Relapse Prevention in South Texas, TX
When it comes to treating a drug or alcohol addiction, there is a great deal of confusion among both the general public and those suffering from a drug or alcohol addiction. Part of that problem is that the reality of addiction treatment does not always match up with the image that people have in their heads of treatment thanks to movies and television. Another part of the problem is that many people do not recognize the importance of relapse prevention programs as a vital part of addiction treatment in South Texas. Relapse prevention treatment is extremely important if a person wants to recover from an addiction in the long-term. In order to understand why getting into a treatment center that focuses on relapse prevention in South Texas, get to know more about relapse, relapse prevention, and the importance of treatment. Then, you can be sure to find a program for relapse prevention in South Texas when you are ready to overcome your drug or alcohol addiction.
What Is Relapse Prevention?
To put it simply, relapse prevention treatment is a form of addiction treatment that focuses on results that not only aid in addiction recovery in the here and now but also in the long-term. The idea is to address the reality of the issue of relapse as well as ways that relapse can be dealt with and prevented. Many addiction treatment programs focus on the immediate issues of recovery like detox (getting the drug out of a person's system) and basic therapy to help a person not start abusing drugs or alcohol again as soon as they return to their everyday life after treatment.
Relapse prevention is not just a single treatment or therapy. It is an underlying theme and common thread through rehab and through every treatment and therapy. Relapse prevention programs include options such as family and couple's therapy to build a strong support system, art and other expressive therapies to give a person coping skills to use when their thoughts and emotions become overwhelming, and even vocational support like job search assistance. These relapse prevention treatment options can also include transitional steps after a person's initial addiction treatment program such as sober living homes and halfway houses.
Relapse Statistics Amongst Addicts and Alcoholics
Relapse is a much more serious problem among addicts and alcoholics are much higher than most people realize. In fact, one of the major reasons that relapse prevention in South Texas is so important is the fact that relapse is so common. Overall, anywhere between 40 and 60 percent of people that go through addiction treatment will relapse at some point after recovery. This means that a large number of people that seek care for addiction will fall back into dangerous habits and possibly even resume abusing drugs or alcohol at some point. However, if a person receives comprehensive relapse prevention treatment from one of the many relapse prevention programs available in various treatment centers, they will be much less likely to suffer relapse.
Warning Signs and Symptoms of Relapse
It is important to understand that relapse is not just a single instance of substance abuse or a moment of weakness. Relapse is actually a process, one that can occur over a prolonged period of time or over the course of a few weeks or days. Because relapse is a process, there are many different warning signs and symptoms of relapse that you can watch out for to help yourself or someone you care about detect relapse before a person makes it through the entire process. Some of the symptoms of relapse include:
- Mood swings
- Depression or anxiety
- Sleep disturbances
- Secretive behaviors
- Jumpiness or edginess
- Anger and agitation
- Lying and minor or major mistruths
- Contacting known drug dealers or old cohorts
- Confusion or mental fogginess
- Possession of drugs or alcohol
- Skipping therapy or support group meetings
Stages of Relapse
There are three stages of relapse that relapse prevention treatment addresses. The first of these stages is emotional relapse. When a person goes through emotional relapse, they may experience mood swings, become depressed, experience a great deal of stress, become lethargic, not take care of their hygiene, or stop keeping up with household chores or necessary tasks. This stage of relapse can be quite easy to address but sometimes difficult to detect because the symptoms are not obviously connected to substance abuse.
Mental relapse is the second stage of relapse that you will learn about in relapse prevention programs. In this stage of relapse, a person may begin to think about substance abuse or related behaviors. They may even begin to make plans to resume substance abuse or gain access to drugs or alcohol. Sometimes, mental relapse can start with literal dreams about substance abuse and grow from there but it can also be an entirely conscious process.
Finally, the third stage of relapse is the actual physical act of using or consuming the substance the person is addicted to. It could also involve developing a new drug dependence (i.e. a heroin addict developing an Oxycontin addiction). Once a person reaches this stage of relapse, they often need to go back to treatment so they can learn better tools to avoid relapse in the future.
Now that you understand relapse more thoroughly and you understand the importance of relapse prevention in South Texas Alcohol Rehab Centers, you will be able to better ensure that the treatment center you choose to overcome your addiction includes programs for relapse prevention. Call now for help (877) 804-1531.