Strategies for Preventing Relapse

It’s no secret that a high percentage of recovering alcoholics and drug addicts relapse at least once, and many people have to go through the recovery process multiple times before it finally sticks.

But the fact that relapse is so common is no reason to accept it. People who relapse often end up getting hooked to drugs or alcohol to a greater degree than ever before, and they sometimes end up losing their jobs, relationships, families or even their lives. It’s not to be taken lightly. Every recovering addict should be aware of the dangers of relapse and have a plan for dealing with those inevitable moments of temptation.

Recognize the Warning Signs

During recovery it’s essential to be honest with yourself every step of the way. If you’re having cravings, there’s no need to deny or repress them. Cravings are just a part of the process, and while they will eventually become less frequent, you’ll probably experience them from time to time for the rest of your life. The key is to acknowledge them openly so that you can fortify your will until they pass – and they always do pass. 

If you find yourself experiencing any of the following symptoms, talk to your sponsor, therapist or drug rehab support or alumni group immediately.

·        Loss of motivation for recovery: If you suddenly feel that attending your meetings is not worth the effort, then something has gone wrong in the recovery process. Go back through what you’ve learned in your recovery and try to identify where the process has failed.

·        High stress: Many people resort to drugs or alcohol when faced with stressful situations. For people who are new to recovery, it may be years since they’ve faced a stressful situation sober. In this precarious moment, make sure you’re staying positive.

·        Denial: If your recovery has hit a rough patch but you deny that it’s occurring, this may cause you to bottle up your feelings, which can come back to hurt you later on. It’s important to be open about how you feel and to be willing to discuss it with others.

·        Social withdrawal: Social isolation and secretive behaviors are common leading up to a relapse. Try to keep your communication pathways open, and keep talking to the people supporting your recovery even when it’s hard to do so.

·        Loss of control: Do you have trouble making healthy decisions, or do you find yourself making irrational choices that go against your recovery? If so, try to be mindful of these things so they don’t lead to bigger problems.

·        Temptation: Many relapses start out small, with the addict feeling that he or she can handle, say, one drink at a party. Remember that you have a disease and no matter how strong your will, you probably won’t stop after just one. If your thoughts of drinking or doing drugs become obsessive, talk about it with your therapist, doctor or sponsor.

Avoid People and Situations that Lead to Relapse

In recovery, you’ll hear about the importance of avoiding triggers. For example, if watching sports has always made you feel like drinking, then you might want to avoid watching sports until you’re further along in your recovery. Similarly, there may be certain people and places that you associate with your life of drinking or drug use, and these should be avoided until you’re in a better mental state. 

While it’s always a good idea to avoid triggers early in the recovery process, this is far from the complete picture. After all, addiction comes from within, and these triggers are just external phenomena that cause the internal disease to flare up. In fact, many addicts find that avoiding triggers doesn’t work because new triggers are always waiting in the wings to replace the old ones.

In the end, the changes must come from inside yourself. If a trigger does arise, you must have a strategy to get through the situation without breaking down and having a relapse. And triggers will arise – you’ll run into old drinking or drugging buddies, you’ll find yourself in situations where you used to drink, you’ll experience emotional volatility, you’ll encounter stress, and so on. Recovery is all about moving toward an emotional place where you can encounter triggers without giving in to your disease. The Twelve Steps are designed to help you with this.

Move Forward with a Positive Attitude

It’s important to accept that there are going to be moments of weakness in which you feel on the verge of relapse. These moments are a normal part of recovery. The good news is that every time you make it through one of these moments, this small personal triumph will strengthen your recovery. Eventually, you’ll find that they happen less and less often.

There are different strategies for dealing with these difficult moments, but the most important thing is to keep moving forward. Sitting at home and brooding over your temptation is not going to help. Get out and do something. Call a supportive friend, do something creative, get some exercise – whatever works for you. Do whatever it takes to move beyond that moment.

Telling recovering addicts to have a positive attitude is always a little silly, because of course we would all have positive attitudes all the time if it were really that simple. But it’s something that needs to be emphasized again and again. Try to avoid wallowing in depression and self-pity, and if your negative feelings start to get the best of you, call your therapist or sponsor.

Have a Plan for Dealing with Temptation

Aside from avoiding triggers and watching for relapse warning signs, you might consider formulating a relapse prevention plan to help keep yourself moving forward with a positive attitude when your addiction rears its head. Some recovering addicts find that living a structured and ordered life helps. Schedule your daily routine to make sure that you always have something to do, and give yourself plenty of time for things like hobbies and exercise.

Finally, make sure you have someone you can call whenever you feel weak, at any time of the day or night. This could be your Twelve Step sponsor, someone from a drug rehab alumni group, a therapist, or a trusted friend or family member. Make it explicit with this person; tell them that you are going to call them whenever your temptation becomes strong, and keep your word.