Relapse Prevention Programs in Durham, NC – (919) 267-1662
While successfully completing an addiction treatment program is the biggest and often the hardest hurdle to overcoming an addiction, no treatment program is complete without a relapse prevention program. Relapse prevention is key to helping recovering addicts stay in recovery, and to dealing with a relapse as positively as possible should one occur. In fact, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a weak support system is among the top risk factors for relapse, along with lack of a stable home, disinterest in life in general, and poor overall physical or mental health.
How Does Relapse Happen?
A single use of your substance of choice after treatment isn’t considered relapse; instead, it referred to as a lapse. Although a lapse can easily lead to relapse, it is the mental aspects of relapse that make it so dangerous to a recovering addict. Relapse prevention programs are designed to help you cope with both the physical aspect of a lapse, and the mental processes that can lead to a relapse.
There are three stages of relapse. The first, emotional relapse, is characterized by the negative emotions that may have led you to start using in the first place. Mental relapse, the second stage, is when you begin to start thinking about using more and more, and even making plans to use. The third stage is physical relapse, when you actually act on your plans and use again.
How Do Relapse Prevention Programs Work?
In addiction treatment, you learn a basic set of skills that will help you combat the negative emotions, such as fear, anxiety, anger, stress, and frustration, that appear in emotional relapse. Some of these include meditation, breathing exercises, and reaching out for support from others. Relapse prevention programs reinforce this skill set, as well as teaching you new techniques.
When mental relapse is reached, support from a sponsor or knowledgeable friend or family member can be essential. Relapse prevention also stresses the importance of finding hobbies, volunteering, or doing other things to keep you busy and help keep your mind off of your addiction. Attending meetings or regular group therapy sessions can also help stave off the mental stage of relapse.
What to Do When Relapse Occurs
Physical relapse was once viewed as treatment failure in the mental health field. Today, however, it is recognized that physical relapse doesn’t necessarily signify the end of your recovery. Instead, mental health professionals look at relapse as the opportunity to find out what skills you may be lacking or need to focus on, and further individualize your relapse prevention goals. Simply viewing the chance of a relapse as a possibility to learn more about yourself and your personal strengths and weaknesses can help you come through it all with a more positive perspective, and a higher chance of staying clean afterward.
Relapse Prevention is Essential to Recovery
Recovering addicts need a strong support system in place once they leave addiction treatment, especially within the first year. We make relapse prevention a key part of our treatment philosophy at Durham Drug Rehab Centers, in order to give you the best chances of a life-long adherence to drug-free living. Call us today at (919) 267-1662 to learn more.
