Get Proven Relapse Prevention Plans from Purpose Healing Center
A relapse prevention plan is a critical part of helping maintain sobriety after leaving a substance abuse rehab facility. But what should you include in this action plan? Our free Relapse Prevention Plan PDF gives you a good starting point, helping you develop and avoid relapse and its consequences.
Purpose Healing Center has helped countless people recover from drug abuse. But perhaps even more importantly, we have helped our clients understand that relapse can be a natural part of recovery. Although, it is admittedly something that they must bounce back from and chalk up to a learning experience.
Read on to learn about each of the ten key components we include in our Relapse Prevention Plan sheet. Each question helps you prepare with the right tools, which helps you manage when a trigger strikes.
What Causes a Person to Relapse During Recovery?
People may relapse because of numerous factors in life. Here are a few situations that lead to a relapse. We’d like to mention that if you have already relapsed, do not despair!
Our team at Purpose has also put together a relapse autopsy assessment worksheet and guide, and that can provide a way of diagnosing what happened to prevent future relapses from occurring.
Emotional Triggers for Relapse
Stress. Anxiety. Depression. You thought you’d made a plan to handle these areas in rehab. But the moment something happened, you reverted to substance abuse and slipped.
Celebrations, Special Events, or Happy Occasions
Some families and friends celebrate with drugs and alcohol. Your loved ones don’t mean harm. But they may not consider how these circumstances might lead you astray.
Environmental Cues That Lead to a Drink or Drugs
Certain places and people may lead to cravings for your drug of choice. The relationships with friends you used to party with, or the nightclubs you frequented cannot be part of a sober future.
Poor Self-Care Strategies
Rehab provides an incredibly structured environment. It’s a place where your sole focus is taking care of yourself. After leaving that setting, it’s easy to let things distract you, thus neglecting self-care. Poor habits weaken resilience.
Lack of Support from Family Members
Some family members mean well, but they don’t have accurate information. They may feel that after week after week in rehab, you should be “well again.” They don’t understand that a substance use disorder stays with you for life. Even worse, they hesitate to ask questions and learn how to support you.
Ten Warning Signs of an Imminent Relapse
Here is a quick list of ten warning signs a relapse might be imminent:
- Feelings of increased stress, anxiety, or quick irritation
- Lack of self-care
- Recalling the addiction with fondness
- Visiting an old place or person who caused use
- Isolating from family and loved ones
- Declining help from those around you
- Defensive behavior; lashing out; deflecting blame
- Mood swings
- Growing disinterested in continuing the positive trajectory of healing
- Misguided confidence; believing you can use “just once” without additional consequences
Witnessing these behaviors in yourself or a loved one means it is time to take action. Attend a support group to bolster motivation or seek a counselor. Early intervention can help prevent a full relapse and backslide to addiction.
Is a Relapse Prevention Plan (Aftercare Plan) Necessary After Alcohol or Drug Abuse?
Unequivocally, yes. Anyone who has struggled with behavioral health issues needs an action plan. It doesn’t matter if you apply that logic to any addiction – drugs, alcohol, disordered eating, or gambling. A relapse prevention plan is beneficial for all addictions.
The Value of Putting a Relapse Prevention Plan in Writing
The University of Saint Augustine for Health Sciences states the following about writing down your goals:
“The physical act of writing down a goal can make it feel more real and can motivate you to achieve it. You can use your journal to not only craft specific goals, but also to monitor your progress as you take steps toward accomplishing those goals.”
– The University of Saint Augustine Health Sciences
A relapse prevention plan is the same as goal setting—you set your standards of success in writing, making them feel concrete.
For accountability, you can also refer to the written statements in your relapse prevention plans when challenges arise.
Create Yours Now: Use Our Free Relapse Prevention Plan PDF
It might look like doodling, but developing a relapse prevention plan is an incredibly challenging job. These prompts lead you through a series of reflections that can help you consider the strategies to avoid situations and people that can cause you to relapse.
They also help you have a specific plan if you feel like you might lose control, and you can download a copy of our relapse prevention PDF worksheet here.
Here are the ten prompts and why each is important in your relapse prevention plan.
1 – What increases your risk of using? (List your top three triggers).
This part of the form is essential, as it helps you look inside and decide what might cause you to be upset enough to backslide. Once you have created this list, it will stay in your mind and help you avoid these situations.
Example: Pammy finished recovery but recently returned to work after a leave of absence to get well. She has a bullying co-worker who gets on her nerves and makes her want to smoke a joint. She likes her job, but negativity makes it a toxic environment. Pammy’s there for the good pay, benefits, and a great work schedule.
2 – List three specific actions you’ll take to cope with those triggers.
A written list of how you will overcome those triggering people or places can help you deal with them when they occur or move past them gracefully.
Example: Let’s go back to Pammy. Understanding that this colleague enjoys stirring the pot and creating negative feelings, Pammy keeps conversations short and cordial. When possible, she sends an email or a direct message to the person. She also takes a 20-minute walk at lunchtime to release the tension.
3 – Who are your people? List key support contacts.
