Relapse Prevention Programs

If you or a loved one has navigated the difficult road of recovery through detox, counseling and rehab, congratulations on completing the first steps on a newly sober path. Now comes the challenge of maintaining sobriety when confronted by the pressures and pain of everyday life. Relapse prevention is of utmost importance when it comes to recovery from addiction. Relapse prevention programs prepare and encourage you to maintain sobriety, long after your time in rehabilitation has come to an end.

Alcohol Treatment Centers in Stamford offers relapse prevention programs that can ease you into a life free of substance abuse. By learning to recognize your substance abuse triggers, you can prevent relapse before it begins.

What Are Triggers?

Emotions and substance abuse have a deep connection. Many people become addicted as a response to a negative emotion, whether it is pain, shyness, peer pressure, depression or escape from work stress. Those emotional challenges don't stop when addiction rehabilitation treatment is complete. Once you return to a familiar environment full of familiar faces and old habits, the same or similar pressures will crop up from time to time.

A trigger can be as simple as passing a store where a nightly bottle of wine was always waiting. Another trigger might be a friend that once joined you in getting high. Visiting a doctor might trigger a craving to ask for a prescription you don't really need. Eating the same food you had after "coming down" is also a trigger that can cause a relapse.

Recognition and Resistance

Treatment centers for addiction have the knowledge in recognizing triggers and helping you learn to resist them. They can help you develop strategies for avoiding and replacing old behaviors with healthy, positive ones. You are taught ways to politely reject codependent people in your life, whether they are family members, old friends or coworkers.

That's only a small set of the recovery tools you are provided, and they stress that the process of recovery continues far beyond the time you spend in a facility. For instance, they strongly recommend that you participate regularly in support groups, and are assisted in helping you find them in your area. Continuing alcohol and drug counseling is also recommended because it has been proven to decrease rates of relapse.

There are many warning signs, but the most important is your gut feeling. Never ignore your feelings and worries. Recovery from addiction is possible with support, but first, the addiction has to be recognized. If you or a loved one are exhibiting symptoms of addiction, seek help now.

Extended Care

After completing a drug abuse rehabilitation program, it's important to receive ongoing care to prevent a relapse. Extended care programs, which range from weekly support groups to residential treatment facilities, can provide much-needed support for maintaining sobriety.

If you or a family member is struggling with drug addiction, call Alcohol Treatment Centers Stamford today at (877) 804-1531. A trained professional can address your concerns and provide information about available treatment options. Finding the right facility for your needs will give you the best chances at long-term success.