However, it does not have to be when you are fully prepared with a toolbox of healthy coping strategies. Implementing these relapse prevention techniques into your daily schedule can greatly help reduce the risk of relapse. Contact a dedicated treatment provider to learn more about inpatient or outpatient treatment programs to learn more relapse prevention skills and get help today. Addiction is a brain disease and, as such, may involve disruptions to certain brain circuits and neural processes as a result of chronic drinking and/or drug use. Pathways involved in how a person feels pleasure and processes rewards, memory, and decision-making can be altered through substance abuse. With repeated use, alterations in brain chemistry and functioning can result in the development of substance dependence.
Care for yourself
For instance, Muraven [81] conducted a study in which participants were randomly assigned to practice small acts self-control acts on a daily basis for two weeks prior to a smoking cessation attempt. Compared to a control group, those who practiced self-control showed significantly longer time until relapse in the following month. The client’s relapse prevention appraisal of lapses also serves as a pivotal intervention point in that these reactions can determine whether a lapse escalates or desists. Establishing lapse management plans can aid the client in self-correcting soon after a slip, and cognitive restructuring can help clients to re-frame the meaning of the event and minimize the AVE [24].
- Clients are encouraged to identify whether they are non-users or denied users.
- In general, more research on the acquisition and long-term retention of specific RP skills is necessary to better understand which RP skills will be most useful in long-term and aftercare treatments for addictions.
- The transition between emotional and mental relapse is not arbitrary, but the natural consequence of prolonged, poor self-care.
- Support groups and 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) can also be very helpful in preventing relapses.
Causes of Relapse in Late Stage Recovery
Part of relapse prevention involves rehearsing these situations and developing healthy exit strategies. Some researchers divide physical relapse into a “lapse” (the initial drink or drug use) and a “relapse” (a return to uncontrolled using) [8]. Clinical experience has shown that when clients focus too strongly on how much they used during a lapse, they do not fully appreciate the consequences of one drink.
The reformulated cognitive-behavioral model of relapse
- As such, it is vital to have a plan for how to avoid relapse and what to do if it does happen to you.
- When patients believe that the treatment will effectively reduce the consequences of the disease, they will actively pursue it; when there is no obvious benefit, they will not pursue it.
- Relapse prevention exercises are structured activities aimed at reinforcing relapse prevention techniques.
Refocusing on recovery and further relapse prevention with a care team is crucial. Research shows that social support indicates long-term success, while peer pressure and unsupportive relationships can lead to relapse. Most physical relapses are considered relapses of opportunity, meaning that they occur when an individual feels they will not get caught. Focusing on emotional wellness each day reduces restlessness, irritability, and discontent, which can build up over time and lead to relapse. If a person is in therapy during emotional relapse, the focus of therapy may pivot towards reinforcing the importance of self-care. Learning various acronyms can help a person identify when they need to improve their self-care, such as HALT (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired).
#2 Plan for how you’ll deal with triggers.
Your path to lasting recovery.
Mental Relapse
