You have escaped the confinement of addiction and you know it’s not a place you ever want to return to. It still takes commitment and hard work as you continue to recover. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to know you don’t want to return to the life of an addict. It’s not even sufficient just to voice your concern. Just as you have spent time making a life plan, you need to spend time making a relapse prevention plan. This is something you need to commit to paper instead of formulating it in your mind and expecting that you will be able to remember what you decided. It is a plan that you will want to be able to read and study and adapt as you feel changes are needed.
If you have not already identified the thoughts, feelings, behaviors and situations that triggered your drug use, that will be your first step. You can’t know what to avoid unless these things have been identified. You need to be brutally honest with yourself here. If there are aspects you can’t define on your own, get help. A sponsor, a family member, friend, or a medical professional might be able to help guide you through this process.
After that is done, you will need to determine coping skills that you will be able to use to keep you from falling prey to addictive behaviors again. Ideally, for each thought, feeling, behavior, and situation you identified, there should be a coping skill in place.
Lastly you will need to develop specific strategies and monitoring techniques to ensure the application of the coping skills you came up with. The final step will be to implement the plan. All the planning in the world won’t work unless it is used.
If you have used a relapse prevention plan, take the time to let us know how it worked for you. Doing this will not only help you, it may be the key to saving someone else from a relapse. If you know someone who is locked in a world of drugs, let them know that A Better Tomorrow can get them on the road to recovery. It only takes one phone call to initiate help.
If you need help, are struggling with an addiction, or know of someone who is, please contact A Better Tomorrow Treatment Center today. We are here to help.
http://www.abttc.net/
Phone: 800.971.1586
Fax: 800.401.8464
24 Hour Addiction HelpLine
Tel. (800) 396-9389 (7 days 24 hours)
e-mail: info@24houraddictionhelp.com
http://www.24houraddictionhelp.org/
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I really don't and the truth is I need it. I've come close a couple of times and I think it was the hand of God that saved me. I guess I need to do my part too. Thanks for the great blog.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your blog, I'm ashamed to admit that it had not even occurred to me. I guess that doesn't say much for my thought processes. Of course, I've only been out of treatment for 6 days. It may have crossed my mind eventually, but I'm glad you made it clear to me. Thanks for the tips.
ReplyDeleteI thought I did, but since I just suffered a relapse I guess I need to take a harder look at it and change a few things.
ReplyDeleteI do, but I discovered almost too late that it is flawed. Thanks to a new friend I was able to resist a relapse. I know now that my plan needs some work to keep this from ever happening again.
ReplyDeleteAmen to never returning. I was so far in the pit I didn't believe I could be saved. I never want to suffer that feeling again. My plan is in place and I'm praying that if I ever need it, it will save me from relapse. I go over it regularly to keep it fresh in my mind.
ReplyDelete