For those recovering from an addiction, preventing relapse and staying motivated are two of the most important aspects of long-term recovery. Relapses are a significant risk, especially for those who are in the early stages of their recovery journey. However, preventing relapse and staying motivated is something that everyone should focus on, no matter where you are in your recovery journey.
In this article, we will be discussing why relapses are so serious and how they can be prevented. We will also explore the various methods you can use to stay motivated and hold yourself accountable, plus fostering healthy relationships in maintaining well-being during recovery.
First: What is Addiction Recovery?
Addiction recovery is a complex and ongoing process that requires a comprehensive approach to address the physical, emotional, and psychological aspects of drug or alcohol use. The goal is to lead patients away from addictive behaviors and other risk factors (such as relapse) to ensure they remain sober and maintain improved outcomes.
There are several services that nestle under addiction treatment processes:
- Therapy sessions. This may include motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, talk therapy, and others. Informal settings may include support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and
- Therapeutic environments. Most substance use disorders can be treated in inpatient, outpatient, or IOP settings. These treatments may be broken down based on addiction type, such as alcohol use disorders or stimulant drug abuse.
- Customized relapse prevention plans. These are designed to help patients avoid relapsing, whether that’s emotionally (craving use), mentally (planning future substance abuse), or physically (such as excessive drinking). They are also customized to meet the unique needs of individual patients. For example, a mindfulness-based relapse prevention plan might help a specific patient avoid both a physical and mental relapse during their recovery journey.
Understanding Relapsing
Before we dive into preventing relapses and staying motivated, what exactly is a relapse?
Relapse occurs when someone who has been in addiction recovery has an initial lapse back into substance abuse. Physical relapse is the final stage in the relapse process, marking the return to substance use after a period of sobriety. Unfortunately, relapses are quite common, especially for those who are in the early stages of recovery or have experienced a stressful or traumatic life event.
Even if you have relapsed, this does not mean that your recovery journey is over. It is still possible to achieve long-term addiction recovery even if you have experienced multiple relapses.
However, it is important to understand that recurrent relapses can create a greater risk of further relapses in the future. Recognizing early warning signs is crucial to prevent further relapses. Relapses can also make recovery that much harder and can put a significant strain on your support system.
Addiction Medicine and the Recovery Process
The recovery process involves several stages, including early recovery, sustained recovery, and long-term recovery. Each stage presents unique challenges and opportunities for growth.
In the early stages of recovery, individuals are more vulnerable to relapse due to factors such as negative emotions, lack of coping skills, and high-risk situations. As individuals progress into the sustained recovery bracket, they may develop effective coping strategies, build strong support networks, and enhance their self-efficacy. The final stage, long-term recovery, occurs when individuals establish mastery over substance dependence and have learned airtight methods of maintaining sobriety.
By understanding the different stages of recovery and the challenges associated with each, individuals can better prepare themselves for the journey ahead and increase their chances of sustained recovery.
Strategies For Preventing Relapses
The best way to navigate the risks associated with relapses is to have preventative measures in place. Most addiction treatment programs will help you create these preventative measures so that you will be better equipped when you complete your program.
Let’s take a closer look at what you should know:
1. Trigger Avoidance
One of the main strategies people in recovery use is trigger avoidance. You need to identify your triggers and classify them as either triggers that can or cannot be avoided.
Keep in mind that no matter how hard you try, there are always going to be some triggers that come up unexpectedly or simply cannot be avoided. But you can take necessary steps for triggers that can be avoided, as well as find ways of navigating the ones that can’t be avoided (like cravings).
2. Coping Skills
No matter what you do, triggers are always going to be a problem, even if you have been in recovery for many years. Increasing self-awareness is crucial in identifying personal triggers and making necessary changes to enhance the recovery process.
The best way to navigate this is to develop coping skills that can help you refocus your attention instead of reverting to old habits. Examples of healthy coping skills you can use include:
- Meditation or breathing exercises
- Journaling
- Physical activity, such as exercising or taking a walk
- Positive hobbies
3. Prevention Plan
Because triggers cannot be entirely avoided, you need to take the additional step of creating a personalized relapse prevention plan tailored to your individual triggers and barriers. If you are seeing a therapist, which is an important part of maintaining long-term recovery, your therapist can help you create this plan.
Your prevention plan should include the signs of relapse, avoidable and unavoidable triggers, coping strategies, and your support network.
