You’re never alone when you enroll in our inpatient program and we’ve helped many people like you overcome drug or alcohol addiction. https://ecosoberhouse.com/ We’ll set you up for long-term success and provide you with the resources you need to help heal your body and mind.

What is the CBT Triangle?

The CBT triangle, or cognitive triangle, is a tool used by therapists and others to teach the concept of changing negative patterns of thought. The points of the triangle show how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all connected. By changing one of these three points, you can change the others for the better.

Make sure the people included in your plan have the necessary knowledge should you need their assistance. Medically Reviewed By Eric Patterson, LPCA licensed behavioral health or medical professional on The Recovery Village Editorial Team has analyzed and confirmed every statistic, study and medical claim on this page. At DreamLife Recovery, we are invested in your long-term recovery from addiction. You will always have somewhere to go or someone to call if you need immediate support in preventing relapse. You get an opportunity to make new, sober friends who will celebrate life’s wins and mourn the losses with you in a healthier way.

Relapse Prevention Plan (Depression)

MATClinics, for example, offers a combination of medical, counseling, and case management strategies. Another evidence-based support group that’s worth exploring is Smart Recovery. HALT is an acronym for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired.

  • Another form of bargaining is when people start to think that they can relapse periodically, perhaps in a controlled way, for example, once or twice a year.
  • Part of creating a new life in recovery is finding time to relax.
  • A trigger is simply something, anything, that will potentially make you feel like you need to use.
  • Each individual’s needs will vary, so it is important to assess where you are in your recovery and to behonest with yourself.
  • Consequently, individuals with a substance use disorder cannot stop using because they lack the skills needed to cope with these challenges.

Remind yourself of the negative consequences you’ve already suffered, and the potential consequences that lie around the corner if you relapse again. Have someone on call for weak moments when you might slip back into your old habits. A good friend can talk you down and remind you of all the wonderful things in your life worth protecting by staying off drugs and alcohol. Withdrawal symptoms like nausea, shakiness, and sweating can be so difficult that you want to use drugs again just to stop them. Medications can help you manage withdrawal symptoms before they trigger a relapse. Focus on how much better your life will be once you stop using drugs or alcohol for good. Think about what’s driving you to quit, such as rebuilding damaged relationships, keeping a job, or getting healthy again.

Relapse Prevention Plans

When you feel strong and you’re motivated to not use, then tell yourself that you won’t use for the next week or the next month. But when you’re struggling and having lots of urges, and those times will happen often, tell yourself that you won’t use for today or for the next 30 minutes.

  • In this article, we will discuss why a relapse prevention plan is so important and provide to you the steps necessary to create a relapse prevention plan of your own.
  • Finally, it is important to have a list of people in your support network who you, or a friend/family member, can call if things get worse.
  • Lead case planners and other members of the person’s support network should also be able to recognize the signs of overdose and know to contact emergency medical assistance if overdose is suspected.
  • You’ll work with an MCS Peer Recovery Support Specialist four times a month for the first three months.
  • Now, the actual thoughts of using start entering your mind.

Calling friends and family who support you is a great way to keep yourself on track. Recovering alone is not only hard, but it can be painful, and to some, almost impossible. There is a way to make things easier, and there are many who can help while in recovery. Engaging in relaxation techniques like meditation, breathwork, and yoga will help you slow down your mind and refocus on the bigger picture.

Relapse Prevention Plan

Relapse prevention therapy helps clients bring awareness to daily thoughts and activities. Through self-assessment, clients develop the tools they need to know about their stress limits, boundaries, and how to make choices that put sobriety first. Therapists and social workers can help patients write relapse prevention plans and connect patients with other treatment programs, support groups, and job training. It is only the first stage of a life-long process called recovery. The next step for many people is a 30 to 90 day stay in inpatient rehab, where the patient lives inside a rehab facility 24 hours a day. This is beneficial to those who have cooccurring mental illnesses, physical health problems, or who have serious addictions like a heroin addiction, benzodiazepine addiction, or other opioid drug addiction.

What are the disadvantages of relapse prevention?

Disadvantages include delayed disappearance of potentially irreversible and unpleasant side effects after discontinuation and, for many patients, a feeling of being controlled.

We have witnessed our son’s healing from the inside out and are grateful … For the time Tommy and Dennis and others have invested into his life.

How to Build a Relapse Prevention Plan

In Relapse Prevention , the clinician and patient work first to assess potential situations that might lead to drinking or using other drugs. These situations include, for example, social pressures and emotional states that could lead to thoughts about using substances, and ultimately to cravings and urges to use.

  • River Oaks, one of American Addiction Centers’ drug and alcohol rehab centers near Tampa, Florida, may be a good fit for you.
  • Later, when using turns into a negative experience, they often continue to expect it to be positive.
  • Even then, humility should always dictate the need for vigilance.
  • Finding ways to prevent relapse is the ultimate goal of any relapse prevention plan.

Don’t think about whether you can stay abstinent forever. It’s overwhelming even for people who’ve been in recovery for a long time. I will learn and use meditation and mindfulness techniques to balance myself when I am overstressed. I want to fix any broken relationships that have arisen from my substance abuse. I want to take better care of myself and improve my lifestyle. I will start on a lifestyle change in what I eat and keep up with my fitness routine.

You use drugs or alcohol to escape, relax, or reward yourself. Therefore you relapse when you don’t take care of yourself and create situations that are mentally and emotionally draining that make you want to escape. Part of relapse prevention involves rehearsing these situations and developing healthy exit strategies. A good relapse prevention plan will address all of these stages and equip patients with the tools needed to resist the urges and make healthier decisions.

relapse prevention plan

Don’t forget to consider thoughts and feelings that may lead to relapse. When creating a relapse prevention plan, health professionals at your treatment center will have you develop a written document of all the people in your life that triggered your substance abuse. These are people that will not be positive for your recovery. It may seem difficult to cut people out of your life, but remember it is ultimately what’s best for you to manage.