The Key Elements of a Relapse Prevention Plan

Compile a list of who you can call if you experience cravings, what you can do to distract yourself from cravings and how you can stop a craving altogether. Substance use is a negative coping skill, so healthy coping skills will prevent relapse and result in positive outcomes in the long-term. While you can create a relapse prevention plan on your own, it may be helpful to walk through the process with someone who has knowledge of the topic like a substance abuse counselor. Relapse plans can be verbalized but may also be written in order to have a more clear outline of what steps to take should a relapse seem to be a possibility. Recognizing and responding to early warning signs is an essential step towards preventing relapse. By identifying these signs, individuals can take proactive measures to avoid a full-blown relapse.

What’s included in a relapse prevention plan?

Making use of these resources is essential for success in preventing relapses. One of the most important steps in preventing relapse is identifying triggers. Triggers are people, places, things, or situations that can lead to a desire to use drugs or alcohol.

Physical Relapse

Alternatively, once a milestone is reached, individuals feel they have recovered enough that they can determine when and how to use safely. It is remarkable how many people have relapsed this way 5, 10, or 15 years after recovery. A missing piece of the puzzle for many clients is understanding the difference between selfishness and self-care. Clinical experience has shown that addicted individuals typically take less than they need, and, as a result, they become exhausted or resentful and turn to their addiction to relax or escape. Part of challenging addictive thinking is to encourage clients to see that they cannot be good to others if they are first not good to themselves.

Legal resources

Visit our Middlesex County Prevention Hub page to see our programs and services. Mindfulness is a practice that involves being present in the moment and being aware of your thoughts without judgment. Emotional awareness encourages you to check in with yourself before taking action, reminding you to stay mindful of your current state. Pause first when you experience these states and find ways to deal with them without turning to substances. Doing so will help you quickly identify and deal with them before they become too overwhelming.

Recovery Program

Relapse can be an indication that treatment needs to be reinstated or adjusted. Sticking with treatment for the entire length of the program is important, too. Our science-backed approach boasts 95% of patients reporting no withdrawal symptoms at 7 days.

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The belief is that recovery requires some special strength or willpower that the individual does not possess. Past relapses are taken as proof that the individual does not have what it takes to recover [9]. Cognitive therapy helps clients see that recovery is based on coping skills and not willpower. Helping clients avoid high-risk situations is an important goal of therapy. Clinical experience has shown that individuals have a hard time identifying their high-risk situations and believing that they are high-risk. Sometimes they think that avoiding high-risk situations is a sign of weakness.

Common Causes of Relapse and How to Avoid

• This could be family members or friends who understand your struggle and are willing to help you through tough times.
• It could include environmental factors, social pressures, or personal issues that your loved one may be struggling with that require support.
• When individuals do not change their lives, then all the factors that contributed to their addiction will eventually catch up with them.
• Avoid beating around the bush or using vague language that can be misinterpreted.
• There are other self-help groups, including Women for Sobriety, Secular Organizations for Sobriety, Smart Recovery, and Caduceus groups for health professionals.

Rebuilding trust with loved ones after addiction can take time and effort. It’s important to be honest and transparent about your recovery journey and show that you’re committed to making positive changes in your life. Consider attending family therapy sessions or involving loved ones in your recovery process. Setting boundaries with people who may be triggering or unsupportive of your recovery is an important aspect of preventing relapse.

• It’s important to communicate with your support network about your relapse prevention plan and how they can assist you in staying on track.
• Someone who has grown dependent on a substance may not feel “normal” without it.
• You can learn about the best relapse-prevention treatment options for your needs.
• In this section, you will outline the techniques and tools you will use to navigate difficult situations.
• It is helpful to know exactly what has caused a relapse before, and your own history of drug and alcohol misuse.
• Hi, I’m Megan, a Community Leader here at The Mighty who also runs the «BPD Safe Zone» group.

Clinical experience shows that when clients feel they cannot be completely honest, it is a sign of emotional relapse. It is often said that recovering individuals are as sick as their secrets. One of the challenges of therapy is to help clients practice telling the truth and practice admitting when they have misspoken and quickly correcting it. In the abstinence stage of recovery, clients usually feel increasingly better.

The purpose of this rule is to remind individuals not to resist or sabotage change by insisting that they do recovery their way. A simple test of whether a person is bending the rules is if they look for loopholes in recovery. A warning sign is when clients ask for professional help and consistently ignore the advice. 1) Clients often want Relapse Prevention Plan: How it can help you stay on track to put their addiction behind them and forget that they ever had an addiction. They feel they have lost part of their life to addiction and don’t want to spend the rest of their life focused on recovery. As individuals go deeper into mental relapse, their cognitive resistance to relapse diminishes and their need for escape increases.

• Regardless, it is important to consider the following items when creating a relapse prevention plan.
• A relapse prevention plan helps to prevent a relapse or minimize the consequences of a partial relapse.
• Therefore, on the one hand, individuals expect that using will continue to be fun, and, on the other hand, they expect that not using will be uncomfortable.
• We’re ready to assist 24/7 with any questions about treatment for you or a loved one.
• Write down things that have helped you stay sober on your recovery journey.