Making a note of your most trusted, reliable family members, close friends, or even a 12-step sponsor gives you someone to reach out to when you need help. Take that a step further and program these numbers into your phone.
Example: One day, the toxic colleague shifted the blame for her own mistake to Pammy; she even humiliated Pammy, implying that she “must be back on drugs.” Pammy had worked hard to overcome her addiction. She went into the bathroom and cried, longing for someone to remind her of how far she had come. She remembered her NA sponsor for support. After a quick chat, she re-composed herself and returned to work. That one phone call helped prevent relapse.
4 – What does a reasonable, healthy daily routine look like?
Everyone in recovery needs a daily schedule. Recovery centers have a fairly strict schedule for a reason – a predictable routine is comforting and creates a sense of order in life. Your schedule will be very personal, accounting for your family, relationships, and ongoing treatment support or counseling appointments.
Example: Diana finds that she carries work home, spiritually speaking. Part of her daily routine is to sit down to a healthy evening meal, fix a nice cup of green tea, and then write in her journal. As she writes in the journal, she releases negativity from her day to its pages to get a good night’s rest.
5 – List three achievable, measurable recovery goals.
Your goals should focus on helping you build the life you deserve after addiction treatment. These should be real-life, measurable goals, such as exercising three days a week or trying one new healthy activity monthly. Whatever you do, it should help you mold a better future.
Example: Pammy appreciated how her NA sponsor had talked to her when she had the co-worker trigger incident. But it made her realize she had not attended a meeting in several weeks. She decided to set a new goal. She would attend NA or AA at least once every week for the next month.
6 – List three likely emotional signs of relapse you might exhibit.
Nobody knows you better than, well, you. Some recovering addicts about to relapse will lash out at others, often very unexpectedly. Others withdraw and behave passive-aggressively when they experience a trigger. It’s up to you to dig deep, be honest with yourself, and understand the emotions that may result in relapse.
Example: Thomas was under a tight deadline and was under extreme pressure at his job. Just when he thought he was making headway, a colleague who had just started their career at the company started asking questions. Thomas wanted to help, but he could feel the tension starting to build. Instead of giving the person the information needed, Thomas pretended he did not know the information. He recognized this form of avoidance as a sign that his sobriety was at risk, so he took a quick break to clear his mind and start again.
7 – What activities can you do to distract yourself from cravings?
Some former clients have told us that their cravings lasted for several months after leaving our addiction recovery center at Purpose Healing. Others told us that the cravings for drugs lasted forever, popping up occasionally and at the worst possible moments. But they also know that when cravings happen, they can find methods to stay sober anyway.
It might take trial and error, but you’ll eventually find the best tools. We suggest our Urge Surfing Worksheet for when such temptations arise, as a perfect complement to our relapse prevention resource!
Example: When Dale gets cravings, especially while alone in his apartment, he grabs a yoga mat and stretches. He reports that exercise is one of the best methods to avoid acting on the cravings.
8 – How are you staying physically healthy and resilient?
When you enjoy good physical health, you’re more resilient. Are you eating well? Do you exercise? Have you continued to catch up on regular check-ups with your doctors? Each of these small steps can lower your chances of turning back to substance abuse.
Example: Jennifer had extensive dental damage from years of smoking. Cigarettes, crack, weed. If it could be smoked, she had tried it. Her relapse prevention plan included finding a new dentist and attending her first dental exam appointment in almost a decade. While the plan seemed scary, she was glad to learn how the dentist could help her have a bright smile again.
9 – How might you manage stress without using substances?
Having specific tools to help cope with stress is a key part of every relapse prevention plan. Think about some positive activities to help when stressors or triggers get you down. This might mean you join a Zumba class or meditate. Like every step of the relapse prevention plan, you are creating ideas that will help you stay sober.
Example: Sam used to drink alcohol to deal with their stress. Today. Sam has mastered knitting, an unexpected and productive way to avoid a backslide into addiction. Sam carries their knitting bag and tools everywhere and feels no shame about throwing themself into the familiar knit-and-purl to calm down.
10 – Write out an emergency action plan to use if you feel a heightened risk of relapse
An emergency action plan could be the most important part of a relapse prevention plan – it’s like smashing the glass of the fire alarm box to call for help. It’s a pre-planned safeguard and your last line of defense. This can include attending an online AA or NA meeting asap or calling someone who’s always there for you.
Example: Tyrell managed a construction site. A terrible accident happened, severely mangling an employee’s arm. From his treatment, he recognized the trauma of witnessing this as a significant trigger. The incident caused immense pain. He called his pastor, who took a moment to join him in prayer. To Tyrell’s surprise, Pastor came to his house that evening and sat quietly with him until he was strong again.
Connect With Purpose for Recovery and Relapse Support
These relapse prevention strategies are tried and true, as proven by the lasting recovery of our clients. If you are ready to leave addiction behind and confront your triggers, we can help!
Connect with us today for more information about our Joint Commission-accredited detox and treatment programs or to begin a confidential assessment.
480-579-3319