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As a provider of residential treatment we work really hard to explore the behaviours of our clients when they were engaged in active addiction.

• Relationships: with family, friends and self
• Attitudes: to their community and their understanding of personal responsibility and consequences.
• Relapse Triggers: personal relapse triggers and assist them in finding their own coping mechanisms and methods to keep themselves safe.

A Choice: I strongly believe relapse is a choice. During his or her time in treatment, each client will have every opportunity to explore their propensity for relapse in detail – in Group therapy and 1:1 counselling sessions.  This is why I say that it is a “choice”.  Once someone achieves abstinence and is “clean” for a period of time, they sometimes decide to “test” their addiction – they wonder whether they can “control” their use and try “just the one!”

For those who have truly surrendered and accepted their addictive selves, this is not an option. But as I say, for many it’s part of their testing process to “try out” how much of an addict they really are.  Rarely will it stop at “just the one”, it quickly, if not immediately escalates and the downhill spiral is all the worse for their recent abstinence.

For those who decide they need a period of help back in therapy we offer a Relapse Programme, a short period in treatment where they explore their thinking around the relapse and again work through their understanding of their powerlessness over mood altering substances –Step One.

We’ve compiled our top 10 hints for Relapse Prevention – if you want a copy leave a comment.