Relapse prevention aftercare strategies

May 19, 2025

9:00 am

Relapse prevention aftercare treatment strategies

Relapse prevention aftercare strategies are essential. People in recovery relapse: It happens. While it might sound cliched, it is not the end of the world, though it might feel it. Recovery is a trajectory and along the road there will be obstacles.

While rehab gives you the initial stages, recovery is a lifelong commitment which recovers planning and input. You may want to find an addiction recovery centre, get some free clinician drug advice or need home detox services UK. Call and speak to a clinician at Find Me a Rehab. Our service is free, confidential and wholly impartial.  

What is a relapse?  

A term that is often banded around but has different meaning to different people. In the addictions sector, it usually means that someone has started to use alcohol and or drugs after a period of treatment. Relapse can happen to anyone in recovery, even if they have maintained sobriety for decades. When they are exposed to situations that are stressful or put in situations which they associate with their former use, then relapse is a real possibility. Relapse prevention aftercare strategies can be learned. This is why great emphasis is placed on the importance of aftercare in preventing relapse. Therapists explain relapse as three stage phenomena:  

1st stage: Emotional. A person in recovery, at this point, is not thinking about using but because of their current situation, they are being led down a path to relapse. It is common for someone at this stage to feel angry, perhaps even isolated as well as angry. 

2nd stage: Psychological. This is when someone in recovery consciously thinks about using. Some people, at this stage, will use memories of what they believe to have been good times when in active addiction to justify their relapse. They may even be looking into ways of getting hold of drugs and alcohol.  

3rd: Physiological relapse: The person in recovery lapses into using and needs urgent help.  

Surely rehab is enough and will teach me how to prevent relapse?  

Rehab is hard work: It is not a holiday camp or spa retreat. For those who seek treatment and complete the programme they should, quite rightly, celebrate their success and plan for a productive future. Rehab provides a stable base for recovery, the tools to succeed and lifelong bonds among those with common experiences and a desire to live a life of abstinence.  

Clearly, anyone who experiences a relapse is going to view it as a huge setback, at the very least. However, when viewed as a common part of the recovery trajectory it can be seen in perspective. While everyone who experiences a relapse does so for different reasons, there are some common factors:  

Untreated mental health conditions 

It is very common for those experiencing addiction to have co-occurring mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, etc.  If left untreated, it is not uncommon for someone to return to addiction.  

Overconfidence  

Going into treatment in a rehab centre is not a cure.  Some people, on leaving rehab, want to try and see if they can resist the temptation by exposing themselves to their old habits. Sadly, this overconfidence can put them in risky situations and enhance the risk of relapse.  

Life stressors 

The stressful situations that may have played the major factor in someone’s addiction may return. People who, for whatever reason, were instrumental in the original addictive episode may return to that person’s life and/or someone in recovery gets back into activities that surround drug and alcohol use.  

Absence of continued support 

All rehab centres provide, a minimum, of a year continued support and this gives someone ample time to plan to arrange local networks, be they 12 step/SMART and/or input from local statutory services. Without this support, someone in recovery can, quickly, begin to feel overwhelmed, isolated and anxious.  

Unhealthy coping mechanisms  

Rehab is the perfect location in which to learn how to deal with anxiety, stress and managing difficult emotional responses. Just as with any other skill, refining them and keeping them active is essential in ensuring they are ready to use. When a stressful situation arises, if these skills are not ready to be used, relapse is likely.  

Social factures 

Not everyone in society understands addiction and recovery, even those that do can sometimes put pressure on someone in recovery. The old “go on! It is just one drink” cliche can ring true.  

Not being realistic 

Coming out of treatment is not like the yellow brick road, but more of a Cobbold street with bollards. It can be navigated but needs thought and may be Trickey. Recovery is a lifelong commitment. When life stressors get in the way, a relapse can seem a quick and easy way to escape.  

Physiological  

A detox can be, for some, a lifesaving intervention and all rehab centres will provide, where clinically necessary, a safe and medically managed detox. Sadly, even after completing treatment the body can crave drugs and alcohol. These can be especially acute during high stress situations.  

Lack of aftercare 

Having a well thought out, carefully structured aftercare plan can play a huge part in reducing the likelihood of relapse. Without one, coupled with a lack of structure, the chances of a relapse can increase.  

The impact of relapse 

Just because you have relapsed doesn’t mean your life is over. Sure, it can be seen as a sizeable setback (both psychologically and physically) but it doesn’t mean sobriety and abstinence cannot be achieved.  A lot of people who relapse experience very intense feelings of shame and/or guilt when they relapse. This can reduce their motivation and damage the way they see themselves. Anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions can also be fuelled by relapse and a person’s level of confidence can be seriously impacted which can be a vicious circle.  

