Relapse Prevention
Relapse prevention is an integral part of the treatment process for long-term and permanent recovery. You may have heard that relapse is part of the recovery process, but it doesn’t have to be. Addiction is a very serious disease, and you never know if that one relapse can be the one that has fatal consequences. 1st Step Behavioral Health is will work closely with you so you have the best chances of avoiding relapse when you leave treatment.
Length of Stay and Relapse Prevention
A variety of studies has shown that when you increase your length of stay in treatment, your odds of staying sober are better. The worst thing you can do is come to treatment for a short period just to detox and then leave. Those who have the greatest success in sobriety are the ones who increase the length of stay as long as possible. The first part of this is transitioning through the different levels of care at 1st Step Behavioral Health.
Our levels of care include:
- Inpatient
- Partial hospitalization program (PHP)
- Intensive outpatient program (IOP)
- Outpatient
- Extended care
The reason we offer these different levels of care is that it can be overwhelming to return to normal life too soon. Rather than going from a highly structured, safe environment back to home or work, you can have more support. We also offer extended care to help give you a better chance of staying sober for the first year. Studies show that those who receive extended care the first year have an 80% higher chance of staying sober.
Relapse Prevention for Co-Occurring Disorders
The two leading causes of relapse are untreated and undiagnosed mental illness. From the time you enter our inpatient treatment program, we work with you on your symptoms of mental illness. We’ll assess you to see if you’re dealing with any symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD, or other mental illnesses. This is crucial when it comes to staying sober because sobriety is already difficult without underlying mental illnesses.
The great news is that it’s possible to live with symptoms of mental illness and have an incredible life. Mental illness doesn’t mean you have a broken brain, but it does mean that you need to treat the parts that are struggling. Much like if you needed to rehabilitate your legs after an accident, therapy can help heal your brain to decrease difficult symptoms. We do this through medical as well as holistic ways so you have different options.
Life Skills and Relapse Prevention
One of the best forms of relapse prevention is learning different life skills, which may sound silly to some. Being in active addiction completely hijacks your brain and changes how you function in everyday life. Part of the healing process, while you’re partaking indrug treatment programs, is to teach you a variety of different life skills. Some basic life skills include simply going to outside meetings and finding additional support.
Others may need more assistance in the life skills program depending on their backgrounds. There are some who come through treatment who have never had to go grocery shopping or don’t know how to fill out a job application. One aspect of the life skills program that’s beneficial to all of our clients is learning the importance of time management. One of the primary triggers to drink or use is stress, and time management will help reduce your stress greatly.
Give us a call today at (855) 425-4846 for more information.
Take the First Step Today
We can help you get better. Contact us today to find out which program might be right for you, or to begin the process of arranging for treatment.
