Relapse Prevention in Brownsville, TX
Addiction is a chronic and relapsing disease, which means that it can't be cured, and it can recur after a period of abstinence. Relapse prevention in Brownsville addiction treatment programs help individuals reduce the chance of relapse once they are recovered.
The relapse rates for addiction are similar to other chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease, with 40 to 60 percent of people relapsing once in recovery, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Follow-up relapse prevention treatment offers the best chances of long-term successful recovery.
What is Relapse Prevention?
Relapse prevention is not something that you can finish. Preventing relapse is the overarching goal of life after addiction treatment, and it's addressed through a variety of avenues, including individual, group, and family talk therapy, complementary therapies, and psychoeducational classes.
Relapse prevention programs help people with an addiction develop a toolkit of skills and strategies to reduce stress, combat cravings, and cope with other powerful triggers. Some of the steps we take for relapse prevention in Brownsville include:
- Identify high risk situations and create a concrete plan to cope with or avoid them.
- Identify personal triggers and develop strategies for coping with them.
- Work toward finding purpose and meaning in life without drugs or alcohol.
- Learn ways of having fun and enjoying life in sobriety.
- Develop a strong support system at home and in the community.
- Engage with a support group to stay motivated in recovery and maintain a high level of personal accountability.
- Learn important stress reduction techniques to combat stress, a powerful relapse trigger.
- Learn about the science of relapse.
- Learn to recognize the signs of each stage of relapse and develop a plan for asking for help.
- Develop a higher sense of self-awareness and mindfulness to recognize the early signs of relapse more quickly and easily.
Relapse Occurs in Stages
Learning about how relapse occurs is a major component of relapse prevention in Brownsville. Relapse doesn't happen overnight. Rather, it occurs in three stages, each with its own signs and symptoms. Recognizing the stages and signs of relapse is essential for successfully preventing it.
Emotional Relapse
The first stage of relapse is emotional relapse. While you're not consciously thinking about using again at this stage, your emotions are setting you up for relapse. Signs of emotional relapse include a lack of self-care, including poor sleeping and eating habits, and unresolved negative emotions like anger, resentment, frustration, and feelings of isolation. Learning to recognize the signs of emotional relapse is an important focus of relapse prevention programs and preventing relapse early on.
Mental Relapse
As emotional relapse transitions to mental relapse, you begin to think about using again. You may reminisce about using, and you may begin to contact the people you used to use with. You may begin to bargain, thinking you can just use on special occasions, or just on weekends. You begin to think that maybe you can control your use. This stage ends with making the decision to use again, and at this point, it's very difficult to turn things around.
Physical Relapse
Physical relapse is the final stage, and it's where you actually use again, which is known as a lapse. While a lapse won't necessarily lead to a relapse of the addiction, which is characterized by compulsive drug use despite negative consequences, swift intervention is essential for getting back on track with recovery quickly and successfully.
Relapse is Not the End of the World
An article published in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine implores addicts to view relapse as an opportunity to identify and develop the missing skills that led to the relapse. For example, stress is a major trigger for relapse, and if it led to using again, learning to effectively reduce stress will be a major focus in helping to prevent another similar setback.
Those who approach a lapse or relapse with a positive attitude and focus on the progress they've made so far are more likely to rebound from a relapse and get back on track with recovery stronger and more motivated than ever. Conversely, those who view a relapse as a personal failure and focus on negativity are more likely to feel overwhelmed and give up on recovery altogether.
Relapse Prevention in Brownsville Works
Our treatment program that focuses on relapse prevention in Brownsville will not only help you develop the skills and strategies essential for preventing relapse, but it will also help you find purpose and meaning in life. A strong focus on improving your life in all areas helps you find enjoyment and fulfillment in a life without drugs or alcohol, and this is a major factor in preventing relapse.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration promotes the significance of holistic relapse prevention addiction treatment programs that address a range of issues of mind, body, and spirit will go a long way toward ensuring a higher quality of life, a better sense of well-being, and a stronger chance of enjoying long-term, successful recovery.
If you or your loved one is suffering from addiction and relapses time and time again, then this is your time to seek immediate help. Call Brownsville Drug Rehab Centers today at (877) 804-1531 to speak to an addiction specialist about our relapse prevention treatment programs.