Relapse Prevention
A relapse can undo the progress you’ve made in addiction recovery by causing you to return to old, unhealthy habits. To ensure lifelong recovery, you must learn to recognize the warning signs of a potential relapse and rein things in before you get pulled back into the cycle of abuse. Here are our top tips for creating a rock-solid relapse prevention plan.
Protecting Your Sobriety
Committing to a sober lifestyle is one of the most significant changes you will ever make. Because addiction fundamentally rewires your neural pathways, recovery is an ongoing process that requires you to retrain your brain to live without drugs and alcohol. For every success you celebrate, there will be pitfalls to avoid, one of which is the temptation to drink or use drugs again.
Addiction is a complex disorder with no cure. The good news is that relapsing after completing medical detox and a stay in residential rehab does not mean you have failed or that you can’t start over with actively pursuing your recovery.
Effective Relapse Prevention Planning
Developing a relapse prevention plan is an integral part of your successful recovery from drug or alcohol addiction. Though you’ll need to craft your strategy based on your unique needs, goals, and triggers, the ideas below can give you a good starting point.
Self-Assess
Recognizing why you drank or used drugs can help you identify the root causes of your substance abuse disorder. If you have relapsed before, it can also help to reflect on the circumstances surrounding that time and use them as a tool to prevent future problems.Recognize Red Flags
A relapse is not an isolated event but rather a series of circumstances. The warning signs often emerge well before a person picks up old habits. Many factors can prompt a relapse, including stress, loneliness, anger, and environmental cues. Identifying your warning signs early on gives you time to talk to your therapist or sobriety sponsor before things spiral out of control and make a relapse all but inevitable.Ask for Help
To remain resilient, you must learn how to overcome the isolation of addiction and ask for help when you are going through a rough patch. Have a trusted friend or family member you can call when your cravings feel unmanageable. Seek healthy hobbies that keep you mentally and physically occupied and fill the hours you used to spend using drugs or alcohol.
Recovery Tailored to You
At Hope Lodge, we understand the challenges that come with maintaining sobriety. Relapse prevention is a crucial part of the recovery process, and you can protect your hard-earned sobriety with sensible strategies that align with your goals. Remember, relapsing is not a failure; it’s an opportunity to refine your approach and recommit to your recovery.
Hope Lodge offers two tranquil California locations in Costa Mesa and Lake Arrowhead. We offer same-day admission and accept many forms of health insurance. Whether you’re seeking help for the first time or looking to restart your recovery with us, we are here for you. Our team is here 24/7 to take your confidential call and walk you through our admissions process.