Relapse Prevention in Raymondville, TX
A major component of recovering from drug or alcohol addiction is learning strategies for relapse prevention in Raymondville. Our drug rehab centers provide a range of recovery tools and skills necessary for learning to live a clean and sober lifestyle.
Most people assume that relapse, or ‘falling off the wagon' is an isolated event. What those people don't realize is that there are warning signs and triggers that come before the actual event of taking drugs or drinking alcohol again.
In an effort to increase the chance of maintaining motivation to stay sober, drug and alcohol rehab centers teach recovering people strong new ways to reduce the risk of relapsing.
What is Relapse Prevention?
Relapse prevention is a plan of action designed to prevent a recovering addict returning to a pattern of compulsive drug or alcohol use that includes addiction aftercare in Raymondville. The objective of relapse prevention programs is to encourage each recovering person to identify their own unique addiction triggers.
The triggers behind each person's addictive behaviors are individual to them, so it's important that programs for relapse prevention are tailored to suit everyone's own personal needs.
A key factor of relapse prevention in Raymondville is learning to recognize early warning signs of a potential relapse. When symptoms are identified, the person is able to take positive steps to turn self-destructive thoughts and behaviors around before they progress into a downward spiral that ends in relapse.
Relapse Statistics among Addicts and Alcoholics
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, relapse rates among addicts are similar to those of other chronic health conditions. The relapse rate for people with asthma is between 50% and 70%. By comparison, the relapse rates for addicts who have completed a comprehensive drug rehab program are between 40% and 60%.
However, a person who has attempted to experience withdrawal symptoms at home without help from professional drug detox in Raymondville has a relapse rate of up to 90%.
What Happens in a Relapse Prevention Program?
Programs for relapse prevention in Raymondville are customized to each person's unique needs. Research shows that the most common triggers for addiction relapse are cues linked to the person's drug experience. Those cues often include people, places or things associated with previous compulsive drug use.
Relapse prevention programs focus on learning to watch for addiction cues and early warning signs of a potential relapse. Programs then focus on developing strong new coping skills, positive actions, and healthy alternatives that allow the person to overcome urges and avoid relapsing.
Stages of Relapse
There are three distinct stages of relapse, including:
Emotional relapse: During the early stage of relapse the person is not thinking about using at all and may be strongly motivated to stay sober. However, their emotions and actions could be setting them up for a potential relapse in future. Signs of emotional relapse include:
- High stress situations
- Uncontrolled stress levels
- Mood swings
- Anxiety and anger
- Bottling up emotions
- Lack of self care
- Poor personal hygiene
- Poor eating habits
- Poor sleeping patterns
- Isolation
- Not asking for help
- Not attending meetings
If warning signs of early relapse aren't acted on quickly, the person may progress to later stages, increasing the risk of returning to self-destructive behaviors.
Mental relapse: During mental relapse, a part of the person's mind may be determined to stay sober, but the other part may begin thinking about using again. It's common for many people in recovery to start believing they have their addiction under control after rehab treatments, so using ‘just once' won't hurt. In reality, the recovering person is in mental relapse. Other warning signs include:
- Thinking about people and places associated with using
- Believing the addiction is under control
- Associating with old using friends
- Minimizing the consequences of using again
- Looking for relapse opportunities
- Planning a relapse around other people to avoid getting caught
Programs for relapse prevention teach a person several ways to pull back from mental relapse. The person is encouraged to call someone and talk through the urges to help gain some clarity. A recovering person is also taught to consider the consequences of using again and consider what could happen if they give in to their urges.
Physical relapse: If the recovering person doesn't recognize and act on earlier stages, it's likely they will progress to physical relapse and act on their urges. Some people use just once, realize they've made a mistake, and then seek help to get back on track to recovery again.
However, others may feel guilty, ashamed, angry, or depressed that they returned to addictive substance use, sinking into negative emotions and feelings that can cause them to continue using for months or even years.
Relapse does not mean that rehab treatment has failed. It simply means that the person's relapse prevention strategies need to be adjusted to prevent it happening again. Call us now for help (877) 804-1531.