Relapse Prevention

Want to know more about relapse prevention? Contact us or continue reading to learn about relapse prevention plans and therapies and how Transcend can assist you.

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Recovery can be extremely challenging, as it can create an immense sense of mental anguish at times. When a person is in active addiction, stopping using is generally very difficult. This principle is especially true if the person perceived a sense of comfort while in active addiction. Recovery can be followed by a relapse, which is why relapse prevention is imperative to one’s recovery.

Rehabilitative treatment is geared towards maintaining sobriety, meaning there is a need for an effective relapse prevention plan. At Transcend we understand how essential relapse prevention plans and therapies are to one’s recovery. We’re here to help create relapse prevention plans for all of our clients.

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You can also call us at (800) 208-1211

What Is Relapse Prevention?

A relapse can throw a wrench into any successful recovery effort. Even when a client has gotten treatment and is slowly reacclimating to daily life, the potential for relapse can become a concern. This trend is most prominent in the first 90 days of recovery, as that is the most likely period for relapse.

Transcend believes that with adequate support, making a full recovery is a reality. We intend to help our clients recognize this, which is where our relapse prevention plans come into play.

The idea of relapse prevention involves helping our clients to strengthen the required skill set needed to maintain sobriety. Of course, developing these skills and leaning on them takes some getting used to, but we provide the necessary support at every step.

Through careful organization and assessment for a proper relapse prevention plan, we contribute positively to the recovery effort, which benefits the personal growth of the client. We understand the risk of relapse at any stage of recovery, and this level of understanding is what allows us to provide adequate aid.

What Type of Relapse Prevention Plan Does Transcend Offer?

Helping our clients to stay the course of recovery is a task that we aim to approach delicately. Therefore, it is an area in which effective planning must take place. A relapse prevention plan needs to be a roadmap as well as a strategy. We need to be able to set adequate guidelines and measure the effectiveness of our efforts.

Our plan revolves around the pillars of support and community. This focus is due to the importance of these factors in a sustained recovery effort. To this end, we promote various meeting types to create an encouraging environment.

The goal is to get our clients to identify themselves as a part of a community, as opposed to feeling like they are the only ones experiencing these issues. Once this is achieved, the Transcend team can identify when a person may begin to struggle and can intervene before relapse occurs.

Relapse prevention is not impossible, nor is it the end of the road. Therefore, we support those who have relapsed with adequate outpatient rehabs and sober companions when needed. We encourage individuals by incorporating coping skills to help not just with their treatment but their overall well-being. We also come up with a relapse prevention plan that may help them pre and post-treatment.

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What Is the Best Way to Prevent Relapse?

Transcend acknowledges the sheer level of difficulty present when overcoming any obstacle to prevent relapse. There is a process of consistent patience and practice to create success on the road to recovery.

The best way to prevent a relapse is to make fundamental lifestyle changes. The exact definition of insanity speaks to repeating a single course of action and expecting different results. We do not believe in approaching life in this manner and aim to help our clients understand how fundamental lifestyle changes can help liberate them from their addiction. Here are some of the practices used in a relapse prevention plan:

Modifying associations – There are many cases in which the type of friends our clients had before recovery was a massive part of the problem. The temptation and its associated lifestyle need to be removed from the equation for the best possible outcomes. Associations that feed into the addiction typically lead to trouble.

Altering outing locations – Apart from people, there are also physical places that can trigger a relapse. For example, if alcohol was the drug of choice, then it may be best to avoid settings such as bars or nightclubs, especially when still under a treatment program.

Adequate planning – This aspect is where elements such as the relapse prevention plan are drawn upon. There must be a total understanding of what is to be done to achieve a state of recovery.

What Are the Stages of Substance Abuse Relapse?

Relapse is not something that happens overnight. It occurs in somewhat measurable stages. At Transcend, we understand the inner workings of relapse, which is how we can adequately plan to address it. The stages of relapse are:

Emotional relapse – In this stage, a person’s mind may not directly be partaking in the addiction. However, there are behavioral patterns that start to occur as a part of post-acute substance use withdrawal. Some of the signs include meeting absenteeism, anger, anxiety, isolation, mood swings, and defensiveness.

Mental relapse – You can imagine this state as an intense level of mental anguish. It is as if there is an internal war that rages on. At this moment, there is the thought of going back to using. However, the recovering part of you fights against it. Signs of this phase include fantasies about the addiction, lying, seeing the “good” in the source of habit, and returning to old circles.

