Healthy Ways to Prevent Relapse in Recovery

Addiction is a lifelong illness and, like other chronic diseases, you'll need to learn ways to manage it on a day-to-day basis. This includes strategies to help prevent relapse.

What Is Relapse?For 40 to 60 percent of people in addiction treatment, relapse is a reality. Relapse is more than just a one-time slip-up. Instead, it’s a gradual process that happens in various stages, including emotional relapse, mental relapse and physical relapse. Relapse is not, however, the end of your road to recovery. You can bounce back with the right support and professional help.

Understanding Relapse TriggersOne of the most important parts of preventing relapse is learning, understanding and recognizing your personal triggers that can make staying sober that much harder. For example, your unique triggers may include stress or anxiety or a friend or family member or even a song that reminds you of your days using.

Here are a few more healthy ways to prevent relapse:

• Line up support. Make sure you have a solid network of friends and family to help encourage you to stay sober and remind you that you’re not alone. This may mean letting go of some negative people and leaning on your recovery peers.
• Attend support groups. Online or in-person support groups are a vital part of lasting recovery. Here, you can share stories and talk with people who understand the bumps of recovery and who have been through similar challenges.
• Make exercise a priority. Adding a realistic exercise plan to your relapse prevention plan will help you to stay mentally balanced and energized so you can better handle the hard work of recovery.
• Start a journal. Writing is a great relapse prevention tool. It can help you sort through your emotions, better understand your triggers and remind yourself of the negatives of using again and the positives of staying sober.

Preventing Relapse in ColoradoAt NorthStar Transitions, our team of professionals can give you the skills to prevent relapse and build lasting sobriety. To learn about our traditional treatment methods and holistic, experiential therapies, call today: 303-558-6400.