Relapse Prevention in Patterson, CA

Relapse prevention in Patterson focuses on giving recovered addicts the tools they need to maintain sobriety as well as access to the people and institutions they will need when the going gets tough.

Recovery from drug addiction is not an event; it is a process that lasts a lifetime. The first stage of recovery, which is simply stopping use of a substance, is usually achieved quickly. It is long-term sobriety that is the most difficult to maintain. Only through careful understanding of addiction and the process of relapse can long-term recovery be achieved.

What Is Relapse Prevention Treatment?

Is important to understand that relapse is common and that it does not signify a failure of treatment. In fact, relapse should be understood to be a part of the lifelong struggle with sobriety. Casting relapse in the light of failure can lead to feelings of shame and guilt, which only exacerbate a return to substance abuse.

It is better to understand that relapse is a part of the recovery process and that dealing with it appropriately contributes just as much to the success of long-term recovery as the initial process of medical detox in Patterson.

The best way to think about relapse prevention treatment is to consider how life events can lead either to an effective or ineffective coping response. An addict in a high-risk situation may cope with that situation well or not. Effective coping leads to increased self-sufficiency and a decrease in the probability of relapse.

Ineffective coping, however, can lead to decreased self-sufficiency and feelings of failure and guilt. If left unchecked, these feelings can lead to a lapse and substance use. This leads to a phenomenon known as the abstinence violation effect and increases probability of continued substance abuse and thus relapse.

The abstinence violation effect is a powerful component of relapse. There is a significant difference between the initial lapse and a return to uncontrolled substance abuse. It is important to note that a single lapse is not the same as a full-blown relapse and does not mean that relapse is inevitable.

At this stage, it is critical for recovering addicts to be able to find the help that they need from family, friends, sobriety buddies, and relapse prevention programs. People who attribute the initial lapse to their own personal failure are most likely to experience guilt and negative emotions that can lead to increased drinking or drug use as a further attempt to avoid or escape the feelings of guilt or failure caused by the initial lapse.

It is important that individuals do not attribute their lapse to internal factors beyond their control, such as a lack of willpower, but rather understand it is simply a consequence of the addiction disease process. When properly framed and addressed, a lapse will remain nothing more than a learning event and a way to develop more effective means of coping with similar triggers if they arise in the future. That isn't failure, but the very definition of success.

Rates of Relapse

Relapse prevention in Patterson categorizes addiction as a manageable chronic disease. Like other chronic diseases, addiction cannot be cured, only managed. Treatment allows individuals to counteract the disruptive effects of addiction on their life and behavior. The chronic nature of addiction as a disease means that relapsing into abuse at some point is not just possible, but likely.

As it turns out, relapse rates for people with substance abuse disorders are similar to relapse rates for other well understood chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and asthma. All of these diseases have both physiological and behavioral components and treating these diseases involves changing deeply embedded behaviors and the way that individuals think.

Rates of relapse for drug and alcohol abuse range from 40 to 60%. This is similar to rates of relapse for things like high blood pressure and asthma, both of which show relapse rates of 50 to 70%. It is better to frame addiction in the context of chronic disease as this more accurately characterizes the physiological and behavioral components of the condition.

Relapse Prevention Programs: The Stages of Relapse

Relapse can actually be divided into three stages and most successful relapse prevention programs focus on identifying the earliest stages so that measures can be taken to prevent full relapse. The stages of relapse are as follows.

Emotional Relapse

In emotional relapse, individuals experience an emotional state that sets the stage for thinking about using again. Common emotions in this stage include anxiety, anger, and fear. If left unchecked, these emotions can overwhelm coping mechanisms and result in a need for the soothing aspects of substance use. Dual diagnosis treatment in Patterson also attempts to address the mental illnesses that can create these tensions. Relapse prevention treatment programs attempt to intervene in relapse at this stage by addressing the emotions that are leading an addict to think about use again. This is why participating in our program for relapse prevention in Patterson is essential.

Mental Relapse

During mental relapse, the addict begins to think about using again by reminiscing about past use and situations in which substance use was pleasant. This can include thinking about old friends and old hangouts where substance use occurred. As mental relapse progresses, addicts begin to make plans for using again. Mental relapse may involve rationalizing use and making excuses for why it "won't be so bad this time." Relapse prevention programs identify mental relapse as a dangerous time for an addict. Inpatient treatment or intensive outpatient treatment at this stage can short-circuit the progression to physical relapse.

Physical Relapse

Physical relapse beings when an addict starts seeking drugs or alcohol again. This can include driving to a liquor store or looking for a dealer. Physical relapse is a perilous stage during which relapse prevention in Patterson can prevent a lapse from becoming a full relapse into heavy substance use.

Call Patterson Drug Rehab Centers today at (877) 804-1531 to learn more about our programs for addiction treatment in Patterson.