Five Effective Ways to Prevent Relapse

A sign that says inhale exhale on it.


A relapse can be incredibly discouraging if you’re in the process of recovery or trying to stay sober. Most people who relapse know that their relapse didn’t happen once they used drugs or alcohol again; it happened much earlier with a single decision or thought. In fact, studies confirm that relapse is both an event and a process,1 as it often involves a series of events and decisions that lead to the return to substance use.

Understanding relapse triggers and causes and developing coping mechanisms to prevent relapse are all crucial steps in the recovery journey.

Treatment modalities like group therapy and support groups, a relapse prevention plan, and evidence-based addiction treatment are all useful in preventing relapse.

Effective addiction treatment aims to not only achieve abstinence but also address underlying issues that may contribute to substance abuse. Most treatment programs also include group and individual counseling sessions aimed at teaching you how to not relapse.

We go over everything you need to know about why people relapse, how relapse can be prevented, and what to do if you’re worried you might start using again in the future.

What Causes Relapse?

Some common factors that may contribute to relapse include:

  • Stress
  • Unresolved emotional issues
  • Untreated mental health conditions
  • A lack of social and emotional support
  • Exposure to triggers and a lack of healthy coping mechanisms

Although understanding your triggers and recognizing the signs of relapse can help, seeking professional guidance and attending support groups provide valuable resources for continued recovery.

Addiction Treatment and Its Goals

The objective of addiction treatment is to help individuals overcome their substance use disorder and maintain long-term recovery. However, addiction treatment is not a one-size-fits-all approach, and the most effective treatment programs will vary depending on your unique needs and circumstances.

Treatment may involve a combination of behavioral therapies, medication-assisted treatment, and support groups to address the physical, psychological, and social aspects of addiction while teaching you relapse prevention skills for once you leave the facility.

Five Tips for Preventing Relapse

Preventing relapse is crucial in maintaining long-term recovery from addiction. Relapse prevention techniques often involve addressing underlying mental health issues that may contribute to addiction while learning healthy ways to manage stress, strong emotions, or high-risk situations without the need to turn to drugs or alcohol.

A relapse prevention plan includes attending support group meetings and outpatient therapy sessions, as well as practicing self-care activities such as mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP).

Below we go over the five most effective tips for preventing relapse:

1. Understand Your Triggers

Relapse triggers are environmental or emotional cues that can lead to substance abuse even after you’ve been sober for years. Not knowing what your triggers are or how to manage them greatly increases your risk of relapsing.

Whether during your initial addiction treatment or in your substance abuse recovery support group, it’s important to learn how to identify your triggers and develop relapse prevention strategies to manage them effectively.

Common relapse triggers include:

  • Stress
  • Relationship issues
  • Anxiety
  • Peer pressure
  • Interacting with certain people
  • Visiting certain places you associate with substance use

Once you know what your triggers are, you can work on managing them using the following relapse-prevention strategies:

  • HALT stands for hungry, angry, lonely, and tired, all common emotional and physical states that could potentially increase the risk of relapsing. Taking care of these basic needs can help prevent triggers from becoming overwhelming.
  • Practice mindfulness-based
  • Engage in physical activity or your hobbies.
  • Seek support from a therapist or support group like Alcoholics Anonymous. Having a strong support network in place helps prevent relapse by preventing loneliness and offering you a safe space to discuss your feelings with people that know what you’re going through.

2. Know the Signs of Relapse

Relapse doesn’t start when you use drugs or alcohol again. In most cases, there are much earlier signs that something isn’t right. Learning to identify these signs in your behavior, thoughts, and actions can help you recognize when you’re at risk of relapsing and allow you to get the help you need to prevent it.

The common signs of relapse are:

  • Sudden shifts in mood or behavior
  • Withdrawal from social activities
  • Isolating yourself from your loved ones or support network
  • Neglecting self-care
  • Returning to old habits or environments associated with your addiction

Addressing these warning signs as early as possible could help you avoid using drugs or alcohol again and relapsing entirely.

However, it is also important to note that addiction is a chronic disease. Relapse is a common part of the recovery process toward achieving lifelong recovery, and it should not be met with shame, judgment, or the feeling that you’ve failed.

Rather, it is an opportunity to learn from the experience and make necessary adjustments to your recovery plan so you are better equipped at preventing future relapses.

3. Implement Relapse Prevention and Positive Sober Behaviors

There are certain coping mechanisms and habits individuals can use to help encourage sobriety and prevent relapse. These relapse prevention techniques not only help in avoiding relapse but can also improve your health and mood and promote a sense of well-being that’s crucial for maintaining long-term recovery.

Some powerful strategies and habits that help reduce your chance of relapsing include:

  • Eating a balanced diet
  • Getting enough sleep
  • Engaging in regular exercise
  • Practicing mindfulness-based meditation
  • Practicing self-care
  • Developing a strong support network of family members and friends who provide encouragement and accountability
  • Identifying and avoiding high-risk situations like social events where drugs or alcohol are present
  • Having a plan in place to handle cravings or urges
  • Setting realistic goals and celebrating your progress

Developing healthy habits is an integral part of the recovery support process, as it helps you cope with stress and triggers that may lead to relapse. By replacing addictive behaviors with positive habits, you can build a strong foundation for long-term sobriety and improve your overall well-being.

4. Build a Powerful Support System

Three women smiling for the camera while standing outside.

Having a support system in place during and after treatment provides encouragement, accountability, and a sense of belonging, particularly during difficult times in the recovery process. It also helps you feel less isolated and lonely, which is a common struggle after leaving residential rehab.

