Using the HALT Acronym During Recovery

For many people struggling with a substance use disorder (an addiction to drugs or alcohol), detox is the first step in recovery. Yet addiction is a chronic disease requiring relapse prevention and support to ensure an individual can maintain their sobriety. After treatment, addiction patients get a chance to test their wings as sober people. Hopefully, it’s the first and last time they have to face such an endeavor. To help recovering addicts stay on the road to recovery, the treatment industry is always looking for useful tools to help maintain sobriety. The HALT acronym is one such tool. This is just one approach we embrace at Beaches Recovery as part of our diverse addiction recovery groups.

What Is the HALT Acronym?

The HALT acronym stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired. What these four emotions and physical attributes have in common is they can all become triggers for relapse. After doing all the hard work to get clean, the last thing a recovering addict wants is a devastating relapse. HALT is a tool. By teaching patients when and how to apply it, they stand a much better chance of developing the right coping skills. Coping skills for recovery can keep you safe from relapse.

How the HALT Acronym Applies

While working with diverse addiction recovery groups, patients discover they have three responsibilities in recovery–take care of their physical health, take care of their mental health and deal with triggers head-on. If they can successfully do these three things, lasting recovery becomes a certainty.

Taking care of one’s physical health means eating right and getting exercise. A body in motion gathers no moss. In other words, an active lifestyle and a good eating regimen leave less time to think about personal problems.

As for taking care of one’s mental health, continuing therapy is an excellent place to start. Beyond that, a recovering addict needs to stay connected to support groups, family, and friends. There indeed is strength in numbers. Also, it’s important to keep communicating feelings and letting out emotions. Decreasing stress is the best way to prevent pressure from building until drugs become the only solution.

Finally, sobriety often depends on one’s ability to deal with triggers. The HALT approach identifies those triggers. It’s up to the recovering addict to figure out how to recognize problematic situations, avoid triggers when possible, and apply their newfound coping skills when necessary.

Discover How the Beaches Recovery Approach Can Help

We are indeed advocates of the HALT approach to triggers. In our facility, we use custom treatment programs to help patients learn about their addiction. Subsequently, we help them develop good coping skills specifically for their issues. Our partners at Tides Edge provide comprehensive detox programs. Here at Beaches Recovery, we accept many types of health insurance coverage and are Joint Commission accredited. We understand that each individual has specific needs and will make their path to recovery. Thus, we provide several addiction treatment programs:

• Residential treatment
• Partial hospitalization program (PHP)
• Intensive outpatient program (IOP)
• Outpatient treatment

We offer dual diagnosis treatment to help individuals who are struggling with both a substance use disorder and a mental health concern. Addiction can increase the risk of developing a mental health issue. Fortunately, our dual diagnosis treatment program can address the following:

• Acute stress disorder
• ADHD
• Anxiety
• Bipolar disorder
• Depression
• Social anxiety disorder

Better coping skills may be all you need to avoid relapsing. Perhaps, the HALT acronym holds the key to your success in recovery. We encourage you to call Beaches Recovery as soon as possible for more information about our treatment options. A brighter future without drugs is only one phone call away at 866.605.0532.