You may also wish to investigate:
- Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET), which contributes to improving treatment outcomes by enhancing intrinsic motivation and commitment to recovery
- Self-care tools for psychosocial factors (such as learning how to say ‘no’ when feeling pressured by others)
- Counseling sessions for overcoming personal challenges (such as providing coping strategies when struggling with internal or external cues for relapse)
Keep in mind that your prevention plan is something that you will need to continue to adjust as you better understand your strengths and weaknesses.
4. Support System
The support network that you surround yourself with is going to play an essential role in helping you to prevent relapse and stay motivated. A strong support system, consisting of friends, family, and support groups, provides emotional encouragement and accountability, which is vital for navigating challenges like cravings and triggers.
Your support system can be made up of friends, family, others in recovery, and mental health professionals. You should have at least one or two individuals who have agreed to help you navigate relapse risks. They should help to hold you accountable when experiencing substantial triggers and temptations.
5. Manage High-Risk Situations
High-risk situations can increase the risk of relapse, especially in the early stages of recovery. Identifying personal triggers, such as people, places, or things that may lead to substance use, is essential for developing effective coping strategies.
Individuals can use techniques such as urge surfing, mindfulness, and positive self-talk to manage high-risk situations and avoid relapse. Building a strong support network, including friends, family, and support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous or Smart Recovery, can also provide individuals with the help and encouragement they need to stay sober.
How to Maintain Motivation For Long-Term Recovery
Now that you know how to prevent relapsing, how do you stay motivated long-term in recovery? This is a common issue that those in recovery face since recovery is a lifelong process.
Here are some actionable tips you can use on a daily basis to maintain your motivation and reduce your risk of relapsing:
Set Realistic Goals
Sobriety is all about creating recovery goals and milestones that outline how you want your new life to look. Identifying triggers is a crucial step in recovery, as it helps individuals develop personalized relapse prevention plans and effective coping strategies. However, these goals can easily become a stumbling block if you are reaching too high and creating unrealistic expectations.
Make sure your goals are realistic by making them small enough that they can be achieved in a few steps. This will help you to maintain motivation long-term as well as keep a positive mindset.
In addition to setting realistic milestones in recovery, you also need to celebrate your progress. Recognizing early warning signs can enhance self-awareness and help individuals maintain their recovery by intervening before a full relapse occurs. Take time to reflect on how far you have come and how close you are to achieving your end goals.
Create a Daily Routine
Routine is invaluable when it comes to navigating bad days or unavoidable temptations. Having a daily routine provides structure and helps to alleviate some of the stress that can contribute to relapses. Ensuring adequate nutrition is a critical component in the recovery process, as it helps maintain recovery and reengage in a fulfilling life.
Things like a morning routine, a nighttime routine, eating regular meals, exercising daily, and journaling can all contribute to creating a daily routine to support your recovery journey.
Practice Mindfulness
Practicing mindfulness is a crucial part of preventing relapses, staying motivated, and successfully maintaining long-term addiction recovery. Enhancing self-awareness is a crucial component of relapse prevention strategies, as it helps in recognizing triggers and promoting behavior change. Mindfulness encourages you to slow down, process what you are feeling, and navigate the ups and downs of recovery.
Because of this, mindfulness practices should be a key component of your daily routine, whether that be through journaling, meditating, yoga, etc. Addressing emotional distress as part of a comprehensive strategy to prevent relapse in recovery is essential, as it helps in developing coping skills and support networks. If you are struggling to find mindfulness activities that you enjoy, your therapist can help you explore the different options.
Maintain Physical Health
Maintaining physical health is essential for overall well-being and can help individuals reduce their risk of relapse.
Engaging in regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, and getting adequate sleep also reduces stress, improves mood, and enhances self-efficacy. Individuals can also use healthy coping mechanisms, such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing, to manage stress and negative emotions.
Get Addiction Treatment Help at The Lakes Treatment Center
If you are worried about relapsing, you are not alone. Everyone who is recovering from an addiction shares this fear, as everyone is at risk of relapsing, no matter their situation or type of addiction. The good news is that there are certain steps you can take to protect yourself from this risk, especially when it comes to creating preventive measures.
At The Lakes Treatment Center, all of our programs focus on creating a long-term change so that you can maintain recovery even after you have finished your program. Additionally, for those who have experienced multiple relapses, we provide a multiple relapse treatment program to help you pick up the pieces and keep moving forward.
Do you want to join an addiction treatment program or get treatment after experiencing a relapse? Contact us today at The Lakes Treatment Center to learn more about the types of recovery programs available.
