What is Relapse 

Addiction recovery is a long process with many steps and phases. During treatment and recovery from addiction you may experience withdrawal symptoms and urges that are very hard to ignore or get past. 

What is relapse? Well relapse is when you give in to your addiction after being sober for a certain period of time. This is an ever-present issue when going through recovery. 

The NIH estimates that 40-60% of people who are in recovery may relapse in their journey to overcome addiction. 

Being aware of relapse, and having a plan to deal with the stages of recovery and the potential stages of relapse will help you prevent relapse. A relapse prevention plan is the most effective way to stay on track in your recovery. Create your relapse prevention plan, understand your plan, and know your plan – and if it ever comes down to it, you WILL know what to do and how to stay sober and maintain your path on recovery. 

What is Relapse Prevention and Why is Relapse Prevention Plan Important?

Relapse prevention is exactly what it sounds like, as we just discussed what relapse is, relapse prevention is preventing relapse from occurring. Creating a relapse prevention plan is the single most important and effective thing you can do to prevent relapse. 

Now you may wonder, what exactly would a relapse prevention plan look like? Well, we’re going to get right into that. 

Writing a relapse prevention plan and taking the correct steps to help yourself stick to the plan is going to be very effective and beneficial in your recovery. A relapse prevention plan doesn’t always need to be physically written down – but writing down at least certain aspects of your plan can have benefits and give you a better and even visual understanding of how you want to approach your plan if it ever needs to be taken into action. Also, having a physical copy can really ease your mind and give you an easy guide to refer to when the time comes and you may not be in the right mental space.

The Importance of a Relapse Prevention Plan

Because the likelihood of relapse is so high, it is very very important to have a plan in place from the start. 

Why is a Relapse Prevention Plan Important in Recovery?

Relapse is a common component of recovery. Studies estimate that more than 2/3 of individuals in recovery relapse within weeks to months of beginning addiction treatment. Addiction is a chronic disease. Some individuals may struggle with relapse for many years before they are able to maintain long-term sobriety. Individuals who relapse are not failures. In fact, relapse may be caused by a variety of factors such as:

 

• Money problems
• Undiagnosed mental health problems
• Stress
• Relationship problems
• Smells/Triggering Environments
• Exposure to trauma
• Withdrawal symptoms
• Poor self-care
• Isolation
• Pride/Overconfidence

What Makes a Good Relapse Prevention Plan

A good relapse prevention plan will outline a specific course of actions, mechanisms, and ideas to take in the case of an issue where you become worried of a relapse. Relapse can occur when you notice that your cravings are becoming triggered and have become too intense to control. 

A good plan can be changed and updated as time goes on, you may figure out new ways to cope or learn about different stress reduction techniques that you will want to be a part of your plan. And the more details you have in your plan the more likely it will be that you will be able to implement the plan and avoid relapse.

Relapse Prevention Strategies May Include: 

• Daily life maintenance plan
• Accountability methods.
• Specific triggers
• Tools for stress and trigger coping
• Healthy lifestyle strategies and self-improvement ideas
• Goals

How to Create a Relapse Prevention Plan

Follow this step-by-step guide when writing your relapse prevention plan

Step 1 | Goals & Motivation

Identify your goals in recovery and find the motivation in you that calls for positive changes. Like a relapse prevention plan, these goals need to be individualized, specific to you. When thinking about your recovery, think about what you want out of it, what you want may be different from what someone else what’s – so it is important to always think personally and deeply for what motivates you. 

Consider what changes you are willing to make, and what motivates you to make these changes. Things that may motivate you to make changes could be things like keeping your job, maintaining your family and friend relationships, improving your skills in your hobbies, becoming healthier and living a better lifestyle, improving your self-esteem. These are all great examples for motivational objectives you may want to strive for. 

Step 2 | Name Your Challenges

When creating your plan, identify cravings and triggers by identifying them and methods for overcoming them. A trigger is simply something, anything, that will potentially make you feel like you need to use. Each person has their own specific triggers so it is important that you identify yours. 

An example of a trigger could be a person that you might know that you always used with – avoid this person if you are not confident in yourself to stay on your recovery path. Stress could be another example of a trigger – this is something that may not always be easily avoidable so you need to put together coping strategies to relax yourself in the event that you do become stressed. 

Think about what might be the biggest challenges for you in your daily life and consider how you can best manage those things. Utilize relaxing and stress-management techniques to stay on track. 

Step 3 | Self-care & Lifestyle 

Find ways to improve your self-care and lifestyle habits. It can be very fulfilling to immerse yourself in health living habits like having a routine that involves exercise and healthy cooking. Creating a fitness schedule and paying attention to what and how much you eat can really help not only your health but get your mind in the right place keeping you focused on a healthy goal. Follow your routine, stay on track with your workouts and find healthy balanced meals to eat throughout the day. 

Getting enough sleep is another aspect to a healthy lifestyle, everyone needs sleep and there is a minimum amount of sleep your body needs to function to its full capacity. If you find yourself having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, try changing your habits and schedule or research ways to get to sleep faster. Being active during the day and eating a better diet may also help with your sleep. 

