Relapse Prevention in College Station, TX
Learning strategies for relapse prevention in College Station is a critical component in any addiction recovery plan. It's common for people to assume they'll somehow recover from drug or alcohol addiction if they can get through a few nasty days of detox and the associated withdrawals.
In reality, detox does nothing to address underlying psychological triggers behind addictive behavior. In order to recover from addiction it's important to learn strong new skills and tools that aid in relapse prevention in College Station. The objective is to learn new ways to live a healthy lifestyle that is easier for the person not to use.
Seeking treatment in drug and alcohol rehab centers is the first step on the path to recovery, but many people avoid entering treatment for a variety of reasons. Some may deny they have a problem, or believe their substance use is still under their control. Some cringe at the idea of changing everything about their current lifestyle.
In reality, drug treatment centers teach recovering people that there's no need to change everything about your current lifestyle. Rather, it's important to modify some aspects of your life and improve on negative situations by finding positive alternatives that don't rely on drug or alcohol use.
Drug and alcohol rehab centers work closely with each recovering person to create a tailored relapse prevention strategy designed to suit their own individual needs.
What is Relapse Prevention?
Relapse prevention in College Station focuses on teaching a person in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction to identify potential high-risk situations that could lead them to potentially returning to a pattern of substance abuse.
Once a high-risk situation is recognized, drug treatment centers help each recovering person work through a strategy to help them reduce the risk of relapsing back into a pattern of self-destructive behavior.
A major aspect of relapse prevention in College Station is learning strong new coping skills for living life without the need for drugs or alcohol. When a healthy, productive lifestyle becomes preferable to hiding behind the fog of constant substance abuse, the person is on the road to recovery.
Relapse Statistics among Addicts and Alcoholics
The relapse rate for recovering drug or alcohol addicts is similar to those of some other chronic health conditions, including hypertension (high blood pressure), asthma, and type 2 diabetes. It's estimated that between 40 and 60% of recovering alcoholics will relapse, or ‘fall off the wagon' at some point. The statistics are similar for people recovering from opiate addiction.
By comparison, up to 90% of people recovering from addiction to stimulant drugs such as methamphetamine will relapse at some point throughout their recovery.
People with socially accepted chronic relapsing diseases, like asthma or diabetes are taught to manage the symptoms of their condition using a combination of medications and healthy management tools. When symptoms of the disease emerge, they understand the importance of seeking help as quickly as possible to avoid them getting any worse.
The same principle is true of addiction. Drug and alcohol rehab centers teach people in recovery healthy ways to manage symptoms of the disease and find new ways to reduce the risk of symptoms re-emerging. If symptoms re-emerge and the person gives in to temptation to return to substance abuse, it doesn't mean failure. Rather, the temporary lapse should be considered a prompt to seek stronger methods like our treatment programs in College Station.
Stages of Relapse
Most people assume relapse is an isolated event. In reality, there are several stages a person goes through before the actual act of returning to a habit of taking drugs or drinking alcohol. The key to developing a strong relapse prevention strategy is to learn to identify and recognize the early warning signs of each stage of relapse.
Emotional Relapse
During the early stages of relapse, the person is still focused on maintaining sobriety and not even thinking about using again. However, their emotions and actions could be setting them up for a potential relapse in future. Common signs and symptoms to watch for include:
- Anxiety
- Defensiveness
- Mood swings
- Isolation
- Lack of self-care
- Uncontrolled stress levels
- Poor eating habits
- Poor sleeping patterns
- Not asking for help
- Not attending meetings
When early warning signs are recognized, it's important to take positive action. The strategies learned in drug treatment centers include learning effective relaxation techniques, practicing self-care, and asking for help.
Mental Relapse
If the early warning signs of relapse aren't recognized and acted on quickly, it's likely symptoms will progress into the mental relapse phase. A part of the person's mind may be motivated to stay sober, but the other part begins to think about using again. Signs to watch for include:
- Thinking about people or places associated with past drug or alcohol use
- Glamorizing past substance use
- Associating with past using friends again
- Believing ‘just one' use will be fine as the addiction is under control now
- Fantasizing about using again
- Planning a relapse so other people won't catch you or believing no one will ever know
The lure of addiction becomes stronger unless signs and symptoms of mental relapse are recognized and acted on quickly. Dual diagnosis treatment in College Station can prevent a mental illness from fueling an addiction.
Physical Relapse
The act of driving to the liquor store or calling a dealer to ‘score' is physical relapse. It's extremely difficult to stop the process by this stage, so it's crucial to recognize and act on early warning signs and symptoms before things progress too far.
Recovering from drug or alcohol addiction is a process that requires ongoing management. Learning strong relapse prevention strategies to reduce the risk of giving in to temptation makes it much easier to remain clean and sober over the long term. Call us now at (877) 804-1531.