Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes PhD, LPC-MHSP, LMHC

Executive Director AllCEUs

Objectives

~ Define relapse in terms of addiction as well as mental health

~ Examine relapse prevention techniques

~ Explore needs of the person: Psychosocial and Maslovian

What is Relapse

~ Relapse is the return to addictive behaviors or the recurrence of mood symptoms

~ Relapse often starts long before the person uses again

~ Get caught up in day-in-day-out

~ Start acting “mindlessly”

~ Stop going to meetings/counseling/church/lifeline

~ Begins running out of energy to do new behaviors

~ Frustration, irritability and exhaustion set in

~ Caveat…an extreme stressor can prompt “immediate relapse”

Relapse Definition

~ Relapse is the return to something that has been previously stopped

~ Relapse is multidimensional

~ Emotional

~ Mental

~ Physical

~ Social

~ A relapse is when you start returning to any of these people, places, things, behaviors or feeling states.

Extreme Stressors

~ Those things that overwhelm an individuals ability to cope

~ Thrust them into the fight or flight

~ New coping skills and support resources may not even be considered, or only half-heartedly

~ Have clients identify or practice dealing with these types of situations in group

~ Divorce

~ Death

~ Job Loss

~ Diagnosis of a terminal or chronic illness (Cancer, ALS, HIV)

Beginner Tools for Extreme Stress

~ Get support… You are outnumbered!

~ Self-soothing/De-Escalation

~ Systematic Desensitization

~ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

~ CPT Note Card

~ I feel… because ……

~ What am I upset about

~ What are the FACTS for and against this belief

~ Am I using all or nothing thinking or jumping to conclusions

~ I need to call _______ to get an objective perspective or what would _____ do

~ Delay – Most urges, feelings and cravings rise and fall like waves in about 20 minutes if you do not “feed” them

~ Distract – Craving time passes more quickly when engaged in a distracting activity for a few minutes.

~ Use Distress Tolerance Skills to IMPROVE the moment and ACCEPT reality. DBT Video

~ De-Stress – By reducing your stress and distress, you are allowing your body to maintain higher levels of calming and “happy” chemicals.

~ For more tips, listen to the Happiness Isn’t Brain Surgery Podcast on preventing vulnerabilities.

~ De-Catasrophize – Challenge your thoughts and when necessary, reframe them into more accurate notions, like, “This is really uncomfortable, but I can manage.“

~ Video on thinking errors

Relapse Prevention Card

~ Fold a paper into four squares:

~ On the first square, write: “Delay, Distract, De-Stress, De-Catastrophize

~ On the second square, write out 5 personally relevant distraction ideas

~ On the third square, write out 3 of your most significant reasons for wanting to recover

~ On the fourth square, write out some negative expectations – accurate predictions for what will happen if you slip (over eat, smoke, drink, say “yes” when you need to say “no”)

Creating a Relapse Prevention Plan

~ Triggers and Vulnerabilities are multidimensional

~ Emotional

~ Mental

~ Physical

~ Social

~ Environmental

~ Cravings: Compile a list of who you can call, what you can do to distract yourself from a craving and how you could stop a craving altogether. (gambling, smoking, sex, over eating)

~ Healthy tools: Think about what new and old behaviors/tools you can use to keep you on the right track. Some examples include writing a list of consequences should you relapse, attending a support meeting, exercising, journaling, or writing a gratitude list.