For every individual who recovers from addiction, there is a chance of relapse. But it varies from person to person. One of the reasons why the foothold of relapse is so intense is because addiction itself is a chronic disease that is difficult to manage and treat.
If you relapse after addiction recovery, it doesn’t mean the whole treatment process was a failure. It only implies that some important things were left out, and you might have to now implement them.
Here are some tips to prevent relapse after addiction treatment
- Don’t skip your addiction treatment program
When some people in addiction treatment feel they are getting better, they stop going for treatment. It doesn’t take a long time before they relapse. People who drop out of their addiction treatment program are likely to shortchange their recovery.
It is important to observe every phase of the addiction treatment program to reduce the chances of a relapse.
- Stick to your aftercare plan
When your time in the addiction treatment program is about to end, the therapist and counselor would help you develop an aftercare plan. If you don’t stick to your aftercare plan, there is a chance of relapse along the line.
It’s challenging to be consistent with an aftercare plan, but once you remember that you need it to stay sober, you can follow through with it.
- Build a solid support system
During addiction recovery and post-addiction recovery, you need a support system to rely on. You need people to constantly motivate you that you can do better and remain sober.
It is hard to resist the temptations that come with relapsing. But, with a profound support system, you will receive much encouragement and you will be accountable to them.
- Pick up new hobbies and drop the old ones
In recovery, you must have been told how to identify the hobbies or activities that can trigger your addiction. It would be risky to go back to them after your addiction. Therefore, you need to replace these hobbies with new and healthy ones.
For instance, one of your hobbies could be going regularly to the gym. Bear in mind that it serves as a hobby and a healthy activity.