Relapse Prevention Program in Los Angeles, CA

As you progress through recovery, you will come to understand the many high-risk situations that could test your resolve in staying sober. High-risk situations can refer to people, places, objects, and specific scenarios.

The high-risk scenarios depend on the individual, but some general ones include:

• Places you associate with past substance use, such as a bar
• People you used to hang out with and drink or do drugs together
• Situations in which your former substance of choice is available, such as a party
• Moments filled with excessive stress or boredom
• Social situations that caused stress or anxiety and drove you to substance use
• Hobbies or activities that involved or were associated with substance use

Triggers are objects, people and situations that the brain associates with taking a substance and the pleasurable sensation that follows. (For examples, see the “high-risk scenarios” list above.) Even a certain print or online advertisement can trigger somebody toward substance use. Seeing characters drink in a movie might trigger those who struggle with alcohol use.

Cravings are the desire to experience the positive effects of taking a substance. These are actual physical compulsions or urges resulting from the release of dopamine in the brain. Someone recovering from alcoholism, for example, might get a sudden craving for the taste of a certain beer and the buzz it creates.

Relapse prevention education at Harmony Place focuses on understanding one’s own triggers and cravings and then learning techniques for managing them in recovery, because they will certainly strike at one point or another.

There are many precursors to relapsing into active addiction. Experts in the recovery field often say relapse begins with our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors before we ever pick up a drink or a drug. Anxiety is one such trigger that can lead to relapse, unless we take steps to address it.

Anxiety is characterized by an unrealistic fear of the future that causes people to feel excessively nervous or worried. Anxiety also produces irritability, anger, and hypersensitivity, and can lead to difficulty in concentrating, sleeping, and socializing. When these feelings persist over a period of months, it can be diagnosed as generalized anxiety disorder.

The longer we suffer from anxiety, the more imminent the possibility of relapse. We may think our only relief from anxiety is to self-medicate with drugs, alcohol, and other addictive behaviors. “Treating” our anxiety with mind-altering substances or compulsive behaviors, however, only serves to make us more anxious, not less.

Treatment and Self-Help Techniques for Anxiety

The professional treatment of choice for anxiety is cognitive-behavioral therapy, which teaches clients to identify the root cause of their feelings and helps them develop coping strategies. Relaxation techniques such as meditation are also extremely effective in relieving anxiety.

Simply acknowledging an anxiety attack as it’s happening can drastically reduce its power over us. Often, it is what we say to ourselves that relieves our anxiety and restores our balance. When we are experiencing anxiety, we should tell ourselves, “I am safe at this moment. My anxiety is not a reasonable response, and nothing bad is happening right now.”

Worrying about situations we can’t control will not influence the outcome. Worry simply begets more worry, which leaves us feeling helpless. Recognizing these feelings as they arise and remembering to adjust our thinking are the surest ways to stop a potential relapse in its tracks.

It’s important to remember that overcoming anxiety does not happen overnight: remaining calm and “in the moment” takes patience and practice. As with recovery itself, the goal is progress, not perfection.

High-risk situations will inevitably come during recovery, but the individual does have control of how he or she responds. Coping strategies are grouped into three main categories, and here’s an example response for each:

• Behavior: walking away from the high-risk situation
• Emotion Management: turning to a specific hobby or activity when feelings of depression or anger begin to overwhelm
• Mental Techniques: using positive self-talk to overcome a high-risk situation

Although it’s not recommended to replace one addiction with another, there are a number of hobbies and activities that are playfully referred to as “positive addictions” and have shown to help with physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

Examples of positive addictions to turn to in recovery include:

• Sports
• Working out
• Yoga
• Meditation
• Reading/book clubs
• Bible studies
• Volunteering

Harmony Place extends a number of alumni and aftercare services to all alumni of our treatment programs.

Our alumni and aftercare program includes:

• Alumni Group Gatherings – for activities such as basketball tournaments, karaoke, ice cream socials, etc.
• Mentor Group Sessions – meets weekly at our residential facility
• Facebook Group for Alumni
• Online Alumni Support Group