Relapse Prevention

Why is Relapse Prevention important?

If you’ve completed a range of addiction treatments, you are well on your way to achieving sustainable recovery. However, without learning relapse prevention techniques, the time, energy and financial investment placed within rehab may have been pointless. Although drug or alcohol relapses will not happen to all individuals, commonly only a small minority will experience one post rehab, there is still a chance that disruptions can occur.

With this in mind, at Nova Recovery private rehab, we feel a duty of care to ensure that all clients are armed with techniques to help them spot the warning signs of a relapse, along with ways to avoid any temptations.

To ensure that this can be done successfully, understanding the underlying trigger causing the initial abuse of drugs or alcohol will be required.

Without this step, it can be difficult to reduce full risk of relapse. Whether that’s certain environments or people, to coping mechanisms and stress, we will work with you to identify the causation. From here, positive coping mechanisms will be formed to help you prevent relapse probabilities.

Without completing this step, your first exposure to drugs or alcohol post treatment, classified as a high-risk situation may result in a relapse. This is something we hope that all clients can avoid, by committing to a personal relapse prevention plan.

The Stages of Relapse

Relapses will commonly occur in the mind before any action is activated. With this in mind, an individual could experience a relapse before consuming drugs or alcohol.

As there’s potential for a relapse to occur, before clear warning signs present themselves, it is advisable for all individuals to understand the stages of relapse. Likewise, it is imperative that relapse prevention techniques are set in place to continue through each stage.

Emotional Relapse

When recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction, it is likely that a degree of emotional effect has been experienced. In short, mental health problems and episodes are very common, including depression, anxiety and paranoia. Throughout addiction treatment, those emotions will be worked through.

However, if coping mechanisms aren’t maintained post rehab, those emotions can creep back up, slowly advancing individuals through the emotional relapse stage. With this potential, it’s advised that all recovering individuals maintain a strong self-care routine, while relying on support networks for reassurance.

Mental Relapse

If the warning signs of an emotional relapse are avoided, individuals can progress to the mental relapse stage. This is where negative thoughts and feelings regarding recovery abilities are made. This is identified as a personal battle, attempting to justify further substance abuse.

To ensure relapse prevention can be achieved, again, maintaining a self-care routine is vital, along with continuing therapy, support groups and alcoholics anonymous sessions.

Physical Relapse

If both emotional and mental relapse stages have unfortunately activated, it is likely that individuals will advance to a physical relapse. This is where drug or alcohol consumption will restart, where individuals believe it is the right thing to do. They will also justify their actions while believing that occasional consumption is safe.

This is exactly why a relapse prevention plan must be in place to ensure that clients can spot warning signs early on, while also working through any temptations. It’s also advisable that loved ones understand the relapse prevention techniques used, to observe and intervene if necessary.