Even after a person addicted to drugs or alcohol has gone through a residential treatment program, the road to recovery still stretches on a long way. One of the key ways to stay sober is to learn what your triggers are and when you are most vulnerable to urges to use. This white paper identifies common triggers and strategies people in addiction recovery can use to avoid them. Although it may be difficult, it’s possible to live a sober and healthful life by being mindful of your emotions and knowing when to seek help. For more information about relapse prevention and addiction recovery, contact Pyramid Healthcare.
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RELAPSE PREVENTION & ADDICTION RECOVERY: TRIGGERS AND HOW
TO AVOID THEM
An unfortunate risk that all people in drug and alcohol
recovery face is relapse. While there is no relapse prevention
formula that guarantees a life of sobriety, people who are able to
find comfort in sober living are mindful of the rewards they find
in recovery, learn to identify the emotions and situations that put
them in danger of relapse, and find strategies for dealing with new
challenges. 5 YEARS SOBER RELAPSE RATE 40-60% 1 YEAR SOBER 0-40% of
relapse Excellent chance for a drug-free life
MENTAL STATES ASSOCIATED WITH RELAPSE Sometimes the biggest
challenges to personal well-being come from within. By learning to
recognize negative thought patterns, people in recovery can develop
ways of overcoming them. OVERCONFIDENCE SELF-PITY COMPLACENCY ANGER
NOSTALGIA CELEBRATION BOREDOM OVERCONFIDENCE Believing that an
addiction is broken or under control may be used as a reason to
halt recovery strategies or even begin to experiment with drug use
again. COMPLACENCY Gradually, people in recovery may take their
accomplishments for granted, thinking that because they have been
abstinent for so long, they no longer have to worry about drug
addiction or relapse. This may eventually lead to drug use as
former users try to prove to themselves or others that they no
longer suffer from addiction. NOSTALGIA Reminiscing about former
highs or drunken adventures can quickly lead to renewed drug use in
an attempt to relive the glory days. Users may also convince
themselves that having gone through rehabilitation, they will be
able to better control their actions this time around. BOREDOM
After leaving behind intense drug use, former users may not have
hobbies they can readily take up, so they may not know how to
constructively use their free time, possibly leading back to drug
use. SELF-PITY After going through substance recovery and
abstinence, people may begin to feel irritated that others do not
have their problems. Maybe friends with similar patterns of use
seem to be managing better or they see others use without running
into the same consequences they themselves face. After a while,
former users may feel like they deserve a drink or are entitled to
a hit because they have worked so hard. ANGER Some drug users fall
into addiction because they used substances to cope with anger or
stress. A dramatic emotional episode can trigger a former user to
self-medicate with drugs again. CELEBRATION If drugs were used as a
reward, they may be tempting to use again after achieving a major
accomplishment, especially if a former user hasnt learned to
appreciate other forms of rewards.
POSITIVE STEPS TOWARD RELAPSE PREVENTION AVOID TEMPTING
SITUATIONS: Sometimes people in addiction recovery want to prove to
themselves or others that they can be around a substance without
using it, so they test themselves. For example, a person with a
drinking addiction may go to a bar, order a drink, and actively
resist drinking it. This is a dangerous and unfair test. A person
will not always have the resolve to resist temptation, even if he
or she can at other times. Especially in early drug and alcohol
recovery, it is important that people avoid the situations, places,
and even people they know will create a temptation to use. DEVELOP
A POSITIVE SUPPORT NETWORK: Drug addiction often starts out as a
social experience, and people who use may fuel the negative
behavior in others. Social influence is very powerful, and just as
it can encourage negative behavior, it can also encourage positive
behavior. In recovery, it is important to surround yourself with
people who do not use and who you can trust to help you make
healthy choices. These should be people you can go to when you feel
the urge to use. Do not feel that your only options are to be
around old using friends or to remain isolated. DEVELOP HEALTHY
HABITS: Take care of yourself by learning or practicing healthy
habits. Cooking at home and exercising outdoors are a very positive
start. Also look into constructive hobbies that you enjoy, such as
reading, taking classes at a community college, learning a craft
(painting, knitting, creative writing, etc.), keeping a garden, and
more. These habits will help you avoid boredom and more effectively
manage stress. Being able to put your energy toward constructive
projects helps to put problems into better perspective and can help
you rebuild a positive selfimage. Help new habits stick by creating
a daily schedule where you make sure you have time to fit in your
activities. Rehabilitation programs help people create structure in
their lives. Going on to make a personal schedule is a great way
for people to maintain structure in their own lives so they can
keep building on those skills. CREATE HEALTHY REWARDS: Were
socially conditioned to indulge when we have accomplished
something. This can encourage us to do well more often, but it can
also open the way for irresponsible substance use if those are used
as awards. In order to break the cycle of celebrating with
substance abuse, people should find other ways to reward
themselves. This can include going out to a nice restaurant, making
root beer floats, buying something to support a new hobby,
etc.
