The Importance Of Relapse Prevention In The Recovery Process

Those new to recovery need to learn to handle the stress of everyday life in order to avoid relapse and maintain their sobriety. At PACE Recovery Center we believe in integrating a wide array of therapeutic modalities in order to address the unique and individualized issues that our clients face.

Stress is a normal reaction to the demands of life and for those newly sober it is vitally important to learn to identify and manage stress in order to minimize the potential for relapse. At PACE we implement an evidence-based cognitive-behavioral approach to relapse prevention with the goal of identifying and reducing high risk triggers which could lead to substance abuse, anxiety, or depression. Our treatment team helps each client to identify potential high-risk situations and focus on developing specific coping skills designed to help the client live a balanced and positive life free of addiction.

At PACE’s California drug and alcohol rehab each client learns a variety of stimulus control and “urgemanagement” techniques as they develop their own unique relapse prevention plan. It has been found that an individual who can implement an effective coping strategy when craving or impulses occur is less likely to relapse compared with a person lacking those skills. It is for this reason that we believe in targeting the underlying behavioral health issues and place great importance on each client developing the necessary skills which will lead to long-term abstinence.

For more information on relapse prevention please view Relapse Prevention: An Overview of Marlatt’s Cognitive-Behavioral Model published by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).