The best support systems are often built and developed during outpatient therapy or 12-step programs, by spending time with supportive family members and friends, or by joining a sober living community once you leave rehab.

By being open and honest with people who are in the same boat as you about your mental health, substance use history, and the struggles you face during recovery, you’ll quickly discover you’re not alone and many have gone through the same experiences as you and triumphed over their cravings.

5. Don’t Hesitate to Seek Treatment After Relapse

If you’ve relapsed, don’t waste time feeling discouraged or disappointed. For many, relapse has become a part of their recovery journey that has only made them more determined to stay sober.

Instead, seek the treatment you need to get clean again and learn additional skills to help you resist relapsing in the future.

Common treatment options after rehab are also effective at helping reduce your chance of relapsing. Aftercare programs play a significant role in providing ongoing support and guidance to individuals in recovery, helping them stay committed to their sobriety goals.

How Newport Beach Recovery Center Can Help

Newport Beach Recovery Center offers a range of programs and services that can help individuals navigate the challenges of recovery and assist individuals with coping mechanisms teaching them how to not relapse.

These programs may include:

  • Group therapy
  • Individual counseling
  • 12-step meetings
  • Family therapy
  • Holistic therapies such as yoga and meditation

Additionally, our team of experienced professionals can provide personalized treatment programs and plans tailored to meet the unique needs of each individual in recovery.

By participating in one of our evidence-based treatment options, implementing the lessons and coping methods you learn during your treatment, and using your time to build a strong support network of people who want what’s best for you, you can lay a strong foundation to prevent relapsing in the future.

Recovery is a lifelong journey and requires continuous effort and dedication. Taking advantage of resources such as therapy, including the inpatient and outpatient treatment programs at Newport Beach Recovery Center, can greatly increase your chances of maintaining sobriety and effectively preventing relapse for years to come.

Don’t wait. Take the first step to a healthier and happier life by reaching out to Newport Beach Recovery Center today.

Source:

  1. https://www.va.gov/WHOLEHEALTHLIBRARY/tools/reducing-relapse-risk.asp

Tips To Help You Recover Your Loved One From Addiction


Addiction is one of the traps that are almost impossible to come out from. That is because it can have a permanent effect on the brain. The first step of addiction treatment is acceptance. The victim needs to admit that they have a problem and need help.

Next, he or she is examined to determine the level of addiction so that a suitable treatment can be administered. It is although essential to know that an addict that has recovered from addiction can quickly backslide and get back into their habit against their will. Relapse is the worst thing that can happen after spending so much money on rehab services. However, there are ways of keeping a recovering addict from relapsing, and they include;

Ensuring that they complete the treatment program

Completion of an addiction treatment program means that the patient is loaded with the right information about how to fight their urge. Addicts that drop out of the program midway show clear signs that they are not ready to change their ways. One of the leading relapse causes is the inability to resist the temptation. Without any guard, you will have no choice but to give in.

Supporting their interests

One of the main signs of drug addiction is isolation. A drug addict will want to avoid people as much as they can because they are embarrassed. This leads most of them to lose interest in many things since the substance has clouded their judgment about everything. During addiction recovery, patients are encouraged and guided into finding their way back to what they used to be passionate about. These can be anything from sports, music and even fashion.

To help them stay distracted from thinking about relapsing, you need to draw them deeper into their interests. For example, if the patient is passionate about playing soccer, buying those boots or a ball is a great way to start. You can organize for them to join a local team.

Change the environment

Relapse recovery can be interrupted by simple triggers like seeing someone using the drug can quickly bring up the urge. That is why it is suitable for recovering patients from changing locations after completing their treatment. This should reduce any chances of the patient accessing the drugs. Note that one of the main reasons for addiction is having access to the substance.

The friends to the recovering addict who is in most chances abusers as well are also living in the same area. We all understand how it’s hard being the black sheep when taking the patient to a new location, ensure that they cannot get access to the drugs. Also, ensure that the people around them are kind and caring. You don’t want your recovering patient to go back to abusing drugs because they did not feel accepted and loved.

Encourage patient to stick to meditation

Meditation after addiction treatment is a way of calming down an addict and suppress the urge to use drugs. A recovering addict goes through so much trouble, and without following the prescribed medication, they become anxious and vulnerable to relapse. One of the common problems that have led recovering addicts back to addiction is lack of sleep. These medications, however, are meant to make the patient comfortable and in control.

Maintaining therapy should also be considered as part of the medication process. That is because it plays a significant role in helping a recovering patient re-connect with the world once more. A therapist helps these patients to make rational decisions and holds their hand through the post-treatment period until the patient has fully recovered.

Propose other ways of dealing with stressful situations

Stress and other human problems are known to be one of the leading causes of drug addiction. When this habit gets out of hand, things can get worse because addicts are not stable. During the treatment period, such addicts have been taught how they need to approach problems and solve them quickly. Your work is to keep reminding such patient about how to carry out themselves and solve challenges like a normal human being.

You will also want to engage the patient through sporting activities. This will help them greatly with anxiety another emotional disorders that can make them become violent and cause significant damage.

Conclusion

Relapse prevention is vital for any recovering addict because anything can trigger back their addiction. According to experts, a drug addict can get back to addiction way faster than the time spent in the rehab. That is why most rehab centers spend more time preparing the patients for the outside world like how to get in touch with their loved ones again.

Support groups are also another great way of ensuring that an addict does not relapse. That is because, within these groups, patients are allowed to support each other and encourage them to go clean. The best thing with help groups is, participants are people who are going through the same thing and are self-motivated to overcome their addiction. Contact us today if you or a loved one are struggling with addiction. At Newport Recovery Center, we are here to help you get sober!