A big part of addiction recovery is making sure you don’t relapse. If you’re reading this and you’re worried about it, you could already be at risk. But, with the right support and a few relapse prevention tips, you can learn how to best avoid an addiction relapse. At Solution Based Treatment, our caring and professional team can provide you with the support and guidance you need to prevent relapse and keep you on the road to recovery.
Signs of Relapse
Recognizing the warning signs is the first step to avoiding a relapse. One of the most common signs is looking back on your days of substance use in a positive and nostalgic way. This romanticizing of your previous drug or alcohol use can be an extremely dangerous trigger. You are tricking your brain into forgetting all the bad and thinking that you were happy and ok. This can lead you to think that it won’t be a big deal if you use it again. The reality is that it’s just one step away from a full relapse.
Another common relapse sign is thinking that you can drink alcohol without falling back into addiction. Addiction is a disease, and it’s something you will need to manage for the rest of your life. With addiction, there is no such thing as casual drug or alcohol use. You can only be considered recovered when you are completely free of substance use – forever. Friends, family, and medical professionals will be keeping a close eye on you during recovery. Examples of odd behavior they will be on the lookout for include avoiding people or situations, changing habits, or losing interest in things you used to enjoy.
The most obvious relapse warning sign can be when you start to question your own recovery. Acting out, talking negatively about your treatment, not participating in all parts of your treatment, saying that you don’t need the help – these can all signal to your family, friends, and treatment team that you are struggling and could be at risk of relapse.
Preventing Relapse
Being prepared and having a plan is the best way to avoid going back to old habits. Here are some tips to help prevent a relapse.
Recognize and Eliminate Triggers
Knowing the things that can easily tempt you to use again is probably the most important relapse prevention tool you can have. Owning up to your own weaknesses and recognizing what can easily trigger you sets you up to manage your recovery better. Stay away from high-risk places or situations, seek out new sober friends, and find ways to help others.
Manage Stress
Whether it’s breathing exercises, doing yoga, or even going to a 12-Step meeting, it’s important to find ways to distract yourself from temptations and manage the stress that comes along with it. How you handle yourself when the going gets tough will make the difference between remaining sober and relapse.
Practice Self-Care
Your physical, emotional, and mental health are a priority. Eating well and getting enough exercise is key, as well as regular therapy sessions. Keep your mind and body busy with plenty of healthy activities to keep your mind off of drinking or using drugs. That can include calming activities like meditation, practicing daily positive affirmations, or high-energy exercise to work out stress. Whatever you do, it should feel good to you and make you happy.
Get Support
Surround yourself with people who fully support your sober lifestyle. This can be other sober friends or family and professionals who are sober supporters. It may also mean you need to end relationships that don’t support your sober new life, making room for more people on your side.
Contact SBT Today to Learn More About Relapse Prevention
Recognizing and understanding the signs that you may be falling back into an addictive behavioral pattern is critical to your recovery. Solution Based Treatment can provide you with tools and strategies you can rely on to live a life free of substance abuse. We offer a variety of programs to help people struggling with addiction, including:
- Drug & Alcohol Detox
- Residential Treatment
- Sober Living Program
Our addiction treatment programs offer:
- Medication-assisted treatment
- Trauma-focused counseling
- Family and marital counseling
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- 12-step integration
Give the Solution Based Treatment team a call at 833.999.1941 to learn more.