How a Relapse Prevention Plan Strengthens Your Recovery
If you have a proper relapse prevention plan tailed to your needs, then you’ll know what to do to avoid a relapse. Ultimately, it’s up to the person to follow the skills and knowledge we’ve learned at our New Jersey drug rehab. The best relapse prevention plans are created by a trained addiction professional that understands your substance abuse history and your triggers. That’s exactly what we do at Garden State Treatment Center in New Jersey.
Relapse can occur months or years into an addicts or alcoholics recovery. This can be dangerous because someone that has maintained very long sobriety would have lost his or her tolerance for the substance they once abused. What this means is that if they relapse, there is a very high probability of taking an overdose of the substance that they were once addicted to. Relapse can occur due to the occurrence of severe withdrawal symptoms that were not monitored during addiction detox.
Since addiction recovery is different for each individual, Garden State Treatment Center designs unique relapse plans that align with the strategies and techniques that will work best for each individual. We always have a plan ready so that we can help our clients to maintain long-term sobriety.
Avoid Relapse in Recovery With Relapse Prevention
Our relapse prevention treatment focuses on providing our clients with the tools and techniques that are needed to cope with various triggers. It also allows the patient to be able to identify and prevent situations that can make him or her relapse. An effective relapse prevention therapy approach must first enable the patient to have an in-depth understanding of how relapse works.
The major types of situations that can make someone relapse include:
- Negative emotions are caused by frustration, depression, anxiety, and boredom. These can emanate either from the person’s perceptions or due to a reaction to external factors.
- Positive emotions such as recalling the good feelings that were felt while using certain drugs or alcohol. Passing by a favorite club can also lead to relapse.
- Direct or indirect social pressure. For instance, friends pressurizing you to drink at a gathering is an example of a direct social pressure while an indirect social pressure will be when you’re invited to a party where alcohol will be served.
- Negative interpersonal relationships. For instance, heartbreak, conflict, guilt, and disappointment.
Relapse can begin whenever any of these situations are encountered by a recovering individual.
