5 Effective Strategies to Prevent Relapse During Recovery

Recovering from any kind of addiction or substance abuse disorder can be difficult. It’s not always a straight and narrow path. There can be multiple hurdles and even setbacks. So it should come as no surprise that relapse is fairly common on the road to recovery.

Unfortunately, relapsing can make you feel like you have to start all over again, or that you’re never going to be able to fully beat the addiction you want so badly to leave behind.

Thankfully, there are things you can do on your road to recovery to prevent relapse and keep moving forward.

Let’s take a look at a few effective strategies that can make a big difference.

1. Practice Self-Care

Taking care of your mental and physical well-being on a daily basis is one of the best things you can do to prevent relapse. Try to exercise every day, get enough sleep, eat healthy meals, and write in a gratitude journal to remind yourself of the good things in your life.

These strategies will make you feel good from the inside out. They’ll give you the happiness and energy you deserve and help you realize your self-worth without falling back into old habits.

2. Understand Any Triggers

Maybe there are specific things in your life that caused you to turn to drugs or alcohol. It could be certain people, locations, or activities.

Moving forward, do what you can to avoid those triggers. Even if you think you can handle them, there’s no reason to tempt yourself or put yourself at risk when you’re trying to recover.

3. Don’t Do It Alone

It’s so important to have a support system in your corner on your road to recovery. Surround yourself with people who care about you and want to see you succeed. They can hold you accountable, check-in, and offer shoulders to lean on when the road gets rocky.

It’s a good rule of thumb to have an emergency contact list on hand. You should have a few people you can contact at any time if you’re worried about relapsing so they can help you immediately. If you don’t have many people in your life who can fill those roles, consider joining a support group. Hearing stories of people who have gone through similar situations can make a big difference in how you feel while giving you hope for the future.

4. Stay Grounded

Many people initially turn to drugs or alcohol as a way to cope with things. Life can be stressful and overwhelming at times. Anxiety will whisper “what if” to you more often than not, and it can be hard to work through those feelings on your own.

One of the best ways to fight back against them is to stay grounded in the present. Mindfulness, meditation, and deep breathing exercises can help. They will keep you focused on the here and now, rather than letting those “what ifs” take control. So, instead of reaching for some kind of substance to cope with uncertainty, you can feel more confident in the present.

5. Find Mental Health Support

Therapy is a great way to prevent relapse during recovery while prioritizing your overall well-being. A therapist will work to help you better understand what initially caused your struggle with addiction. You can use that as a starting point for your healing journey. In recovery, it’s important to look inward, and therapy is often the best way to open up and do that.

If you have any questions or you’re ready to take that step, please reach out soon. I’m happy to set up a consultation and work together to help you on this path.