By: Lakeview Health
Relapse prevention plays a huge role in recovery, and it is part of the reason an aggressive and comprehensive aftercare program is essential. As a client in a drug and alcohol addiction treatment program, you’ll learn recovery behaviors designed to help you avoid relapse. However, once treatment concludes, and it is up to you to develop healthy routines and maintain sobriety in the real world, having a relapse prevention plan in place is vital. Therefore, it’s essential to stay in constant communication with your network of safe friends and family. They can help in ways that might even save your life.
If you or someone you care about is battling a substance use disorder and might benefit from a premier addiction treatment center in Florida, don’t hesitate to get them the help they need as soon as possible. One way to do this is to reach out to Lakeview Health today using our convenient online form or call us at [Direct]. Our compassionate, expert team of addiction specialists is waiting to give them the tools they need to achieve genuine, long-term recovery.
Avoid Isolation to Prevent Relapse
Every good relapse prevention plan requires frequent contact with supportive friends and family members. Your plan should include staying in touch with others daily. Otherwise, the old longing to self-isolate and turn your thoughts inward may re-surface. Relapse happens in stages, and one of the first indicators is cutting yourself off from those who want to help. You may not even realize you’re doing it, but when you stop checking in with your mentor or stop going to support-group meetings, you’re cutting those ties that help prevent relapse.
Stay on top of communication and force yourself to be out around others who are good influences on your recovery. Doing so is a concrete first step in any good relapse prevention plan.
Manage Triggers to Maintain Sobriety
Triggers are another topic that should factor into your prevention plan. Avoiding old haunts where you used to drink or get high and avoiding old friends who still use are musts in recovery. Even when you’re feeling your strongest, it’s necessary to avoid those things that remind you of old times. It’s surprising how innocent they may seem. Common triggers for relapse include:
- Maintaining ties with friends or family who still use
- Trauma that hasn’t been addressed and treated
- Stress, anxiety, and feelings of being overwhelmed
- Places, neighborhoods, or establishments from your old life
- Allowing yourself to become lonely, over-tired, or neglecting self-care
- Reminiscing about old times
It isn’t easy to anticipate what could cause the sudden urge to take a drink or swallow a pill. For this reason, it’s vital to steer clear of danger zones and dangerous relationships and always make sure your recovery is at the top of every to-do list.
Avoid Risky Situations for Relapse Prevention
After recovery, you’ll view social get-togethers differently. The party invitations won’t stop coming, but you may have to change how you think about them. As a person in recovery, it’s crucial to avoid celebrations that take place inside bars, pubs, or other places where alcohol or drugs may be a temptation. Even the smell of alcohol or the clinking of ice in a glass could act as a trigger that puts your recovery in jeopardy. Likewise, even intimate gatherings where you know friends or family will bring coolers full of beer or have a keg on hand should also be off-limits.
You may feel strong in recovery, but putting yourself in risky situations could cause that to change in a heartbeat. Your relapse prevention plan should include aggressively vetting invitations to any gatherings that happen outside of your recovery circle.
Experience the Aftercare Program at Lakeview Health
At Lakeview Health in Jacksonville, FL, we offer strong support for clients transitioning from residential care to independent living. We offer a full range of aftercare services that include sober living facilities, alumni activities, crisis intervention, and continuing support through therapy and group meetings. Regardless of how long it’s been since you’ve completed your course of recovery, the Lakeview Health aftercare program will continue to provide you with the services you need to prevent relapse. Contact us today at [Direct] to learn more.
