What is a Relapse Prevention Plan?

Regardless of what led to a relapse, getting back on track quickly gives you the best chance at long-term recovery, rather than waiting until the problem worsens. It is hard to admit to others that you have experienced a relapse, but it is the best thing to do. It is always better to be honest and work on getting the process of recovery started again as quickly as possible. It is important to be aware of any red flags that may suggest a relapse is forthcoming in order to take counteractive measures to avoid it. Such preventive techniques may include applying better stress management tools or not putting yourself in situations that may trigger cravings. In addition to getting professional treatment, avoiding your triggers, finding social support, caring for yourself, and managing stress can help prevent future relapse.

As a result of these brain changes, a person experiencing drug or alcohol dependence will have a particularly difficult time maintaining sobriety—especially when faced with a psychological, physical, or emotional trigger. Triggers can be internal (anxiety, irritability, stress, anger, low self-esteem) or external (people, places, or things that remind one of their past use). Making a list of internal and external triggers is an efficient way to gain awareness of one’s triggers and reduce the risk of relapse. Clients are encouraged to identify whether they are non-users or denied users. A denied user is in chronic mental relapse and at high-risk for future relapse. Clinical experience has shown that everyone in early recovery is a denied user.

List Your Triggers and Coping Strategies

Skin monitors have also been used to detect alcohol use but are limited to alcohol, expensive, and usually only available to individuals in the criminal justice system. If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction, contact relapse prevention The Recovery Village today. Our trained professionals will help you find treatment options that best suit your needs. Know who you will call first, what you will ask of them, and if you will attend a meeting or return to rehab.

Self-efficacy is defined as the degree to which an individual feels confident and capable of performing certain behaviour in a specific situational context5. The RP model proposes that at the cessation of a habit, a client feels self-efficacious with regard to the unwanted behaviour and that this perception of self-efficacy stems from learned and practiced skills3. The relationship between self-efficacy and relapse is possibly bidirectional, meaning that individuals who are more successful report greater self-efficacy and individuals who have lapsed report lower self-efficacy4. Chronic stressors may also overlap between self-efficacy and other areas of intrapersonal determinants, like emotional states, by presenting more adaptational strain on the treatment-seeking client4. Marlatt, based on clinical data, describes categories of relapse determinants which help in developing a detailed taxonomy of high-risk situations. These components include both interpersonal influences by other individuals or social networks, and intrapersonal factors in which the person’s response is physical or psychological.

What Is a Relapse Prevention Plan?

Grounding techniques help you stay calm, destress, and reduce anxiety. They can be especially beneficial when cravings feel overpowering. Keep a note of your therapist’s phone number, emergency contacts, and a concrete action plan in case you relapse. This plan might https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/should-you-have-relationships-in-recovery/ include asking your therapist for an emergency therapy session, visiting the emergency room, or enrolling in inpatient treatment again. Even positive events in life, like achieving a promotion or attaining sobriety goals, can unexpectedly lead to a relapse.

Clients are encouraged to challenge their thinking by looking at past successes and acknowledging the strengths they bring to recovery [8]. One of the important tasks of therapy is to help individuals redefine fun. Clinical experience has shown that when clients are under stress, they tend to glamorize their past use and think about it longingly.

Finding Support

If you find yourself having a desire to drink or get high and you are debating what to do, a great tool is playing the tape through first. To play the tape through, you must play out what will happen in your mind until the very end. Imagine what will happen in the short and long-term future if you decide to drink or use. Think of the consequences that would occur if you used vs. if you did not use. This can help with your decision making and reduce the risk of relapse.

In addiction, relapse occurs when a person resumes drug or alcohol use after a period of sobriety. Relapse usually results from a mix of psychological, physical, and environmental triggers. While it is a common part of the recovery process, it can lead to dangerous behaviors that may harm both the relapsing individual and their loved ones. The majority of people who decide to end addiction have at least one lapse or relapse during the recovery process.