Sometimes you just need a simple relapse prevention plan example to help you understand what it should look like. Developing a simple approach to ensuring lifelong sobriety means planning ahead to avoid relapse. Avoiding relapse is obviously a key goal for anyone and nobody should assume failure however preparing in advance gets you thinking about what might happen.
When people look for relapse prevention plan examples it is because they are unsure themselves exactly what goes into one. The truth of the matter is that you can simply come up with your own plan as long as it covers some major components.
Relapse Prevention Plan Example Sections
Here are the main sections we recommend your plan cover:
- Personal Affairs & Health
- Relationships
- Career obligations
- Short and Long Term Recovery Goals
- Friends and family
- Addressing triggers and cravings / high risk situations
Simply take a few minutes to write some notes about each of the different categories in the action plan. Once you’ve writtens some notes about how each of the sections in your action plan affects your recovery process you should share it with a family member or your support system.
What do I write in each section?
Each section should include coping skills for when you encounter difficulties relating to that subject. For instance, if your career obligations cause difficulty to your mental health that could potentially be an early warning sign of relapse. Therefore in that section you should write down some coping mechanisms you can use while at work.
These coping skills can be as simple as deep breathing or as complex as a full blown self care routine. We recommend things such as gratitude lists, healthy ways to take your mind off things, calling a close friend or simply retreating to a safe place.
Whatever you end up writing in each section it should be a detailed plan with enough ideas in it to support positive changes. Dealing with relapse is a normal part of recovery both in the long term and short term.
Your relapse prevention plan example sections
Some people just want to see a full relapse prevention plan example because the need help getting started. Here are some example relapse prevention plan steps to support your recovery journey:
Personal Affairs & Health
When dealing with difficult personal affairs in life I will take deep breaths and count to ten before become overwhelmed. I know that poor self care is a trigger for me so I will make sure to get 8 hours of sleep a night without fail. I will also make sure to have a healthy diet consisting of only good foods in my house. By building healthy habits I am creating a positive experience and my own set of management techniques for dealing with my substance abuse.
So you can see in the section above that the person is looking for warning signs of potential addictive thoughts and actions.
Additional tips and suggestions
- Cravings will eventually pass the longer you are in active recovery.
- Mood swings are also inevitable in the early days so be prepared.
- Protecting your mental health is the single most important thing in recovery so take the time to work on it.
- Lean on support groups if they are available but be ready to use your coping skills if neccessary.
These relapse prevention strategies, as presented here, form an important part of your physical, mental and social health. Identify triggers inf your life and be ready to kick them out! Having a written document serves as a powerful exercise in cementing your commitment to a fundamental lifestyle change.
We hope this relapse prevention plan example proves helpful and if you have additional questions or comments please contact us!
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