Overcoming addiction and staying sober is a lifelong journey. Whether you or a loved one have experienced addiction and want to improve your wellness, it’s often essential to know and practice relapse prevention strategies to maintain your long-term sobriety. Having the proper foundation can make a huge difference when you’re eventually faced with potential triggers.

Today, let’s explore how you can build a solid foundation and move forward to long-term sobriety for the betterment of you and your family.

Identifying Relapse Triggers

Every individual’s health and wellness journey differs, and everyone experiences different relapse triggers. However, specific common relapse triggers might be shared between people. A relapse trigger is an internal or external cue that may trigger an urge to drink or consume dangerous substances. These include:

• Feeling “HALT,” an acronym that stands for hungry, angry, lonely, and tired
• Depression and anxiety
• Stressful situations or chronic stress
• Peer pressure or simply hanging around individuals using drugs or alcohol
• Insomnia, which can lead to physical and mental stress
• Relationship issues, such as a divorce or the end of a relationship
• Drug paraphernalia and pop-culture icons
• Physical settings, smells, or sights that may trigger a sensation of familiarity

Although relapse is generally described as a process¹ rather than a single moment, knowing how to identify the most dangerous triggers for you is the first step to building a solid foundation for long-term sobriety. Once you know what to avoid, you can design your life patterns and habits away from those potential triggers.

Building a Solid Foundation for Long-Term Sobriety

You can support yourself or a loved one during your journey to sobriety in many excellent ways. For example:

• It’s a wise idea to establish a strong support network. This can include trusted friends and family members who want to see you at your best and who will support you, even in your most difficult times.
• It would be best if you also considered attending support group meetings. Support group meetings are comprised of people like you who struggle with many of the same difficulties, so they can provide empathy.
• Don’t forget the value of engaging in therapy or counseling. Knowledgeable professionals can help you identify the root causes of your urges to drink or absorb dangerous substances, and they can help you develop healthy thought patterns or other relapse-prevention strategies to stay sober.

These efforts will help you build healthy, mature coping mechanisms in the long run. Given time, you’ll facilitate a positive lifestyle and overall wellness for your mind and body.

Effective Relapse Prevention Strategies

Every individual struggling with addiction eventually faces potential relapse triggers. However, you can use practical relapse prevention techniques to continue your long-term sobriety.

For example, it’s vital to practice self-care. Engage in healthy, happy hobbies that bring you joy on a personal level. This will also help you manage stress, another critical relapse prevention technique. Whether that means working out, spending time with friends, or reading a good book by yourself, do what makes you happy and what helps you calm down, especially after a stressful situation.

The Department of Veterans Affairs and other organizations recommend other good relapse prevention tips², such as:

• Surround yourself with positive, supportive people, not those who tear you down
• Practice yoga or meditation for physical and mental stress relief
• Exercise regularly
• Get enough quality sleep each night (7 to 8 hours for adults)
• Eat a healthy diet to provide you with energy and good feelings throughout the day
• Avoid the people, places, or things that are associated with your previous drug or alcohol use
• Express yourself creatively through writing, painting, sculpting, dancing, or playing music

Perhaps most importantly, you must stay accountable for your actions. You can lean on your support network or people from your therapy group to provide that accountability if necessary. Only by taking responsibility for your actions will you have the means and motivation to stay sober over many years, and you will be able to rebuild trust among your friends and family.

The Role of Professional Support and Treatment

Although you can take many steps by yourself to support your long-term sobriety, don’t discount the value and importance of professional treatment assistance. Professional help, such as therapists and rehab centers, can provide you with a wide range of supportive services and benefits.

Therapy and counseling can determine the root causes of your struggles with drugs and alcohol. Counseling can help you let go of guilt for previous actions, giving you the freedom and emotional energy needed to move forward and live your best life for years.

Additionally, drug and alcohol rehab programs can provide you with specialized support that your friends and family members may not know how to give. Overall, professional treatment and support should form the cornerstone of your long-term sobriety plan – everyone needs help now and again, and it’s not shameful to ask for it!

Get the Help You Need

Ultimately, you can build the appropriate foundation to ensure your long-term sobriety, especially with the assistance of knowledgeable professionals. Clear Life Recovery is a holistic rehab center in California focusing on addiction recovery, offering various counseling and support services and methods for your unique needs. Contact us today to learn how we can help you on your sobriety journey.

Sources:

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4553654/

[2] https://www.va.gov/WHOLEHEALTHLIBRARY/tools/reducing-relapse-risk.asp