What is the Relapse Prevention Model?
One thing you learn after you enter treatment is that relapse is a part of the process. Now more than ever, it’s time for us to begin taking a more in-depth look at the relapse prevention model to stop relapse in its tracks and continue forging a path of sobriety.
With the current Covid-19 pandemic relapse, it’s rearing its head worldwide. Read on to find out about addiction recovery and coping skills you can use to prevent relapse.
What is the Relapse Prevention Model?
The relapse prevention model is an integral part of alcoholism treatment. The relapse prevention model uses a combination of CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy to prevent relapse from happening and is most beneficial for those who have found themselves relapsing several times.
Someone that’s entered into treatment will find themselves learning the following:
- Learning coping skills
- Empowering people in recovery
- Learning better habits
These are just a few of the things you’ll learn, but you’ll find out how important both of these aspects are and the role they play in helping you remain sober.
What Is CBT?
CBT, as mentioned above, is known as cognitive-behavioral therapy. It’s a type of therapy that teaches people to tap into their mental and pinpoint negative thoughts and emotions.
Identifying these thoughts and emotions before they become actions helps people learn ways to cope and redirect these negative things before they trigger a relapse. CBT is so effective because there will be times you find yourself alone, and the only person who can keep you from relapsing is yourself.
CBT is also useful for people that are suffering from other mental health issues as well as addiction. CBT isn’t only used for treating addiction; there are several other things it can prove useful for, including:
- Helping people cope with loss in their life
- Overcoming past emotional trauma
- Improving chronic pain
- Learn techniques to improve communication
Another benefit of CBT is that the risks are minimal.
Strategies Used in the Relapse Prevention Model
In the relapse prevention model, certain strategies are used to include helping a person build their awareness. Building awareness will help them understand the types of situations that could trigger a relapse.
The relapse prevention model teaches people how to identify these situations; it also helps identify the thoughts that lead to these situations. Having a better understanding of the awareness strategy makes it easier to understand the outcome expectancies of these situations.
This model helps people learn more ways to cope with the triggers they’ve identified in treatment. For example, if you’re in a situation where alcohol is present, you’ll have the confidence and willpower to say no when offered a drink.
Emergency Planning
There will be times when you find yourself in a situation you weren’t prepared for, which could lead to you panicking about what to do. But, because you’ve undergone relapse prevention therapy, you’ve been equipped with the tools to get through unexpected situations.
This is an essential strategy in the relapse prevention plan because the sudden urge to drink or going through a stressful point in life is common, and you need to know how to handle it.
Confidence Reinforcement
Are you confident that once you stop using alcohol, you can abstain from ever using it again? The relapse prevention model helps to increase your confidence to remain sober.
You’ll learn that even when faced with situations that could prove to be tempting, you have a newfound confidence and resilience to abstain from alcohol use.
Engaged Positive Thinking
The majority of actions you make as a person begin and end with your thoughts. This is especially true for addiction; it all starts with a thought or a craving.
In relapse prevention, you’ll engage in a strategy known as cognitive restructuring. This is when you change the way you think about things like addiction and abstaining from using.
When people think of refraining from alcohol use, they think of withdrawal and being sick instead of long-term abstinence’s benefits on their lives. Relapse prevention helps you correlate positivity with staying sober.
How Does Training Work
The first step in training is honest that relapse is a part of the sobriety journey and the best thing you can do is not be afraid of it but understand what to do if the urge to use occurs. This is something your sober coach will help teach you.
Next, you’ll learn to take an inner look into things that trigger a relapse.
As well as learn specific coping strategies to ward of these thoughts once they occur. When you’re in relapse prevention therapy, you’ll also learn to make better decisions that could cause you to relapse.
Your decisions will help you refrain from using, and if you find yourself slipping, you’ll understand how to tap into the necessary resources to ensure you don’t relapse.
Relapse Prevention Model 101
The relapse prevention model is in place to help those that have had problems relapsing in the past end the cycle they find themselves in. With newfound confidence in yourself and learned coping skills living a life free from addiction is possible.
Are you ready to take back your life and approach every day with confidence? If so, contact us now.
We have the resources and the team to help you from the detox process on day one all the way through the treatment process. Don’t waste any more time; let us help you today.
