If you go through drug rehab and complete the program successfully, you have a higher chance of recovery. However, no addiction treatment program yields 100 percent results. You could relapse. With the right relapse prevention techniques, your chances of relapse are much lower.
It is important to put a relapse prevention plan into place to help you with the everyday struggle that you will go through once you get back to your normal life. You may want to explore different techniques to find out which ones work best for you. Let’s take a closer at some of the relapse prevention techniques that can prevent you from going back into addiction.
What Are Some Relapse Prevention Techniques?
Relapse prevention techniques that professionals and those in recovery recommend include:
Know Your Triggers
During your recovery, you will learn about addiction triggers and how they cause you to want to dive headlong back into your addiction. Triggers are people, places, or situations, that make you feel a certain way. They are different for each person. You need to identify your triggers so that you can prepare for how to manage them when they occur.
Manage Your Emotions
Dialectical behavior therapy teaches you how to manage your emotions so that you can navigate almost any situation. If you can learn to manage your emotions, then you have a higher chance of staying clean. Remember that emotions are not always negative. Sometimes being on an emotional ‘high’ can trigger a relapse as much as anger, anxiety, or depression.
Keep Your Life as Balanced as Possible
When your life gets unbalanced, you are vulnerable to start drinking or taking drugs once again. While life is never perfectly balanced at any one point, you can take steps to find an equilibrium between personal life, family, work, and community. All of these are positive things as long as they are kept in check, just like your addiction disorder.
Stay in Control of Your Life
One of the ways that relapse occurs is when you enter into a situation that you were not expecting. While these situations can’t be avoided at all times, it is possible to set the parameters in your life. Always be aware of what you are doing, where you are going, and who you are spending time with. Try to reduce spontaneity at first and create a more structured life.
Create a Massive Support Network
When you are transitioning back into normal life after drug or alcohol rehab, you can never have too much support. Try to create workable network support from various sources such as:
- Your therapist
- Support group
- Alumni program options
- Ongoing intensive outpatient rehab
- Reliable friends and family
By surrounding yourself with a support network, you can stay on the right track. Try always to be accountable to someone regardless of where you are. Also, try to continue your therapy and attend your support group meetings regularly. If you are tempted to drink or take drugs, then reach out to a member of your alumni program.
Stay Physically Healthy
Physical health promotes mental health. If possible, try to get on a fitness regimen throughout the week. Also, pick and choose what you eat and stay on a healthy diet. The better you feel, the more you are equipped to say no to a relapse. If you need the motivation to stay in the gym, then grab a partner and workout with family or friends.
Learn Relapse Prevention Techniques
Are you ready to overcome your addiction to drugs or alcohol? Then contact Washburn House to learn more about your addiction treatment options. Together, we can learn how to stay clean through effective relapse prevention techniques. Call 855.298.3104 today to strengthen your resistance to relapse.