Addiction to drugs or alcohol is a disease that spreads its deadly tentacles into every aspect of your life. Nothing is immune, including your job, relationships, coping skills, finances, and even your physical and mental health. Because addiction is so destructive and pervasive, recovery is an incredibly time-intensive, exhausting, and challenging process. Therefore, it is no wonder that many people encounter bumps in the road and begin using again. Learning coping skills for relapse prevention can be a crucial part of an addiction aftercare program that helps reduce the chances of a destructive backslide.
Relapse is a common occurrence among people in addiction treatment. In fact, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), as many as 40 to 60% of people in treatment for substance abuse will relapse at some point.
Just as no person is perfect, most addiction recoveries experience one or more incidents of addiction relapse. This happens when you lose your coping skills and begin to drink alcohol or use a drug after a period of abstinence. Although relapse is very average in the recovery process, it can be dangerous and even fatal, mainly if you use a drug in the same quantity you did before stopping. Because your body is no longer tolerant of the drug, you might overdose.
What causes addiction relapse to occur so often? The main reason lies in why you started to drink or use drugs in the first place. For most people, substance use relieves physical or psychological pain or helps a person to numb themselves. If your life gets stressful and you lack coping skills for relapse prevention, the chances are good that you will go back to the ineffective coping skills that worked, however poorly, in the past.
A relapse prevention plan works to identify why people use drugs again after finishing treatment. Then, this therapy seeks to minimize or eliminate these triggers and help a person recover more successfully.
For example, relapse prevention spots high-risk situations that may cause a person to use. Often, these relapse triggers include individuals who compel a person to abuse substances. Once these triggers are identified, counselors can help their clients learn how to avoid falling victim to relapse.
In this way, relapse prevention works on all levels of a person's addiction. You'll not only learn how to manage the physical compulsion to abuse but the psychological and emotional ones as well. This inside information will compel a more successful recovery that will last for years.
Relapse prevention is often the cornerstone of a successful drug rehab experience. It can even literally save a person's life. For example, relapses may cause overdoses and other devastating side effects. These include brain and heart damage that permanently affects your health. Some people may even fall into a coma or die after an overdose.
However, the powerful tools taught during relapse prevention decrease this risk. For example, you'll learn how to spot behaviors that trigger substance abuse. These may include stressful situations or activities. Often, these make a person feel compelled to drink or abuse drugs.
After you master these skills, you'll learn coping behaviors. These skills make it easier for you to stop a relapse. These include sober activities or calming techniques that manage anxiety. For example, meditation may help distract you from substance abuse.
So, what is relapse prevention? A lifesaving tool that can help provide you with years of sobriety. However, this process doesn't end the moment you leave rehab. Instead, it requires a lifetime commitment. Many people may need to spend time in sober living or participate in an outpatient program years after rehab to stay on the path to recovery.
Fortunately, there are several coping skills for relapse prevention that you can put into practice in your life. Many drug and alcohol rehab programs make these coping skills a prominent part of a relapse prevention plan. They include:
Another way to avoid a relapse is to think of your addiction as a bully. The less power you allow it to have, the more liberated you will be.
Relapse prevention therapy (RPT) is an evidence-based approach that helps individuals who are recovering from substance misuse and addiction. This type of therapy helps by focusing on identifying and addressing triggers, as well as developing coping strategies to prevent future relapses.
RPT can involve individual or group therapy sessions, both of which seek to build relapse prevention skills. Through this therapy, individuals learn how to:
At San Antonio Recovery Center, our certified therapists are dedicated to helping individuals achieve long-term recovery success by providing comprehensive care that addresses substance misuse and addiction from all angles. We offer individualized treatment plans to ensure the most effective recovery outcome and use a variety of evidence-based therapies including RPT.
So, what is mindfulness-based relapse prevention? Mindfulness-based relapse prevention is an evidence-based approach to addiction treatment that uses mindfulness techniques to help you reduce your risk of relapse. By learning how to relax, center yourself and make informed decisions, you can become more aware of your triggers and build the skills needed for a successful recovery. Mindfulness-based relapse prevention is an essential part of many treatment plans and can be used in combination with other therapies, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy.
Mindfulness-based relapse prevention focuses on developing greater self-awareness. Through mindfulness practices, you can learn how to identify negative thoughts and feelings that lead to relapse. You also become more aware of your body's physical cues, such as tension and agitation, so you can take action to prevent relapse. Additionally, mindfulness helps you recognize the warning signs of relapse and identify effective coping strategies for dealing with them.
Sometimes, it is easy to make reactionary decisions without fully considering the consequences. Mindfulness teaches you how to evaluate situations and make informed, rational decisions. These techniques also help you relax and cope with stress.
Stress is one of the leading causes of relapse, making mindfulness-based relapse prevention an important part of the recovery process. Mindfulness can increase cognition, concentration, and memory, which helps your mind and body fully heal from addiction. Mindfulness exercises are also easy to practice. Strategies like deep breathing can decrease stress and help you focus on your goals, so you can make better decisions during recovery.
Of all the Texas addiction rehab programs, the San Antonio Recovery Center stands apart. That’s because we combine the best and most proven treatment therapies with a person-centered model that is both effective and budget-friendly. Many of our staff members are not just knowledgeable about substance abuse; they are in recovery themselves and will offer you the empathy and understanding that can only come from a fellow traveler on the road to a drug-free future.
Let today be the beginning of a new, drug- or alcohol-free life. Call San Antonio Recovery today at 866-957-7885 or contact us online to start your journey.
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