Relapse prevention should be an essential component of any effective addiction treatment plan. Unfortunately, many treatment programs solely focus on what happens while their clients work through their treatment plans at their facilities. Once someone completes their program, it is up to them to navigate the difficulties of reintegrating into the “real world.” Not only is this approach dangerous, but it can also lead to a relapse, and the whole addiction cycle restarts.
At New Horizons Recovery, one of our primary goals is to set our clients up for success in recovery long after they’ve left our doors. That’s why we provide relapse prevention therapy in addition to relapse prevention treatment and our other programs. Relapse prevention is a reoccurring theme in our Kennett Square, Pennsylvania therapy program for behavioral health. Find out more about our therapy for addiction relapse prevention by calling New Horizons Recovery at 267.435.3134 or contacting us online.
How Does Relapse Prevention Therapy Work?
One of the main goals of relapse prevention therapy is to identify a client’s triggers. Triggers are the people, places, or situations that cause a person in recovery to fall back into old patterns of drug or alcohol use.
Although triggers can be unique to an individual, some common triggers include:
- Boredom – One of the most significant triggers for people can simply be boredom. That’s why it’s vital for people in recovery to keep a full schedule with healthy activities, group therapy meetings, and time with loved ones.
- Social pressure – People trying to avoid a relapse need to surround themselves with people who don’t use drugs or alcohol. Otherwise, peer pressure can most certainly cause a relapse.
- Complacency – Those who have abstained from drugs and alcohol for a while may feel overconfident about their recovery. That’s precisely when there is a high chance of relapse.
- Undiagnosed mental health disorders – Therapy in recovery plays an essential role because an undiagnosed mental health disorder can cause a person to self-medicate.
Once triggers are acknowledged in relapse prevention therapy, developing strategies to avoid them is much easier.
What Are Ways to Avoid a Relapse?
Fortunately, relapse prevention therapy helps people to learn how to maintain their recovery. Therapists and addiction treatment specialists teach many techniques to abstain from drug and alcohol use.
Some ways to avoid a relapse include:
- Mindfulness – The concept of “staying in the moment” is known as mindfulness. This idea helps people stay focused and not worry about what happened in the past or what will happen in the future. A common way to create mindfulness is through meditation.
- Join a support group – Organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are excellent resources for preventing a relapse. Also, the group setting creates a sense of accountability among members and encourages everyone to stay on the right track.
- Self-care – Continuing to take care of physical and mental health is a key element in relapse prevention. Exercising and eating healthy foods are two ways to continue to feel mentally and physically positive.
- HALT – The acronym HALT stands for “hungry, angry, lonely, or tired.” This method is designed for a person to ask themselves which of these emotions they feel when they have the urge to use drugs or alcohol. Often, it isn’t the feeling of wanting to relapse. Instead, it is one of these emotions.
Avoid a Relapse with Support from New Horizons Recovery
Our New Horizons Recovery team is closely involved in our clients’ recovery, and their success is our success. Through our relapse prevention therapy program, we want our clients to continue to be committed to their recovery. If you’re interested in learning more about our programs and services, reach out to us online or at 267.435.3134 today.