Relapse Plans: Possibly the Most Important Part of Rehab

The ultimate goal of most drug rehab centers in Florida is the permanent sobriety of the clients who complete the program. As it turns out, relapse is fairly common among people who have completed a rehabilitation program.

There are several reason that relapse happens.
Problems and stress build up and get out of hand
Being overconfident in one's ability to cope with trigger situations
Being overconfident with recovery and thinking you should make a go of it alone
Letting go of all the learning about nutrition and healthy behavior that took place during rehab
Not using the tools provided to keep the sober life in perspective

Any or all of these can affect a person's chance of success when leaving drug rehab centers in Florida. One of the most important things a person getting ready to leave drug rehab centers in Florida can do is make a plan and prepare for preventing relapse. Having this plan in place will be a saving grace when clients are faced with decisions that will affect the chances of continued sobriety.

Planning for Relapse Prevention

When making your plan, clients should sit down with therapists or counselors and think about the following questions or eventualities.

1. What are the most typical causes of relapse?

The more clients know about relapse and what is likely to cause it, the better equipped they are going to be to fend it off. If clients are going back to their places where they were living, working, or going to school while they had a substance abuse problem, you will need to discuss avoiding temptation and making the right choices when faced with dangerous but familiar situations. Clients will also need to make a list of solutions for the most likely situations that could jeopardize recovery. Making a plan for dealing with, for example, a work party where someone offers a drink or meeting a friend who offers drugs will allow the client to know exactly what to say without fear or uncertainty.

2. What are the warning signs that relapse is looming?

Some of the warning signs that a client is headed toward relapse can be that he or she feels that support is no longer necessary. Other signs can include:

Clients stop making plans for continued recovery and the future
Clients begin lying
Clients start feeling resentful, self-pitying, and depressed
Clients start avoiding members of their friends and family

Recognizing the onset of relapse signs is essential to being able to combat them. Relapse prevention programs should involve regular instances of self-reflection and health recovery activities so that clients are very familiar with how they are feeling and how they are responding to the world.

3. What are the best coping skills that can be employed?

When a client are facing a world full of unknowns and potentially difficult situations, he or she will be very glad to have learned and practiced relaxation and coping skills. Clients need to know that they will be faced with frustration, anger, and stress, but learning to cope without drugs or alcohol is the best thing they can do for themselves and their loved ones. In an effort to combat stressful situations, clients can practice dialogues for refusing offered drugs or alcohol. Going to regular meetings where clients can find people to be responsible too can also be a good coping skill.

4. What can I do to proactively keep potential relapse out of the picture?

There are lots of options clients can engage in to help keep clean and sober. For example, having a trusted family member or friend in charge of all finances will give the client less access to funds. Making an effort to participate in new activities that do not involve drugs or alcohol can also be a good use of time.