What is a Relapse Prevention Plan?

What is a Relapse Prevention Plan

By Geralyn Dexter, PhD, LMHCDexter has a doctorate in psychology and is a licensed mental health counselor with a focus on suicidal ideation, self-harm, and mood disorders. Self-efficacy refers to a person’s confidence in their own ability to achieve something. When a person’s self-efficacy is low, they may have a hard time believing in their ability to maintain sobriety. Once this happens, it may not be easy to control behavior or stop using. Focusing on emotional wellness each day reduces restlessness, irritability, and discontent, which can build up over time and lead to relapse. Another form of relapse is a “lapse.” A person lapsing may have one or two drinks then return to sobriety.

Build Your Support Network

• Build a support network of friends and family to call on when struggling and who are invested in recovery. In many cases, relapse is not necessarily a failure in treatment but rather an indication that further support or adjustments are necessary. Understanding this perspective allows individuals to see their setbacks as opportunities for growth rather than debilitating defeats. Research shows that social support indicates long-term success, while peer pressure and unsupportive relationships can lead to relapse. Upon relapse, some individuals may require inpatient treatment to stop using and manage symptoms of withdrawal.

What is a Relapse Prevention Plan

Creating a Relapse Prevention Plan: What to Include to Stay on Track

What is a Relapse Prevention Plan

A relapse prevention plan is used to help keep a person from using a substance after they have decided to quit. It is one of many tools used by individuals recovering from a substance use relapse prevention plan disorder. By working through this recidivism prevention plan example, patients can deal more effectively with their triggers and cravings and stay on track to fully recover from addiction.

Marlatt Relapse Prevention Model

The study assessed the proportion of patients who were abstinent at discharge. The patients were categorized based on their primary drug of abuse, such as alcohol, opiates, cocaine, and marijuana, excluding nicotine. It can bring on feelings of https://ecosoberhouse.com/ shame, frustration, and often cause someone to feel as if they are incapable of changing their behavior or achieving their goals. Substance abuse relapse occurs when a person who has attempted to stop using a substance begins to use it again.

Gorski-Cenaps Relapse Prevention Model

  • The distinction is critical to make because it influences how people handle their behavior.
  • If you fear you are at imminent risk of relapsing, contact them immediately.
  • Not least is developing adaptive ways for dealing with negative feelings and uncertainty.
  • Cognitive therapy and mind-body relaxation help break old habits and retrain neural circuits to create new, healthier ways of thinking [12,13].
  • A good friend can talk you down and remind you of all the wonderful things in your life worth protecting by staying off drugs and alcohol.

Yet, this simple virtue has the power to transform lives, offering a path to recovery that is both sustainable and deeply fulfilling…. Then we can attach a desired behavior or routine to the things that trigger us. Every time we confront a known trigger, we will thereafter have a hot cup of tea and read a book (or whichever routine you like most). This way, we can create grounding rituals and coping routines for each of our stressors and triggers.

Dangers of Relapse

You can frame the conversation around “I” statements to express your feelings and needs without blaming others. For example, say “I feel overwhelmed when we talk about drinking at parties, and I need us to focus on other topics,” instead of accusing or blaming them. A cigarette ad attracts us, or someone in a group puts us down, or we strain ourselves by overdoing exercise.

The Key Elements of a Relapse Prevention Plan

A relapse prevention plan worksheet that starts with setting personal goals for wanting to stay sober helps a patient find a life purpose. It keeps the patient’s mind distracted and away from the object of addiction. Identifying triggers and warning signs is crucial in preventing relapse. In this section, you will list the people, places, events, or emotions that may tempt you to use substances again. By recognizing these triggers, you can develop strategies to avoid or cope with them effectively.

What is a Relapse Prevention Plan

Ensuring a Supportive Environment

They’re based on building your knowledge and skills to combat substance use. A relapse prevention model is a simplistic way of explaining what motivates a person to stay sober and what factors contribute to a slip-up. By understanding what drives it, mitigating measures may be put in place to increase the patient’s chances of full recovery. A relapse prevention planning worksheet can be helpful for those who find it difficult to write it themselves.

  • It serves as a valuable tool to prevent relapse and promote long-term sobriety or stability.
  • Share it with the people you spend a lot of the time with, including those who have used substances with you in the past, so they can be aware.
  • Addictive disorders are widely recognized as chronic conditions that often involve relapses.
  • A relapse or even a lapse might be interpreted as proof that a person doesn’t have what it takes to leave addiction behind.
  • This is when people are at risk of relapse, when they are unprepared for the protracted nature of post-acute withdrawal.

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