Projects for Building Relapse Prevention Skills

Relapses are not uncommon for those dealing with addiction. To minimize the number of occurrences, you need to have a strategy in mind for those inevitable times when you want to return to your drug of choice, be it alcohol, an illegal substance, gambling or another addictive behavior. HALT is a 12-step slogan that stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired, all situations where relapse is more likely to occur. Think of this acronym when developing a plan to prevent relapse.

Hungry

• If you let yourself get too hungry, you are treading on dangerous ground. Your blood sugar levels will drop and you're more likely to be tempted to engage in addictive behavior. Fight this by dealing with hunger before it becomes an issue. Learn how to cook healthy meals by taking a class: cooking classes are offered at community colleges and sometimes at other venues, such as specialty food stores. Or invest in a new or used cookbook and learn at home. Just don't attempt to learn when you are already getting hungry, or you may become too frustrated.

Angry

• When people are overcome with anger, they make bad decisions. Yet anger is a normal human emotion and a part of life you must learn to deal with. Try to pinpoint situations in which your anger tends to flare: is there a certain person you often feel angry around, or a specific task that triggers it, or even a place? Keep a journal and write about your anger, how it feels, and how you have typically dealt with it in the past. Many people who struggle with addiction can benefit from talk therapy to help them learn more effective ways to manage their emotions, including anger.

Lonely

• When you gave up your addiction, you may have lost a good chunk of your social circle. It's important to surround yourself with people who support you and your recovery goals. Meetings are a good place to find those people, but there are other sources as well: think church or other religious gatherings, volunteer work, a part-time job. Make two lists. On the first list, write down all the people in your life now who are supportive of your recovery goals. On the second list, write down places you can go to connect with other people who are likely to be supportive. Make at least one connection a day based on your lists.

Tired

• While it's important to keep busy with positive activities and people when you're recovering, it's also necessary to factor in some downtime. A 15-minute nap in the afternoon can work wonders. Develop a bedtime schedule and stick to it: you'll be much more likely to sleep well if you do. Your plan might include a warm bath, a light snack such as milk and cookies, reading, and relaxing music.

  By developing a strategy ahead of time, you can avoid situations that could otherwise lead to relapse.