Physical relapse – This stage doesn’t require much explanation. If someone experiences the first two stages and isn’t adequately supported, this stage occurs when the person starts using again. For example, a recovering alcoholic starts drinking again.

It is essential to have a stable relapse prevention plan which may require the development of sustainable coping skills and relapse prevention therapy in the form of cognitive-behavioral therapy. These are useful and can give assurance to the person on their progress with long-term sobriety.

clients of relapse prevention program gathering outdoors

What Are the Best Therapies and Coping Skills for Early Relapse Prevention?

clients of relapse prevention treatment attending cookout outdoors

If relapse prevention therapy is presented at an early stage, it generally refers to emotional reversion. The most important things for a person at this stage are recognizing what's happening, understanding the possible outcome expectancies, and altering the associated high-risk situations and behaviors due to drug abuse. If it manifests as anxiety, relaxation techniques may be helpful, especially in unexpected situations. If it presents as isolation, there’s nothing wrong with asking for help. The person who is struggling must move back toward the point of adequate self-care and identify key warning signs as quickly as possible.

Transcend aims to create a supportive and community-based environment to motivate our clients at this early stage before things take a turn for the worst. The meetings offered are safe spaces that clients can use to gain additional strength needed to tackle the issues of emotional or drug use relapse.

In addition to peer support groups, many people in recovery have found that having a mentor has been instrumental in maintaining their sobriety. Mentors act as an additional form of support, providing newly sober people with encouragement and accountability for their sobriety. A good mentor has a deep understanding of the intricacies of drugs or alcohol addiction; in fact, many mentors have struggled with addiction in the past themselves and can relate on an empathetic level with their mentees.

Patients may undergo cognitive restructuring or cognitive behavioral therapy for their substance use/drug or alcohol use. This psychotherapy method for addiction treatment challenges negative thoughts or behaviors to alter these unwanted behavioral patterns and treat mental health disorders.

Ultimately, there is no need for clients to address these issues alone. They are never left to feel like their conflicts are foreign, shameful, or isolated; instead, they are empowered to share their experience. This information can be used to effectively create a strong relapse prevention plan and to address any potential deterrents to a full recovery.

Why Relapse Prevention Fails?

Relapse prevention therapy is necessary for a successful recovery. The problem is that many of the developed relapse prevention strategies don’t optimally address the issues. It’s as simple as “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Note that this is not an indication that failures only occur if no mental health planning takes place.

The less detail a plan has, the more likely it is to fail. We can attest to our planning workflow, which creates actionable strategies, as opposed to just concepts being laid out. It is important to remember that people look at these things to maintain their sobriety.

Finally, even in some cases where planning is done right, commitment, and accountability to the plan are missing. Both the plan’s creator and the client must collaborate and stay motivated to see the plan through.

Relapse prevention most often fails due to poor planning. Additionally, people in recovery are not always treated as individuals. To avoid these pitfalls, Transcend emphasizes comprehensive planning as a part of our relapse prevention effort.

Personalization is another crucial element. The plan must be designed to work for the person it applies to. It may employ different supplementary treatment options or activities, such as developing coping skills to prevent relapse and anticipate potential warning signs. Recovery is a difficult journey, as it is also a highly personal one. We see our clients as individuals and always plan with that mindset.

How to Implement Relapse Prevention Strategies

When planning for something, an implementation phase typically follows. Relapse prevention is no exception to this. At some point, the developed plan must be executed to achieve the desired results.

The best way to go about successfully planning and implementing is to have professionals in your corner who have a vested interest in your needs and your recovery. Transcend recommends that you reach out to us for your relapse prevention strategy implementation needs. We guarantee support, guidance, and motivation throughout your recovery.

Los Angeles Relapse Prevention

Come join us at one of our beautiful Los Angeles sober living homes. There is a vibrant recovery community at Transcend waiting to support you.

11150 W. Olympic Blvd. Suite 760-A, Los Angeles CA 90064

New York Relapse Prevention

There is a vibrant New York sober living community at Transcend waiting to support you on your road to recovery.

343 W 71st St, New York, NY 10023, United States

Houston Relapse Prevention

Imagine making new friends and living with purpose in the exciting, beautiful, and peaceful Houston Heights neighborhood in Texas.

945 Harvard St, Houston, TX 77008, United States

Call the recovery specialists at Transcend today at 800-208-1211 or use our contact us form and see how Transcend Recovery Community's relapse prevention program can help you remain sober long-term.

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