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Relapse Prevention Strategies

Addiction to drugs and alcohol is a chronic disease. The not-for-profit drug and alcohol treatment facility, Caron, estimates that 50 to 90 percent of recovering drug users have at least one incidence of relapse. Because women are more likely to participate in group therapy, they are known to relapse less often than men. According to Caron, reasons for drug relapse include anger, frustration, stress, changing emotional states and confidence issues.

  1. Stabilization

    • Sobriety can only occur once an individual achieves medical and psychological stabilization. After a safe, medical detox, in which the patient will wait about 5 to 7 days for all substances to clear the body, the individual will begin the process of rehabilitation. During this time, addicts learn about their disease, gain coping skills and develop techniques for managing their feelings and emotions. Terry Gorski, a substance abuse and relapse prevention specialist, states that stabilization is the first step to warding off relapse. The key question for drug users, he suggests, is "What do you need to do to not [use drugs] today?"

    Support Groups

    • Relapse is a very real part of the recovery process. Patients should be reminded that there is no shame in relapsing. Those who are embarrassed to admit relapsing may continue to use drugs and alcohol secretly. Attending Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings could greatly reduce the chances of a person relapsing. In fact, a study of 1,800 alcohol-dependent individuals has shown those who choose abstinence over going to meetings or getting therapy were more likely to relapse. Another major study showed that 90 percent of recovering addicts who attended AA meetings weekly and who received rehabilitation aftercare for 1 year successfully abstained from drug abuse during that year.

    Warning Signs

    • Before any recovered drug-dependent person relapses, there will be more than one warning sign. Everybody has different triggers that may cause them to use drugs. For some it's seeing a drug or having cravings; others cannot cope with work-related anxiety or financial problems. DrugRehabs.org, a non-profit citizens outreach group, indicates that a relapse is a "process that begins when an individual slips back into old behavior patterns. A drug relapse begins long before the individual uses their first drug after quitting." Certified drug counselors suggest a technique called "drug relapse prevention planning." One step includes handling problems as they happen---rather than dealing with problems a person anticipates taking place. Keeping a healthy balance between work, family and recreational time is also important to prevent relapse. Gaining support from family and friends---and especially, regaining trust, are also important relapse prevention strategies.

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