Relapse Prevention Strategies for Women

The Addiction Library website reports that as many as 21 million women abuse drugs or alcohol and that an additional 32 million women smoke. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports also that self-injury rates are higher for women than men. Because of these statistics and other factors, women need effective relapse prevention strategies.

Relax

• Stress is a major trigger for addiction behaviors and self-injury. Sometimes traditional relaxation techniques like Yoga or massage may be physically challenging, ignore certain aspects of female anatomy or make some women self conscious. If you find this to be the case with you, try other self-pampering techniques that suit your personality. You can, for example, try riding a roller coaster, getting a manicure or taking five minutes to lie on the floor and identify what sounds you can hear. Do anything that calms you down or distracts you to help avoid the addiction or self-injury behavior. Everyday activities can distract you from a bad feeling or situation that is not permanent.

Physical Care

• Establish a routine of good physical care. Exercise, eat right and practice good personal hygiene. Because physical insecurity is a factor in female stress that leads to addiction and self-injury behaviors, keeping yourself healthy is a good technique for relapse prevention. If you feel like you are physically healthier or more attractive, you are less likely to go back to abusing your body. Additionally, being physically healthy can prevent chemical imbalances that alter moods negatively. This may be particularly significant for women whose negative moods and subsequent addiction and self-injury behaviors tend to coincide with the hormonal roller coaster that accompanies the menstrual cycle.

Relationships

• Because women seek emotional connections with people, relationships are vital in relapse prevention. If these connections are lacking, a woman may feel as though no one cares and that it therefore doesn't matter whether the relapse happens. You don't necessarily need to join a therapy group, but reaching out to others is important. Call at least one person a day and don't isolate yourself. When you engage in conversation, practice active communication where you share something personal and then ask the person with whom you are speaking to share something too. Don't get caught in the trap of feeling selfish for sharing yourself. Find someone who can be your designated "buddy" to vent to when you feel like reverting to previous habits.