Addiction recovery isn’t usually a matter of steady upward progress. Recovering from an addiction requires beating the withdrawal symptoms, learning how to recognize triggers, establishing healthier habits, and more. Dealing with all of that can be too much to manage sometimes, so recovery often involves periods of relapse, where use starts up again and progress is lost. With professional help, however, you can learn to recognize the signs of impending relapse and prevent it. If you are a resident of Baltimore County and are struggling with addiction, you need to learn about help with relapse prevention in Baltimore County.
Recognizing Relapse Triggers
Problematic drug or alcohol use is often triggered by a particular situation or person. A party, for example, can provide the temptation to use. Relationships problems can be stressful enough to trigger use as well. One key to avoiding relapses lies in recognizing triggers and avoiding them.
The Relapse Process
Triggers are only part of the cause of a relapse, though. Before the physical act of using again even happens, there is what might be termed an emotional relapse. This is getting into an emotional state that sets you up for a physical relapse. Loneliness, anger, anxiety, and more can all prime you to start using again. Once the emotion gets strong enough, the urge to use appears. Good memories of use suppress the bad ones. Encountering a trigger in this state will almost certainly lead to relapse. Learning to recognize the emotional precursors is another key to avoiding relapses.
Relapse Prevention in Baltimore County: Strategies
The best way to prevent a relapse is to have a relapse prevention strategy. If you know in advance what triggers and emotional states lead to relapses, then you can make effective plans for how to avoid them and how to quickly recover from them if you cannot avoid them. A good strategy should include a plan for self-care, because when you feel healthy and strong, you are less likely to want to use. It should also include distractions that can take your attention away from using and friends you can call when you are feeling tempted. You should also give yourself a little harmless reward whenever you make progress in your recovery to help reinforce good behavior.
Relapse Prevention in Baltimore County
Recovering from addiction is often a long, difficult process. Make it as easy on yourself as possible by getting professional help with relapse prevention in Baltimore County. Contact The Bergand Group today.
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