Relapse prevention is one of the important services that will be provided as part of your long term addiction treatment and recovery plan. Through this service, you will learn how to reduce your risk of starting to abuse drugs and drink alcohol again after having been through a treatment program.
It is not always easy to recover from substance abuse and addiction. Often, the process will take some time. This is because you will have to overcome your tolerance and dependence, manage your withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings, as well as overcome your ongoing urge to use drugs and drink alcohol.
A relapse refers to a situation in which you start using these substances even after you have attended an addiction treatment program or have abstained from these substances for a while.
Since this threat is always present - particularly during the early days of recovery - it is essential that you have a relapse prevention plan in place. Ideally, you will create this plan during the course of your addiction treatment.
By having a proper relapse prevention plan ready for use, it will be easier for you to recognize and understand your personal behaviors and actions - particularly those that are highly likely to cause you to start abusing drugs and drinking alcohol again in the future. This plan will also help you have strategies in place to ensure that you are able to combat this risk of relapse before it gets the better of you.
In most addiction treatment programs, you will write down the relapse prevention plan. You can do so with the help of the treatment and recovery team at the facility as well as share it with your support groups. Often, this plan will offer you a course of action that you can turn to as a response to drug and alcohol cravings and other triggers.
You can create this plan easily. While doing so, however, it is essential that you follow the outline listed below:
Although an addiction treatment program can help you overcome your substance abuse and addiction, it is still important to ensure that you have a proper relapse prevention plan in place. This plan could help you reduce your risk of abusing drugs and drinking alcohol after checking out of the recovery center. It would typically allow you to enjoy the following benefits:
As long as you have a reliable relapse prevention plan in place and you keep following it religiously, you should be able to maintain your long term recovery from substance abuse and addiction.
Learning what treatment is best for you or your loved one is easy. Speak to one of our trained counselors and let them guide you to the best treatment options available for your specific needs.