The 9 therapeutic strategies for the prevention of relapses in addiction

Addictive disorders are currently one of the biggest public health problems in our society and increasingly affect young people and adolescents due to the normalization of habits that generate dependency: online gambling, drug use in nightlife venues, etc

Faced with this reality, over several decades, psychology professionals have developed and perfected psychotherapeutic interventions and psychopharmacological drugs designed to help people with addictive disorders of all kinds, and today they are the best option to treat this type of alterations.

However, even when the person has already been helped through the most troublesome point of withdrawal management, there is still a certain vulnerability to the possibility of relapsing into drugs or actions that generate addiction. This phenomenon lasts for years, and that is why it is necessary to know a series of therapeutic strategies for the prevention of relapses in the addictive disorder. Let's see the most important ones.

Main therapeutic strategies for the prevention of relapses in addiction

There are various ways to treat an addiction, whether chemical, such as addiction to drugs, alcohol or drugs; or behavioral (gambling, addiction to video games, etc.).

Within the intervention aimed at treating addictions, there are various stages that must be overcome to help the person to completely overcome their problem and one of the biggest problems that we find in most of the process are the relapses.

Relapses consist of a return to the addictive behavior by the person who is letting go of his addiction, and its appearance eliminates much of the progress made by the patient with anteriority.

Luckily, there are some therapeutic strategies that can be carried out during the addiction rehabilitation process. Below we present the most useful or effective ones.

1. relaxation techniques

One of the first strategies that we can put into practice at a therapeutic level to prevent a relapse in a person's addictive disorder is training in relaxation techniques. These therapeutic resources allow us to overcome excess anxiety and stress, triggering factors for a possible relapse and make the person reach a state of relaxation and emotional balance that allows you to think more clearly and not succumb to the temptation of consume.

Some of the most used relaxation techniques in psychotherapy are diaphragmatic breathing, conscious meditation, progressive muscle relaxation.

• Related article: "7 easy relaxation techniques to combat stress"

2. exercise routines

Secondly, we can incorporate specific routines of intense physical exercise during our day to day, which it will help us connect with the present moment and keep intrusive thoughts at bay.

This psychologically helps to keep the mind busy and have a better daily organization; the physical exercise must be relatively intense so that it puts us in a position in which we must pay attention to the coordination of movements.

3. Avoid harmful social circles

In any process of getting rid of addictions of any kind, especially chemical ones, there is a moment in which the person must be removed from his social context linked to the drugs. Avoiding these problematic social circles where use occurred or where it may have started is the best way to start a new life. for the person who has been rehabilitated or who is in the process of doing so.

Instead, it is convenient to frequent new social circles and healthier environments, far from the previous ones, where new social interactions and friendships can be woven.

• You may be interested in: "The importance of social skills to overcome addictions"

4. Maintain a clear sleep schedule

Maintaining a regular sleep schedule with very clear beginnings and endings, every day at the same time, is also part of the therapeutic protocol to prevent relapses in addiction.

Proper night rest in people undergoing rehabilitation is essential. In addition to that, a rigid sleep schedule maintained over time will help us avoid being vulnerable to anxiety, lack of concentration or discomfort. of withdrawal, and in fact, it is a fundamental part of the treatment of psychopathologies prone to generate comorbidity with addiction, such as Bipolar disorder.

• Related article: "10 basic principles for good sleep hygiene"

5. Attend group therapy sessions

Going to group therapy sessions is also an excellent way to successfully complete a process of cessation and rehabilitation of addictions of all kinds.

Group therapy has been shown to be one of the most effective intervention modalities in the case of addictions, since it helps each participant to motivate themselves to leave addiction behind and offers the possibility of having as references the examples of those who are part of the group and they take longer without relapse.

6. Keep a personal diary

Keep a personal diary in which to dump the painful feelings It is also very useful to overturn everything that worries us, scares us or generates states of anxiety.

In addition to that, it allows us to verbally channel the discomfort that one feels, and it is also useful to avoid that the psychological situation overcomes us and we end up giving in to the temptation to relapse.

7. lean on family

In a process susceptible to relapses, it is also necessary to lean on the family and the people around us, since their support and love will make us stronger to overcome any adversity.

In addition to having the support of psychology professionals, family, close friends and the couple themselves can help us in multiple ways to prevent relapses of all kinds.

8. Incorporate alternative behaviors to consumption

There are many alternative behaviors and activities to consumption that we can integrate into our day to day as a mechanism to distract attention and avoid relapses to an addiction.

These activities can be of all kinds, the important thing is that they are simple and accessible at almost any time, and keep us with a positive attitude.

9. Avoid sedentary lifestyle

As indicated, in detoxification and rehabilitation processes it is important to maintain an active social life and in healthy and positive environments, capable of offering us motivating projects. We must not fall into the trap of letting the activities that are most compatible with a passive lifestyle (watching television, being hooked on social networks...) take over all our free time.

This means that we must avoid a sedentary lifestyle at all costs, that is, the fact of staying at home all day without doing anything.

Looking for psychotherapy services?

Although all the exposed tips are important, they should not be taken as a remedy that allows you to do without professional help. The involvement of a therapist specialized in psychology or psychiatry will always be the main way to avoid relapses to addictions by a person in the process of rehabilitation.

If you are looking for this type of service to start treatment for addictions, contact us. In Liberadict Therapeutic Center we can help you.