Relapse Prevention

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8 Tips for Preventing Relapse to Alcohol or Drug Addiction
From Addiction Recovery Consultants http://www.addictions-recovery.com

1. Attend a long-term rehab program – If at all possible, a longer-term (more than 30 days) drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility will often provide a solid foundation to work with that includes counseling and education about addiction and staying sober.

2. Have some type of support group – many people choose to attend meetings, but this doesn’t have to be the case. The support can come from family, co-workers, teammates, clergy, and of course staff at the treatment center that was attended. Don’t be afraid to communicate problems and ask for support from people you trust, but try to focus more on solutions than the problems themselves.

3. Get involved with other drug-free groups and activities – this may include becoming active in your church, some sort of sport or hobby, volunteering with community organizations, or anything that helps to keep you busy and productive.

4. Stay away from old drug-using associates – people who get help for substance abuse all too often make the mistake of hanging out with their old friends who still abuse alcohol or drugs. Over time the general agreement of “it’s okay to do it as long as it’s not out of control” kicks in and causes a relapse. It is not a good idea to stay connected with people like that who can have a negative influence on your sobriety.

5. Do not hang out in bars and clubs – whether or not alcohol was your main drug of choice, bars and nightclubs often have a very high rate of substance abuse and can be extremely damaging to someone who is trying to rebuild a life without drugs and alcohol. In addition, people who drink alcohol lose their inhibitions and sense of good judgment and typically decide that it’s okay to use drugs “just this once,” causing their downfall again.

6. If at all possible, stay away from prescription drugs that have abuse potential – in today’s society we are constantly bombarded with advertisements promoting the latest “feel-good” drugs and the idea of taking a pill for every symptom. Drugs with either heavy abuse potential or possible heavy side effects may include painkillers, anti-anxiety drugs, sleeping pills, antidepressants or anti-psychotics. Prescription drug addiction has become a major problem in America, so consult your doctor and get a second opinion to see if prescriptions are really necessary for your circumstances or to see if there is a drug-free alternative treatment for them.

7. Maintain good health – exercise, adequate sleep and proper nutrition are important to feeling good. Since drug and alcohol addiction is usually the result of trying to feel better about some unwanted condition, the more you can do to stay healthy the better your chances are for staying away from substance abuse. This doesn’t have to mean a grueling workout program, but it does mean to stay active in some way, take vitamins and other nutritional supplements and get enough sleep to be energized for each day and keep you free from toxins. You may be surprised at how far these simple things can take you.

8. Set and work toward achieving goals in life – one of the best ways to maintain happiness is to stay productive and achieve goals you have set for yourself. This could be little things at first, but also include mid-range and long-term goals so that you are always striving to improve your condition in life.

The 8 tips for preventing drug relapse listed above are just some common sense examples of how you or someone you love can remain sober. In many cases the simple things, when applied, are what work the best, yet unfortunately many treatment professionals try to complicate the issue. If you have any questions or would like more information about finding successful drug and alcohol rehabs, you may speak with someone by calling 1-877-421-9659 or visiting www.drug-alcohol-rehabs.org

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All good to do!  I think the exercise and diet should be much higher on the list with the # one spot going to no more association with anyone you use with -- even if it's your spouse, for at least several weeks - mine took 6 weeks with cocaine use and my son took 12 weeks with Oxy use.  To some extent I think it all depends on how strong your "mind-over-matter" willpower is and how many of the other things (like diet and exercise) you put in place to help re balance your depleted neurotransmitters and help sweat out the toxins stored in your body. 

One last thing that one should consider, if it's an issue for them, is excessive sugar intake.  Sugar is a drug in it's own right ~ just like nicotine, alcohol, heroine and
cocaine, sugar is an addictive and destructive drug and we are a
nation that is addicted? It is estimated that Americans eat more
than 150 pounds of sugar each year. Sadly, most people are unaware
of their addiction, in denial, unaware of the serious consequences
this addiction has on their health or simply unwilling to give up
their beloved vice.

Sugar can be classified as an addictive drug for the following
reasons:

   1. It is eaten compulsively despite negative consequences
   2. It alters the neurotransmitters in the brain, serotonin and
dopamine, in the same manner as hard drugs
   3. Tolerance develops and more and more sugar is needed to
experience the same results
   4. With continued use, sugar is needed to function normally
   5. When sugar consumption stops, withdrawal is experienced
   
Because of the aforementioned facts, addiction to sugar can and
often does lead to addiction to harder substances and anyone in
recovery for addiction to alcohol or drugs will face continued
relapse if they continue to eat sugar.

Sugar is a highly refined and addictive substance that is
completely void of any nutritional value and has many devastating
effects on the human body. It alters, disrupts or damages the
nervous, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, immune, endocrine and
metabolic systems and plays a role in many chronic health
conditions, illnesses and syndromes like depression, anxiety, heart
disease, hyperactivity, asthma, high blood pressure, acne, chronic
headaches, mood swings, PMS, OCD, Candida overgrowth, binging, type
2 diabetes, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, hypoglycemia, obesity,
food sensitivity, attention deficit and even cancer to name only
a few.

It also damages the kidneys, pancreas and liver, disrupts proper
digestion and absorption of protein, impedes healthy colon
functioning, leads to vitamin and mineral deficiencies and many
more.

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One More Essential Tool For Preventing Relapse in Early Addiction Recovery
by Peggy L. Ferguson, Ph.D. @ SelfGrowth.com

Most non-addicted people have routines and organizing structures in
their lives that help provide stability. An addict's lifestyle is often one of chaotic instability and disorganization. A general lack of structure and routine
contributes to this disorganization and chaos. An addicted lifestyle is often missing daily routines of fulfilling personal and family responsibilities, engaging in predictable and consistent eating and sleeping habits, and appropriate self care. These missing elements are self-reinforcing in addiction. Their absence increases probability of continued use and continued use of the chemical increases the probability of the absence of these internal and external structures.

Many people go to inpatient treatment at the beginning of their recovery journey. Although there are many benefits of inpatient treatment, an important benefit that is often underrated, is one of structure and organization. With its regimented wake-up time, scheduled meal times, and mandatory participation in daily treatment schedules, the treatment program provides the needed structure and organization. Once the newly sober addict leaves treatment, s/he must re-create a similar level of structure and organization for his/her own daily life.

Having your time closely scheduled helps to reduce the obsessive thoughts about drinking/using. It is also difficult to become bored while tightly scheduled in highly engaging activities. Boredom is correlated with thoughts about drinking/using. While in active addiction, the addict's life becomes prioritized by drug seeking, the actual use of the drug, and then getting over the use of
the drug. Suddenly faced with the absence of these drug-centered behaviors, the newly recovering person can struggle to try to figure out how to replace those old lifestyle behaviors with new, recovery enhancing behavior.