Relapse Prevention Program at Banyan

Recovering from substance abuse isn’t a one-time thing but rather a life-long commitment to yourself to stay sober. Even after years of sobriety, the challenges of being sober when you were once addicted to drugs or alcohol may not entirely go away. And while this may sound scary, our drug rehabilitation center can assure you that getting sober is worth it. Relapse may be a common occurrence for people in early recovery, but it’s not inevitable. There are ways that you can prevent relapse and stick to your sobriety for the rest of your life. To help our patients stick with their recovery goals, we offer a relapse prevention program at our nationwide drug and alcohol rehab.

What Is Relapse Prevention?

The goal of substance abuse relapse prevention is to help individuals recognize the signs of relapse and act accordingly. Very rarely is relapse a sudden decline, but rather a gradual transition from being all-in to teeter-tottering between sobriety and substance abuse. When it comes to avoiding relapse, there are a few key elements to consider, such as changing your lifestyle to accommodate your sobriety, being entirely honest about your struggles, asking for help when you need it, practicing self-care, and not bending the rules.

Why Do Addicts Relapse?

The exact reasons for relapse are as unique and diverse as the people who experience them. One of the most common explanations for addiction relapse is the intense hold that withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings can have. These cravings can be all-encompassing, taking up so much of an addict’s mental and physical faculties just to move through them. Withdrawal symptoms, on the other hand, can induce intense feelings of discomfort, uncontrollable mood swings, and high levels of anxiety. In some cases, these symptoms can prove fatal, making a detox program necessary.

Another important factor that contributes to relapse is the persistent nature of addiction. The brain's reward and motivational systems are altered in chronic conditions like substance use disorders. Even after a period of abstinence, these brain modifications can persist, making people more vulnerable to relapse triggers. Environmental cues, such as persons, places, or activities associated with previous substance use, may arouse strong cravings and memories, resulting in a relapse. A person may find it challenging to cope with stress, unfavorable emotions, and problems in life, which leads them to use their addictive behavior as a coping mechanism and feeds the addiction cycle.

Understanding the causes of relapse can help to establish successful relapse prevention methods, such as creating strong support networks, developing healthier coping mechanisms, and addressing underlying psychological or emotional difficulties. It is also worth considering addicts can improve their chances of lasting recovery and lower their risk of relapse by using a comprehensive and tailored approach.

Causes of Relapse in Late-Stage Recovery

In late-stage recovery, individuals face unique risks of relapse that are less common in the early stages. Clinical experience highlights the following causes of relapse in this growth stage:

Desire to Move On: Individuals often wish to forget their addiction, feeling they have lost significant time to it. They reduce their attendance at recovery meetings, wanting to leave addiction behind.
Neglecting Self-Care: As life improves, there is a tendency to focus less on self-care. Individuals take on more responsibilities to compensate for lost time, trying to revert to their old lives without substance use. This often leads to abandoning healthy habits that support their recovery.
Decreased Meeting Attendance: Feeling they no longer learn anything new, individuals attend self-help meetings less frequently. They need to remember that these meetings reinforce the recognition of the "voice of addiction," which can be easily forgotten.
Embarrassment Over Basics: Some feel they should be beyond the basics of recovery, finding it almost embarrassing to discuss fundamental issues. They may be reluctant to admit occasional cravings or doubts about their addiction.
Overconfidence in Control: Believing they have a better understanding of drugs and alcohol, some think they can control a relapse or avoid negative consequences, underestimating the risks.

Drug Relapse Prevention Program at Banyan

It’s easy to stick with your recovery plan when you’re under the watchful guidance of our team, but what happens after rehab? Our goal at Banyan Treatment Center is not only to help patients recover from substance abuse but also to teach them how to prevent drug addiction relapse in rehab programs.

We know that whether you’ve been sober for a week or a year, temptation is lurking around every corner. It’s even normal in recovery. There are ways to avoid this temptation and to manage it appropriately when it presents itself. Addiction recovery isn’t a matter of testing your strength but rather about developing self-awareness and understanding what your triggers or temptations are. This is exactly what we focus on in our relapse prevention program. We teach our patients that feeling tempted to use or drink again isn’t a sign of weakness but rather a normal challenge of recovery that they will often face. We also impress on them that although relapse isn’t a failure, there’s so much they can do to actively stay focused on their recovery goals and avoid falling back into their old habits.

Protecting Your Sobriety from a Relapse

What are some ways that I can protect myself from relapse? One of the main things you can do to protect yourself from drug treatment relapse is to choose the right treatment. For example, long-term drug treatment against drugs and alcohol is much more effective at preventing relapse than short-term treatment. A course of 90 days in a drug treatment center can reduce the risk of relapse by up to 73% versus a 30-day stay.

The type of treatment itself can be highly effective in the avoidance of relapsing. For example, relapse prevention drug treatment can help you keep a positive mindset in order to prevent falling back into substance abuse or using drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism. Focus on your progress and where you’re going—recovery! Don’t dwell on any relapse as a failure. Instead, look ahead and keep moving toward the goal.

Relapse Prevention Planning

The first steps are realization, stepping forth from denial, and seeking treatment. After treatment, the work doesn’t stop. Working with an experienced professional to design a relapse prevention plan is crucial before jumping back into responsibilities and life orders. At Banyan, specialists will go over a plan that works to keep your mental wellness, physical and emotional health, and social state in tip-top condition. But the continuance of sobriety initially is carried out by you after treatment, although support and guidance are available.

Unfortunately, relapse is an ever-present threat for anyone recovering from addiction or alcoholism. It can surface years after people have gained sobriety, often with little to no warning. After all, addiction is a compulsive disease that manipulates the mind, causing a chemical imbalance. But you can minimize your chances of relapse by choosing the right forms of drug treatment and with the proper planning.

You can stay protected from relapse by:

Staying positive
Avoid trigger situations
Focusing on progress and your goal
Meditate or find holistic approaches
Develop a positive support system
Communicate your cravings
Stick to a healthy schedule
Don’t blame yourself
Make wise choices when it comes to drug treatment

If you are on the verge of relapse, communication is vital. Speak to your support group or join a sober support group. Group therapy is offered at Banyan to help patients stay on track, along with our alumni program. Avoid relapse at all costs, but if you happen to fall back, keep a positive outlook and remember that you have control over the substance.

Our Addiction Relapse Prevention Services

The relapse prevention program we offer at Banyan is a complimentary program to our formal addiction treatment. This program is open to patients who have completed one of our levels of addiction care or substance-specific treatments and require additional guidance. When used in tandem, our addiction treatment and relapse prevention services prepare patients for life after rehab.

Our goal is to help our patients get sober and stay sober, and we offer a variety of recovery resources to get them there. If you’re interested in our relapse prevention services or our drug treatment programs, contact us today at (888) 981-7763 to be connected to a team member.

Not all programs are available at all locations. Please contact the location for availability.

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Relapse Addiction Prevention Programs