Relapse Prevention in Los Angeles, Burbank, and Las Vegas

Overcoming addiction is a challenging journey and deserves to be acknowledged through healthy and constructive means. However, the path to recovery doesn’t end once addiction is conquered. The risk of relapse remains a real and significant concern for individuals in recovery, even for several years. Preventing relapse is equally crucial as the recovery itself, as a single relapse can erase years of hard-won progress. Relapse prevention therapy employs various strategies to minimize the risk of relapsing, and it has demonstrated substantial success among individuals in recovery.

How can medications be beneficial?

The progress in developing medications for preventing relapse has been remarkable. Many are familiar with Narcan, which is employed by law enforcement officers and paramedics to counteract narcotic overdoses, often saving lives dramatically. There are now various medications designed not only to halt narcotic use but also to assist in preventing alcohol consumption, stimulant abuse, sedative/hypnotic misuse, and nicotine dependence. Relapse prevention medications can effectively create a “Teflon” effect on brain cells, making it difficult for individuals to achieve a high and reducing the desire to use substances. These FDA-approved medications are potent and do not result in controlled addiction, tolerance, or abuse. They are not substitution treatments, replacing one drug with another; instead, they facilitate the restoration of normal neuronal biology and the associated thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

Relapse unfolds in three stages

Emotional Relapse — During the emotional relapse stage, individuals are not actively contemplating substance use. They recollect their past relapses and strongly wish to avoid repeating them. However, their emotions and behaviors inadvertently pave the way for potential relapse. Denial plays a significant role in emotional relapse, as individuals are not consciously thinking about using at this point. Indications of emotional relapse may encompass:

• Suppressing emotions
• Self-isolation
• Avoiding support meetings
• Attending meetings but refraining from sharing
• Concentrating on others’ problems instead of their own
• Adopting poor eating and sleeping habits

Mental Relapse — In the mental relapse stage, there’s a conflict within an individual’s mind. Part of them desires to use, while another part resists this urge. As individuals progress deeper into mental relapse, their longing for an escape intensifies, and their cognitive resistance to relapse weakens. Signs of mental relapse can involve:

• Cravings for drugs or alcohol
• Pondering people, places, and situations associated with past substance use
• Downplaying the consequences of past use
• Romanticizing past use
• Engaging in bargaining
• Telling lies
• Formulating schemes to regain control over use
• Scouting for opportunities to relapse
• Planning a relapse

Physical Relapse — The final stage of relapse is marked by a return to substance use. Even a single instance of drug use can quickly escalate into uncontrolled use if an individual has entered this stage.