Relapse Prevention in Lubbock, TX

A major component of any addiction treatment plan is relapse prevention. Relapse prevention in Lubbock occurs through many aspects of a treatment program, and its focus is on keeping you in recovery for the long-term.

Relapse is a Recurrence of an Addiction After a Period of Sobriety.

Addiction results from changes in chemical brain function caused by chronic drug or alcohol abuse. These changes occur in several key areas of the brain, including the memory, learning, and pleasure centers. As your brain makes ironclad connections between using drugs and the pleasure it produces, it begins to associate enjoying the drug with wanting it. The result is intense cravings that make it extremely difficult to stop using. But the more you use, the more your brain changes, and the more dysfunctional and destructive your thought patterns and behaviors become. Addiction is a progressive disease, and it becomes worse without treatment.

Addiction, which is characterized by the inability to stop using drugs or alcohol despite negative consequences, is both chronic and relapsing. This means that it can't be cured, but it can be sent into remission through therapy that addresses the underlying causes of the addiction and helps you re-learn healthy ways of thinking and behaving.

Using again after a period of recovery, known as a lapse, can quickly lead to a relapse of the addiction, once again characterized by chemical changes in the brain that lead to compulsive drug use.

How Relapse Prevention in Lubbock Helps

It takes time for normal brain function to rebound once you stop using drugs or alcohol, and it takes time to re-learn new, healthier ways of thinking and behaving. In early recovery, the risk of relapse is very high, because you haven't yet developed and practiced the skills and strategies you need to resist cravings and make it through high-risk situations without using.

You're still addressing the complex issues behind the addiction, and you're still working on identifying self-destructive patterns of thought and behavior and working to change. Relapse prevention in Lubbock gives you the information, skills, and tools you need to stay sober in the early weeks and months of recovery.

How Relapse Prevention Programs Work

Relapse prevention programs are an essential component of addiction treatment, and they occur through a variety of avenues.

Pscyhoeducational classes are part education and part therapy. They help you understand how addiction and relapse occur, and they give you immediate, practical strategies for preventing a lapse.

Psychotherapy helps you identify harmful thought and behavior patterns, and it helps you sort through a variety of issues behind the addiction, such as chronic stress, family dysfunction, a history of trauma, or a co-occurring mental illness. It also helps you identify your triggers, or the people, places, and things that make you want to use, and develop practical ways to cope with them.

Complementary treatment programs in Lubbock are an important part of a high quality holistic treatment program and may include art therapy, yoga, meditation, nature therapy, and acupuncture. These help you develop self-awareness, mindfulness, and self-confidence, and they relieve stress and help you work through difficult emotions.

Support groups provide a place to vent, celebrate, and get help and support from peers in recovery who are going through or have been through the same thing. They promote a high level of personal accountability and help prevent feelings of isolation, which can lead to relapse.

The aftercare plan is an individualized plan that's put into place once treatment is complete to help you successfully remain sober for the long-term. The aftercare plan is based on your needs and will likely include participation in a support group and ongoing therapy. It may also include vocational rehabilitation, educational assistance, spending time in a sober living facility, and additional addiction relapse prevention programming in our drug rehab in Lubbock.

When a Relapse Occurs

The National Institute on Drug Abuse points out that the relapse rates for addiction are between 40 and 60 percent, which is comparable to other chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Addiction relapse prevention helps reduce your risk of relapse, but it won't work for everyone right off the bat. In fact, relapse is a normal part of recovery, and it's now considered to be less a catastrophe and more an opportunity to determine what went wrong and take steps to develop the necessary skills to prevent it from happening again.

It's important to note that relapse doesn't mean that treatment has failed. Getting back on track with recovery quickly is a matter of getting help as soon as possible after a lapse and approaching the relapse with a positive attitude. A relapse doesn't erase the progress you've made thus far, and focusing on what's gone right over what's gone wrong will leave you more motivated than ever to continue working toward long-term sobriety. Call us at (877) 804-1531.