For anyone who has dealt with addiction or has known someone who has suffered from addiction, you likely know that relapse is a potential part of recovery and something many people struggle with, sometimes multiple times. The trouble is that most people don’t know about addiction relapse prevention or how to deal with the factors that lead to a relapse.
See Purpose is here to help our clients get and stay sober by providing them and their families with some tips and tools to combat relapse, including 10 common relapse prevention strategies to help supplement what you or your loved one gains from treatment. Our goal is to give everyone possible the highest chances of a complete recovery. In this post, we will be looking at drug and alcohol relapse prevention. We will discuss what it means to relapse and why people typically relapse, to begin with, as well as relapse prevention ideas and our 10 common relapse prevention strategies.
What Does it Mean to Relapse?
To relapse in terms of addiction means to start using again after a period of sobriety. What most people don’t understand is that relapse is a multi-stage process that typically begins with the initial craving for the substance, followed by internal conflict about using again. Finally, the person moves past conflict and on to physical relapse, where they begin using again. Most people think only of the final step of using, but many people with an addiction struggle before ultimately relapsing.
This is why, beyond treatment, it is important to have the tools to minimize the potential for relapse.
Why Do People Relapse?
There are a few reasons why a person might relapse. The most common is because they attempt to stop using drugs or alcohol by themselves by quitting cold turkey. Without drug relapse prevention, relapse may feel inevitable when trying to get clean this way. The best way to get sober is to detox in a medically supervised environment and then follow that up with proper treatment for the addiction and its root cause.
Another reason that someone might relapse is due to underlying social or environmental factors that cause them to want to use drugs or alcohol. This is another reason why treatment is the best way to get sober. A treatment center allows the person to get away from the forces that contributed to them relapsing while also developing the skills necessary to cope with life without drugs or alcohol.
10 Common Relapse Prevention Strategies
Here are 10 common relapse prevention strategies to maximize the chances of your recovery:
Strategy #1: Exercise and Eat Right
It sounds simple, but one of the most effective ways to combat relapsing is by combating the symptoms that lead to it, such as anxiety and fatigue. Changing your diet and getting regular exercise can help eliminate these symptoms and allow you to focus on other things besides abusing substances.
Strategy #2: Learn to Identify Feelings
There are certain feelings that we have during day-to-day life that can act as triggers that may cause us to use again even if we have maintained sobriety for a period of time. Hunger, anger, loneliness, and tiredness are some of the most common emotional triggers that lead to a relapse.
Strategy #3: Practice Reflection and MIndfulness
One of the best ways to combat stressors that can lead to a relapse is to practice daily mindfulness and to reflect on accomplishments and the importance of sobriety while also motivating yourself to continue the journey.
Strategy #4: Get Help
It’s important to remember when dealing with addiction that you are not alone. There are people right in your community who have been through similar situations and who are there to help. Joining a local chapter of a 12 step program or support group can make the difference between relapsing and staying sober.
Strategy #5: Identify Your Personal Triggers
Besides dealing with certain emotions that make someone likely to relapse, there are also personal triggers that are specific to each individual. These can be things like anxiety, anger, self-doubt, or more physical things like certain people or places that make the individual want to use. Part of avoiding or dealing with these triggers is to identify them.
Strategy #6: The Grounding Technique
Essentially, this strategy boils down to finding a way to keep yourself grounded and focused on the moment in front of you, rather than on thoughts of using again. A common technique is to identify things you can see, smell, touch, hear, and taste around you and focus your thoughts on just those things.
Strategy #7: Take a Moment For Yourself
If you find yourself about to have a drink or use, it is always a good idea to step back, take a deep breath and pull yourself out of the situation both physically and mentally as you take time to clear your head and focus on your goals and your sobriety.
Strategy #8: Think About the Consequences
For most people dealing with addiction, they already know what it means to relapse and what the consequences are. If you feel yourself about to relapse, it can help to think through what may happen and the consequences that go along with that to deter yourself from using.
Strategy #9: Have Someone to Call in an Emergency
We all need help and support at some point in our lives, and for someone battling addiction, having an emergency contact who can talk you through a craving or an urge and help keep you on the path of sobriety can make all the difference.
Strategy #10 Ask For Help
It’s never shameful to ask for help. If you find yourself struggling with your sobriety, then asking friends and loved ones for help is the right course of action and can lead to much better relationships with those around you as well as your relationship with yourself and your own sobriety.
Get Help Today at See Purpose
See Purpose is Indiana’s premier inpatient drug rehab treatment center. We offer individualized treatment plans and luxurious accommodations for all our clients. We start with detoxification before treatment begins. After treatment ends, we can help by providing aftercare services to keep you on the path to sobriety.
If you or someone you know is suffering from addiction, contact See Purpose today to get help.