POSITIVE STEPS TOWARD RELAPSE PREVENTION CONT. REMAIN
CONSISTENT IN TREATMENT (ANY TREATMENT): One of the most insidious
reasons why people begin using again is simple complacency. After
being in recovery for a period of time, people may be bored of
their relapse prevention routines and stop doing the things that
keep them healthy. They may stop attending group meetings,
reconnect with old using buddies, or discontinue other strategies
to help stay sober. With a complacent attitude, people think that
they will stay sober, and there is no longer a need to maintain
those habits. While it is not necessary to stick with the same
course of action for the rest of your life, it is important to
recognize that addiction does last that long, so it is important to
stay motivated to take care of yourself. REMEMBER WHY YOU QUIT:
When people become nostalgic about past drug abuse, they are
creating a highlight reel of the fun and adventurous times they
had. However, drug use isnt just fun. It probably led to behaviors
that hurt users relationships, resulted in financial trouble, put
them in unsafe environments, corroded their self-respect, and had
other grave consequences that made them ultimately seek recovery.
Instead of glorifying past drug use and cherry-picking the more
positive events, people in drug and alcohol recovery need to make
sure to keep their whole history in mind when temptation
threatens.
DONT VIEW RELAPSE AS FAILURE The hard truth of drug addiction
is that it stays with you for life. At times, people may run into
tempting situations, emotional hardship, and other circumstances
that will challenge their resolve. Sometimes resolve fails.
However, relapsing or using again doesnt mean recovery has ended or
that all a persons efforts to stay clean were for nothing. Recovery
is a long road, and in addition to the rewards of healthy living,
people may also experience some very low points as they repair
their lives. Relapse is not inevitable it can be avoided. However,
if it does occur, the most damaging thing that can happen (even
more damaging than the relapse itself) is giving up hope of
recovery and no longer pursuing a drug-free life. RELAPSE (LIKE
RECOVERY) IS A PROCESS Individuals motivated to change their lives
and free themselves of addiction behaviors do not simply relapse
without warning. Relapse occurs because a persons needs (mental,
emotional, or physical) are not being met in the new lifestyle.
Relapse occurs slowly, often after experiencing several triggers
over a period of time. For successful relapse prevention,
individuals need to be able to recognize when they are more
susceptible to substance abuse, which is not always obvious. They
also need to have a strategy in place to counter urges and prevent
falling into the more vulnerable emotional states. Individuals can
learn what their triggers are as well as how to manage them through
addiction treatment programs. There is no cure for drug addiction
avoiding the pain of addiction requires constant work devoted to
healthy living and placing constructive goals before
temptation.
www.pyramidhealthcarepa.com /pyramidhc /pyramid-heatlhcare-inc
Pyramid Healthcare offers a full continuum of care for adults and
adolescents addicted to drugs and/or alcohol in rehabilitation
facilities located throughout Pennsylvania. Addiction treatment
programs include detoxification, residential inpatient treatment,
outpatient treatment, halfway housing, transitional housing, and
methadone/Suboxone maintenance therapy. To learn more about talking
to a loved one about addiction or how committing to a
rehabilitation program can help someone overcome an addiction to
drugs and/or alcohol, contact a Pyramid Healthcare representative
at http://pyramidhealthcarepa.com/ or call 1-888-694-9996.