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.
