Fear of addiction relapse is very real for people in recovery. Some may have already experienced relapse and know how easy it can be to slip back into old habits.
Preventing relapse is an aspect of recovery that can feel particularly daunting. However, it’s possible to maintain long-term sobriety with careful planning and the right support. Relapse prevention plans can help, detailing the tools and strategies that can keep people sober.
A relapse prevention plan is a document designed specifically to help people maintain their sobriety following addiction treatment. It’s something that you’ll develop during treatment, but anyone who wants to avoid falling back into an addictive behaviour.
Relapse prevention plans are particularly helpful for people who are feeling anxious in their ability to stay sober. The plan works as a safety net that helps people to remain focused on their recovery goals when they feel vulnerable.
While relapse is not a failure but can be part of a person’s recovery journey, having a prevention plan in place can reduce its likelihood. It’s a proactive tool to give yourself the best chance of staying sober.
Relapse prevention plans are designed to tackle the difficulties that can arise at any time in recovery. Knowing what happens during each of the three stages of relapse allows you to tailor your plan to specific scenarios.
Here are the three stages of relapse, alongside a suggestion for building it into your relapse prevention plan:
You may not be thinking about using again at this stage, but times of emotional turmoil can put you in an emotionally vulnerable state – making it more likely you’ll revert to old coping strategies, which could include drugs, alcohol, gambling etc
Build into your plan by: Encouraging self-awareness so you can recognise early emotional warning signs. Your plan could include suggestions for regulating emotions to help you feel balanced, such as journaling, mindfulness exercises or daily check-ins, support groups and seeing a therapist.
The second stage of relapse marks the point at which you may be thinking about using again, almost trying to justify why you should use again. Feeling conflicted is typical - you may feel that you want to use but are trying to talk yourself out of it. At this stage, the thought of using can be very strong and you may experience cravings or seek out other users.
Build into your plan by: If you’re experiencing cravings, add suggestions for coping strategies that don’t require drug/alcohol use, like asking for support, keeping busy or remembering honestly the past behaviours and experiences that led you to seek recovery.
This is the final stage, at which point you begin using drugs or alcohol or engaging in addictive behaviours again.
At stage 3, it may seem like relapse prevention plans don’t have a part to play. However, having a clear plan to follow that guides you to seek help, minimise harm and resume recovery can make this stage shorter than it might otherwise be.
Creating a relapse prevention plan requires honesty. You’ll need to examine your past use of drugs and/or alcohol and try to see clearly what triggers led to you using. Make use of whatever recovery support you have around you to do this, as it can cause difficult feelings to surface.
Begin a relapse prevention plan with your personal motivations and goals for staying sober. These goals could cover:
Small goals can also be incorporated. Just being sober a day at a time is a legitimate goal achieved that is worth acknowledging.
Some people find that creating a visual reminder of recovery goals can help you stay on track. Easy ways to achieve this include writing each goal on colourful Post-it notes and sticking them around the house or creating a vision board to display images or quotes that inspire you to live the life you want.
You could make a clear list of statements that serve as a reminder of your goals.
One of the most challenging aspects of being in recovery is learning to manage triggers. These can be people, places, situations and especially emotional states, so it’s important to prepare well for when these arise. Pay particular attention to significant events such as birthdays or celebrations.
A useful tool for identifying your triggers is the ‘If - Then’ strategy. Create a chart with two columns, one labelled ‘If’ and the other labelled ‘Then’. In the ‘If’ column, list out all the triggers you can think of, such as social events, arguments or feelings of loneliness. In the ‘Then’ column, pair each trigger with a response, such as leave early, call a sponsor or practise deep breathing.
For example:
Put boundaries in place and keep to them, for example leave a venue when you need to , do not stay on and get more vulnerable in order to please others.
Keep your chart somewhere visible such as on the fridge or in your diary. You could also take a photo of it on your phone so you can refer to it wherever you are.
Cravings may be a natural part of recovery but that doesn’t make them less challenging. Having a strategy for managing cravings will help you to respond rather than react.
On your plan, write a list of actions to take when cravings hit, such as:
At home, you could write calming affirmations like ‘feelings are not facts’ onto sticky notes and place them around your home. Again, if you’re away from home when cravings hit, carry a pocket-sized card or save a note on your phone so you can easily refer to these strategies.
For many people, using drugs, alcohol or turning to addictive behaviours is a coping strategy for managing difficult emotions such as stress or sadness. It’s likely that you’ll have developed more healthy mechanisms for managing your emotions during treatment, so lean on these at difficult times.
Examples include:
Staying connected with others during recovery is critical, so build a support network you can rely on during emergencies or difficult times.
Collate the names and contact details of your support network so you can refer to them easily in times of need. You could also make a note of when you might contact each person, for example, calling your best friend when you feel lonely.
Keep a physical copy of this contact list to hand, perhaps in your wallet or by your phone charger, plus a digital version on your phone for when you’re away from home. Sobriety support apps often have a contacts section for storing and organising your network.
A structured routine creates stability in your daily life, helping you to stay on track with your recovery. While routines vary from person-to-person, many people in the recovery community find that self-care is non-negotiable. Moving your body, eating well and relaxing are all good places to start with self-care. Consider whether you could incorporate a morning yoga session or an evening walk into your day. You could also try daily meditation or deep breathing techniques.
Set reminders on your phone or use a calendar to schedule your self-care time until it becomes second nature.
Including accountability as part of your relapse prevention plan is a way to make sure you stick to the plan, as well as reviewing and refining it over time.
Suggestions for staying accountable include:
Track your goals in a journal or sobriety app. Make time to review your plan weekly or monthly, updating or adjusting it with new strategies, motivations or lessons learned.
A relapse prevention plan is a key part of remaining in recovery and will be a priority for those leaving rehab and wondering what comes next. Staying sober can be extremely challenging so seeking help and support to prevent relapse is recommended.
Organisations such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) Gamblers Anonymous (GA) offer free meetings where you can be among people who understand what you’re going through.
At Priory, we offer 12 months of free aftercare to everyone who has completed inpatient treatment with us. Aftercare includes peer support/family support sessions, ongoing contact with specialists, alumni events and access to 12-step support groups.