Finding hobbies that occupy your mind and your time and are incredible. Something that you enjoy will keep you busy – when you’re doing something you love and you’re fully immersed in it time goes by faster than you can imagine. Creative or healthy hobbies are great outlets, things like dance, yoga, rock climbing, hiking are all great examples of hobbies. Things like this are great because you can always learn more, you can always improve at it, and you can always spend time enjoying it because these are things that don’t get old if you genuinely enjoy them. Take care of yourself physically and emotionally and incorporate these practices into your daily life. 

 

Step 4 | Support System & Communication 

Great people around you can be a wonderful benefit during recovery. Surround yourself with likeminded people who support you on your path to recovery, people you can count on in times of need. There are also different types of groups that can be helpful both in letting out your feelings and finding new people to associate yourself with. Peer support and 12-step groups can be really helpful during recovery. The Journal of Addictive Disorders found that actively participating in a group like this were much more likely to remain abstinent over those who did not. 

 

Having people like this to talk to when you need it is important. Think about the ways which you can effectively communicate and ask for help when a time comes that you may need it. If you have already thought about it it will be much easier when the time comes. Keep contact information for mentors, counselors, and friends & family close so it is easy to reach out if the time comes. 

Step 5 | Accountability 

You must keep yourself accountable because no one will do it for you, not like you can. You must devise ways to stay accountable to the plan which you have created. 

Methods of staying successful in the plan: a great way to stay accountable – what does this mean? 

Give yourself mini goals to reach. These goals will not only allow you to track your progress but keep you motivated to continue and not give in to a craving. If your progress is fresh in your mind with each of your mini goals you will be more aware of your progress and feel the need to stay on track in your recovery. 

Create a list of things you are thankful for and the reasons for which you want to be sober. Keep this in your relapse prevention plan to remind yourself why you are doing this, and what you are working towards. This will keep you motivated in your journey. 

Relapse Prevention Plan Example / Template

Having your relapse prevention plan written down will serve as a way to keep you accountable to the plan. It also gives you something to refer back to to remind yourself of why you’re doing this and how to stay on track.  

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) publishes that being aware and taking note of early warning signs of stress can be extremely helpful in working to prevent relapse. In addition, having a strong “action plan” in writing can be a great resource. The action plan should offer guidance and be a tool for accomplishing and holding fast to your goals in recovery.

Below you will find a sample of a relapse prevention plan example which you can use as a template for your relapse prevention plan. Use this example as guidelines for writing your own personalized plan. 

Personal goals for self-improvement:

• I want to take better care of myself and improve my lifestyle. I will start on a lifestyle change in what I eat and keep up with my fitness routine. 
• I wish to get my job back and excel at my position where I can become a valuable resource to the company and become financially stable.
• I will attend self-management classes to manage myself, my anger, my emotions.
• I want to fix any broken relationships that have arisen from my substance abuse.

Triggers and potential challenges:

• Going out to the bars after work or on the weekends.
• Hanging out with Freddie and day drinking on his deck.
• Money problems and being irresponsible with my financials 
• Parties where drugs and alcohol are being consumed 
• Fighting with my partner and struggles in home life 

Methods for coping with stress and minimizing triggers:

• I will learn and use meditation and mindfulness techniques to balance myself when I am overstressed. 
• I will avoid going to bars after work or on the weekends.
• I will attend my support group every week at least once per week. 
• I will not attend wet events.
• I will self-reflect every day and keep a journal for my thoughts. 
• Once a day I will do something fun, for myself 
• If I get into trouble I will call a mentor or friend to stay accountable for my actions. 

Daily life and self-care plans:

• Drinking enough water and staying on track with balanced healthy meals
• Get at least 9 hours of sleep each night. 
• Join a gym, or buy home workout equipment and exercise 3 days per week. 
• I will go for a 2 mile walk every day. 
• I will take time in the day to emotionally check myself and make sure that I am doing okay. 

My support system:

• Peer counselor/mentor
• Members in Support Group
• Family 
• Sober friends
• Mental, medical, and/or substance abuse treatment providers

Consequences, gratitude, and accountability actions:

• I am thankful for my friends and sober family, and wish to be a good friend, family, and partner
• My job and my financials depend on me staying sober and in control 
• I may lose my job and my house and even family if I cannot stay sober 
• My physical health is directly related to me staying sober and not using drugs so I must continue to stay clean
• This plan is a promise to myself and everyone important in my life that I will stay sober and continue on my path to recovery.

Addiction Outreach Clinic

Addiction Outreach Clinic is an outpatient opioid addiction treatment center with 7 locations throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania. The clinics at AOC are staffed with caring addiction doctors and nurses who have helped thousands overcome addiction in some of the most desolated communities in the midwest. To get scheduled with Addiction Outreach Clinic just call us and get an appointment scheduled in just 24-48 hours. If you prefer not to call us you can also send us a message for an appointment request here or by emailing dana@oldaoc.top. 

1. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-FFR1-2016/NSDUH-FFR1-2016.htm#illicit12
2. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/frequently-asked-questions/how-effective-drug-addiction-treatment
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26339217
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26339217
5. https://substanceabusepolicy.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1747-597X-6-17
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2746426/
7. https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/disaster-distress-helpline/warning-signs-risk-factors