Addiction Relapse Prevention Strategies

Developing strategies for relapse prevention can be a proactive way of keeping an addiction under control. Relapse, or a deterioration in progress, is a natural and expected part of the rehabilitation process, according to the website Drug Alcohol Rehab. Several methods can be used to keep your psychological and physical desires for drugs, alcohol or self-destructive behaviors in check.

Avoiding Triggers

• Triggers are objects, situations, people or even sounds that you associate with your addiction and that make you think of giving into that addiction once more. Possible triggers include socializing with friends who partake in the type of behavior you have given up, and listening to music that reminds you of such behavior.

  Recovering addicts should avoid triggers whenever possible, which may require making some drastic changes to your social life and overall lifestyle. For example, a recovering alcoholic may need to stop participating in a bowling league or a pub's dart league, as these activities often go hand-and-hand with drinking and could encourage relapse.

Forward-Thinking

• Some triggers, such as hearing a song on the radio, are unavoidable and can cause a recovering addict to become overwhelmed with the desire to return to previous behaviors. Addictions and Recovery.org notes that a good relapse prevention strategy in these situations is to forward-think, or play out the scenario of giving in to your addiction in your mind.

  While you will likely associate the initial rush or high in this mental exercise with positive emotions, continue through the episode until you have "come down" from the drug or behavior. Consider whether you would be able to stop the behavior after just one experience or whether your addiction would kick in and you would want more and more. By visualizing and reminding yourself of the negative--and cascading--consequences of relapse, you can help prevent it.

Emotional Rewards

• Relapse can be an emotionally-driven series of events, wherein you become anxious and depressed, suffering mentally until finally you convince yourself to give in. According to Addictions and Recovery, in such scenarios, recovering addicts conceive of reverting to an old habit as a reward or as a way to relax and relieve stress.

  The best strategy for eliminating emotional relapse is to find new, healthy rewards and relaxation techniques, which will fill the emotional void left by your addiction. Possible options include taking daily walks or bike rides, or practicing yoga or gardening.