Freedom Rings has been designed to treat the “whole person”, with one of the major components of addiction treatment or alcohol rehab specifically focused on relapse prevention.

We believe relapse prevention must provide new strategies for the recovering person. These strategies will allow the gay addict or gay alcoholic to effectively deal with the vast array of addictions, disorders, behaviors and thoughts that in the past have combined to create feelings of shame, internalized homophobia depression, hopelessness and helplessness resulting in a return to drug addiction, substance abuse or alcoholism.

Relapse Prevention Definition

Relapse Prevention can best be described as a method used to teach and educate those people recovering from drug addiction, alcoholism and dual diagnosis to cope more effectively with the stressors or triggers in their environment.

Drug addiction and alcoholism are diseases of the brain that, when not treated effectively, are typified by chronic relapse. Relapse prevention is an integral part of any effective addiction treatment program, drug rehab or alcohol rehab. Unfortunately, far too many drug rehabs and alcohol rehabs teach relapse prevention by just telling their patients to go to self help groups.

What is Relapse??

For one to understand the basics behind relapse prevention, a person must first understand relapse itself. In healthcare, relapse is best described as a regression in ones medical or psychiatric condition after a period of recovery from a particular illness. In the world of drug addiction treatment, or alcoholism treatment, relapse is defined as one returning to a specific behavior after a period of abstinence from that behavior. That would include alcohol abuse or drug use in the case of the addict / alcoholic or other behaviors in the case of the person with an eating disorder, sex addiction or gambling addiction.

Research has demonstrated that a relapse does not just happen by itself. There are many outside influences and contributing factors. After proper education and training anyone can identify significant warning signs that an individual may be in danger of returning to the self-destructive patterns of substance abuse, alcoholism or other disorders and addictions.

There is one fact pertaining to relapse that stands out above all others and that is that relapse does not come on suddenly and without warning, it is a process that takes place over time. Take a moment and speak with an addict or alcoholic who have experienced relapse. In almost every case, it began with the thought process which was followed by behaviors to support that thought and resulted in the person discontinuing recovery related activities ending up in another bout with drug addiction or alcoholism.

The Basics of Relapse Prevention

There are some basic principals one must follow if they are to reduce the possibility of relapse:

Initially, a person must be stabilized medically and psychiatrically. With drug addiction, dual diagnosis and alcoholism, this generally takes place in a detox program. The person needs to be provided with the opportunity to detox in a drug rehab or alcohol rehab capable of managing the symptoms associated with withdrawal. From there each person needs time to recuperate from the depression, anxiety, stress and hopelessness they have been experiencing during their years of drug addiction and alcoholism.

Once detox is completed, it is critical for them to establish daily structure. It is our hope each person will find this by transitioning from detox to drug rehab or a drug addiction treatment program. This is the best and most effective plan for relapse prevention.

If not, the individual must find this structure by finding employment, attending self help groups, exercising regularly and establish a healthy eating plan. In addition, it is highly recommended you maintain a relationship with your primary drug addiction treatment provider. Nobody knows you better.

Preventing Relapse

As mentioned earlier, drug addiction and alcoholism are a chronic disease of the brain. As with any chronic disease, the possibility of relapse exists. Alcoholism and drug addiction are influenced by social, environmental, psychological and medical factors. Unfortunately, this disease does not just” go away” because we or others want it to. There is no exact prescription for preventing relapse, but there are certain guidelines, that if followed, increase the odds greatly of achieving and maintaining long term recovery. To date, there has never been an addiction treatment program, drug rehab or alcoholism treatment program that is able to claim that all of their patients have recovered. The key is that a program which incorporates a relapse prevention plan as a significant part of its addiction treatment greatly enhances a person’s chance of embracing quality long term recovery.

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