Relapse Prevention Techniques for Substance Abuse

When it comes to addiction treatment, you get support from doctors, therapists, peers in recovery, and your loved ones. But staying clean takes ongoing work, focus, and support. In rehab, you learn how to remain free of drugs and alcohol using relapse prevention techniques for substance abuse. What do those techniques include, and will mindfulness-based relapse prevention work for you?

Here at Beaches Recovery, our team of medical professionals, counselors, and therapists are eager to work alongside you to develop a relapse prevention plan that will help you continue to achieve your goals in recovery.

Do Relapse Prevention Techniques for Substance Abuse Work?

Drug addiction is a chronic disease. This means that it can relapse, and a cure does not exist, just as is true for asthma, diabetes, and mental problems like schizophrenia. But, like those other incurable diseases, you can manage your addiction disease. This management starts with learning relapse prevention techniques for substance abuse.

As with diabetes, relapse rates for people with addiction remain high. 40 percent of people with diabetes relapse. This happens when they stop meeting their dietary restrictions and medical treatment needs. The same will happen for you in recovery if you quit meeting your own needs.

When someone with diabetes suffers a medical relapse, they get treatment and support and restart their wellness. Again, with addiction, the same should happen after relapse. You do not fail when you slip in your recovery. Instead, it is up to you to make your addiction treatment program work for you by returning to better wellness and using your relapse prevention techniques for substance abuse.

What Leads to Relapse?

Many things lead to substance abuse relapse. Your risk factors and triggers are yours alone, differing from those of other people. Addiction therapy programs should go over your unique triggers and why you abused drugs in the first place. You must remember that after rehab, you still must work hard for your sobriety. Especially at first, addiction recovery takes work and focus on your health and wellness goals. If you have any doubts during or after rehab, talk to your counselors about continuing care options and outpatient programs.

There are many common triggers for relapse. Some of these include:

• Going places where you used drugs or alcohol
• Visual cues in the environment
• Smells, sounds, or feelings related to your substance abuse
• Negative or depressed moods
• Stress and anxiety
• Celebratory moods, socializing, or holidays
• Using even small amounts of your substance to test yourself

The substances you abused bring their risk factors—people who have alcohol dependence experience different triggers or temptations than people with opioid addiction, for example. How long you stayed sober affects your risk for relapse, as does your mental health. For these reasons, you can never stop paying attention to relapse prevention skills.

Gaining the Relapse Prevention Skills and Planning You Need

Fortunately, your drug detox at Tides Edge and rehab program at Beaches Recovery help you stay in long-term recovery. Quality programs provide a relapse prevention plan, including the guidance, support, education, therapies, and aftercare you need throughout your sobriety. Taking advantage of these programs proves vital to your sobriety.

Programs and services you need to get sober and stay in recovery include:

• Licensed, medical detox
• Multiple levels of rehab care
• Aftercare programs and sober living homes
• Extended care options

We also feature behavioral and holistic therapy programs, including:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
• Outdoor ropes course program
• Equine therapy
• Hiking and fitness therapies
• Bowling therapy

Reach Out to Beaches Recovery Today

In Jacksonville, Florida, Beaches Recovery provides all of these methods and services in detox at Tides Edge and Beaches Recovery rehab programs. Contact Beaches Recovery now at 866.605.0532 to obtain the relapse prevention technique for substance abuse needs for a better life.