Relapse Prevention in Odessa, TX

No one would ever go out of their way to become addicted to drugs. No matter how many professionals involved in drug relapse prevention in Odessa and around the country believe relapses are a typical part of the rehab process, it can be a very painful experience for someone who has successfully eliminated drugs from their body and life.

Drug relapse prevention is integrated into all aspects of the rehabilitation process. Relapses can happen at any time but there are certainly stages of rehab when people tend to be more susceptible and therefore drug relapse prevention measures need to be even more robust. Personnel working in drug treatment facilities who specialize in relapse prevention in Odessa can help you and your loved ones understand why relapses occur and what to look out for as you go through the full course of drug rehab treatment.

What is Relapse Prevention?

In simple terms, relapse prevention is a plan developed for an individual in order to help them avoid using drugs or drinking again once they are drug and alcohol free. Alcohol relapse prevention can vary somewhat from drug relapse prevention because of the legal status, social acceptance, and wide scale use and alcohol addiction in Odessa across business and recreational activities.

Basically, it is much easier to avoid places where you bought or used illegal drugs than the possibly hundreds of places you may have had a drink. Every person has a different journey to sobriety and although relapse prevention plans all may have some core principles, they need to be customized to fit the personality and environment of the individual. A person, place, or circumstance can all trigger a relapse and one of the keys to prevention is listing those things that may affect the person who is now sober.

Relapse Statistics Amongst Addicts and Alcoholics

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), relapses amongst addicts and alcoholics occur at a rate similar to relapses of well-known diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and asthma in patients who have experienced those illnesses.

Like these other ailments, drug addiction is a chronic disease. Drug relapse prevention and alcohol relapse prevention plans should be developed for all recovering addicts and alcoholics, respectively; however, a relapse is not a failure, only a setback. Our therapy programs for addiction in Odessa deal with identifying and changing behaviors that have become deeply imbedded in a person's psyche and there is no magic potion that can be taken to become sober or prevent relapses.

Warning Signs and Symptoms of Relapse

A rehab professional specializing in relapse prevention in Odessa will tell you that the most obvious sign that someone has relapsed is that they are openly using drugs or drinking again. Recovering addicts and alcoholics, even those who have been diligent previously about their drug relapse prevention plans, can relapse at any time.

However, there are signs that a relapse could happen and they include compulsive behavior (possibly similar to how a person acted when they were using drugs or alcohol), mood swings, which can include anxiety or depression, separation from normal family and peers, and a return to other unhealthy habits and environments.

For some people, their drug relapse prevention or alcohol relapse prevention plan includes steps or tasks they do every day. A sign that they may have a relapse is a departure from doing the daily, repetitive tasks that help them stay sober. This could include exercise, meditation, a group activity, or simply a morning walk and if missing from their routine, should be noted by their support group.

Stages of Relapse

Not only are there signs and symptoms that a person has or is about to have a relapse, there are also stages of relapse that can be observed as well. There are three documented stages of relapse that are commonly referred to by drug rehab professionals. They are emotional relapse, mental relapse, and physical relapse and each have specific definitions.

The emotional and mental stages could be referred to as pre-relapse as they are both are lead-ins to the physical relapse stage where a person actually takes drugs or a drink. During the emotional stage, a person's brain is beginning to set them on a path to a relapse, often because of stress. When a person enters the mental relapse stage, their mind is beginning to rationalize using or drinking due to the stress of the emotional stage. Then there is only a short step to the physical stage and using again.

Relapses are both a part of the overall recovery process and at the same time something to be avoided if possible. Relapse prevention in Odessa is available for those that are coping with the stress of drug and alcohol rehab so do not hesitate to contact us about drug and alcohol relapse prevention plans today.

Call Odessa Drug Rehab Centers today at (877) 804-1531 to speak with an addiction specialist about our treatment programs in Odessa.