Physiological risks  

The longer someone has been abstinent the lower the tolerance to the substance. If someone relapses and uses the substance they were previously using, there is a heightened risk of overdose: This can be fatal.  

Declining health 

A period of abstinence can be transformative to a person’s general health. However, a relapse could be very risky as health conditions, initially resolved due to abstinence, could resurface.  

Partners, families and friends 

Once fractured relationships which could have been healed through family therapy can be put at risk during a relapse. Trust becomes a thorny issue and relationships can become fractured: again.  

Progress stalled  

Someone in recovery, who has relapsed, can feel as if any progress, to date, has been nullified. However, every step in the trajectory, even a backwards one, is part of the recovery.  

Difficulty with coping skills 

It is a common phenomenon that people, on leaving rehab, feel that they cannot use the skills they learned. With a focus on them, and using the correct support, they can be used and results achieved.  

Money worries  

Should further treatment in rehab and/or outpatients is needed, accumulating the funds to pay for it can be a burden. Relapse can affect employment which can cause additional stress.  

Criminal Justice System  

Drink driving, drug driving, drunk and disorderly, assault on an emergency service worker, etc. Even when not intended, relapse can end someone up in a police cell, court, even prison.  

Trying to find an addiction recovery centre can be overwhelming. The best way forward is to get some free clinician drug advice from Find me a Rehab. We can also help with home detox services UK. 

You may want to find an addiction recovery centre, get some free clinician drug advice or need home detox services UK. Call and speak to a clinician at Find Me a Rehab. Our service is free, confidential and wholly impartial. 

Relapse prevention aftercare strategies

Preparation and knowledge are the key. The more prepared someone is, the more tools they have at their disposal. Some may not appear to be obvious, but research and experience amongst clinicians in the field, therapists and those in recovery have many common features:  

  • Keeping fit: Exercise can be a major reducer of stress. It takes you away from stressful situations and has major health benefits.  
  • Entrenching positive responses to stressful situations: There are a variety of tools and techniques. Meditation and mindfulness can help to focus the mind on the present to reduce acute stress.  
  • Having an outlet: Singing, dancing, writing, painting, acting. Being creative can be a real outlet and stress reducer. The less stress, the more relapse can be prevented.  
  • Knowing which situations and people to avoid: Everyone has situations and people that induce certain responses. It doesn’t have to be a person, it could be a place, a feeling, a date, smell, etc. When someone in recovery knows what situations are more likely to lead to relapse it is easier to either avoid them or face them with confidence. For example, if an associate is in active addiction and wants to hang out, being able to say no and make new friends, who are abstinent, will be a major factor in maintaining abstinence.  
  • Routine, routine, routine: While not always possible, having structure and routine can be very powerful relapse prevention tools. Activities that motivate, interest and fulfil are especially useful.  
  • Aftercare: Joining a 12 step/SMART group can be invaluable. But joining is not enough, continued attendance is the real key to relapse prevention. An addictions specialist therapist can also be a major factor in preventing relapse.  
  • Being around the right people:  Having people around you who are not in active addiction, who understand what you are going through is incredibly important. Sometimes that can involve distancing yourselves from someone, even if they have the best intentions but your recovery is paramount.  
  • Know when you have relapsed: More likely than not, when someone relapses it happens slowly. There are some common indicators such as not going to support groups, avoiding your “support bubble” and not looking after yourself. Some people, in recovery, will start to look on the time they were in active addiction as a positive experience to justify their relapse. It is important to recognise these thoughts for what they are, and what they can do.  

Relapse prevention aftercare strategies

The first thing to do is: Stop, take a breath and realise that the world has not come to an end. These things happen. However, the sooner you reach out for help, the sooner you can get back on track. Let people know: Your GP, 12 step/SMART group, trusted family member, friend: Don’t keep it to yourself. It may be that by readjusting your relapse prevention plan you can realign your recovery. The importance of aftercare in preventing relapse can not be overemphasised, so as to prevent this.

There may have been a stressful situation you had not envisaged or one that brought up emotions or difficulties you did not see coming: Use this, when revisiting your recovery plan, so you can prevent a reoccurrence.  The most important element is to understand that relapse is not failure: It happens. Be kind to yourself, reach out so you can get back to a life of sobriety and abstinence.  

Relapse happens, not to everyone in recovery, but enough for those who can help you to understand where you are coming from. It can be useful as it can show you situations you were not expecting and bolster your efforts. You may be trying to source home detox services UK, need some free clinician drug advice or are looking for an addiction recovery centre: It matters not. Call and speak to an experienced addictions clinician at Find me a Rehab. Your call is free, confidential and our advice is impartial.   Relapse prevention aftercare strategies are essential: We can help.