Relapse Prevention Plan

Steps Recovery Center recognizes how vital the mind, body, and spirit are in their connection to the whole person. We take a holistic approach to preventing relapse that includes treating the whole person, and find that it tends to be more successful, especially since relapsing can affect every aspect of a person’s life. With a customized and individualized program, a holistic approach just makes sense. It affords an opportunity to meet the patient’s physical and psychological needs and allows them to engage physically, emotionally, and mentally.

What Causes Relapse from Addiction

After someone goes through detoxification from drugs or alcohol and gets treatment for the disease, relapse becomes a significant concern for the individual. Studies show that an estimated ⅔ of individuals in recovery relapse within weeks to months of beginning treatment of addiction. There must be a plan to reduce the likelihood of relapse, which is not attributed to just one event.

Some of the causes of relapse include:

Keep in mind, just because someone relapses doesn’t mean the recovery has failed.

Recognizing the Signs of Mental Relapse

There are usually signs and red flags apparent to help prevent relapse or recognize when there’s a risk. Some of the most obvious signs include a behavioral change to a person’s old ways, a change in actions and emotions, and a return to the drug, which they may try to disguise.

Before a physical relapse occurs, there is a mental relapse that can be observed. These include:

Relapse Prevention Plan

Before the above-mentioned occurs, it’s crucial to have a relapse prevention plan that can be set up after recovery, so the risk remains low. A good plan includes prevention strategies such as recognizing certain triggers, tools, and methods for coping with stress and triggers (which may involve counseling with a therapist weekly), and a maintenance plan for daily life. Establishing a healthy lifestyle with self-improvement goals and communication ideas for family and loved ones is also essential to the plan.

A relapse prevention plan template may look like this:

Step 1: Identify personal goals in recovery and motivations for positive change.

Step 2: Create a plan to manage cravings and triggers by labeling specific challenges and methods for overcoming them.

Step 3: Discover ways to improve self-care and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Step 4: Prepare communication tools and establish a support system.

Step 5: Devise strategies in keeping the individual accountable to the plan.

A relapse prevention plan has many benefits in improving all aspects of an addict’s life. When a person refers to the plan when temptations arise, they have something to focus on, a goal to accomplish, and the confidence to continue with their sobriety.