tap into the brain’s incredible plasticity and reshape the ways we respond to life’s challenges. With patience and practice, we can harness our natural ability to grow, heal, and thrive.
