Relapse Prevention in Union, NJ

Studies show that only 5 of 10 of those who attempt to overcome addiction stay addiction-free any longer than a year. Most such relapses, however, happen to those who hesitate to go through with the relapse prevention programs that rehab experts recommend. At Union Drug Rehab Center's program for relapse prevention in Union, relapse prevention therapy forms the core of every treatment program, and we make sure that our patients understand well how important following through on treatment is.

If you're considering treatment for addiction, we would like you to give us a call. There's a lot that we can show you about finding the best possible treatment.

Understanding Relapse

A relapse is a return to a state of illness after a period of good health. For addicts, the term refers to a reappearance in addictive behavior after a period of abstinence. To understand why relapses occur, it's important to understand why addictions form in the first place.

Addiction is a disorder that occurs when the brain receives excessive exposure to addictive substances. A drug or alcohol addiction in Union can create stress instead of relieve it sometimes. Such exposure brings about significant long-term modification to various regions of the brain. While some of these modifications can be corrected, others cannot. One of the most intractable of these changes is a deep attachment to addictive behavior. In simple terms, chronic exposure to addictive substances causes permanent damage to the brain that then results in a permanent fixation on addictive behavior.

The fixation that comes from addiction is also termed psychological addiction. Use of this term "psychological" can be taken to indicate that psychological therapy is the only intervention possible. Relapse prevention programs that offered the psychological therapy needed, however, can be very time-intensive, and most patients lack the commitment necessary. Patients who are able to commit to months or years of hard work at therapy are mostly assured success over their addiction.

What Does Relapse Prevention Therapy Entail?

At our programs for relapse prevention in Union and at other scientifically managed rehabs, the primary aim is to help patients overcome cravings that come from psychological addiction.

While addicts who continue to use tend to feel cravings several times a day, those who accept detoxification are freed of such regular occurrences. What remains are occasional cravings that turn up. When these cravings show, it can be extremely hard for a recovering addict to resist them. The idea with relapse prevention treatment is to learn about the ways in which relapses occur, and to do everything humanly possible to keep them away. This involves education about the way relapses work, and engagement with therapies of different kinds.

The Components of Relapse Prevention

Learning how relapses occur: Relapses do not simply show up. They build up in a gradual way, gaining momentum over time. Learning to look for the signs can help. A tendency towards irritability and emotional instability is one of the first clues of an oncoming relapse. It can progress to a stage where the mind fantasizes about addictive behavior. This leads to actual use. When a recovering addict learns to recognize the signs, it is usually possible to stop relapse before it actually gets started.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy: One of the most effective therapeutic approaches to addiction, cognitive-behavioral therapy aims to help addicts gain the psychological skills that they need to fight relapse. Trigger prevention is one of the most important aims of CBT. In trigger prevention, therapists interview patients to learn about their relationship to drugs, and uncover the ways in which they may be powerfully reminded of them. Each individual tends to respond to triggers in different areas, and such personalized therapy can be a lifesaver. This method is also a major factor for dual diagnosis treatment in Union.

CBT also looks at other important areas such as poor levels of motivation, a tendency to self-deprecation, negativity or guilt. Therapists work out cognitive and behavioral exercises to help patients bring themselves out of self-defeating psychological states.

Group therapy: A number of approaches exist to group therapy for relapse prevention. From psychoeducational groups to skill development groups, 12-step programs and expressive groups, these approaches attempt to address different areas of psychological shortcoming.

While 12-step programs take participants through a journey of self-discovery, development and growth, skills development helps participants without skills find activity that they can care about. Expressive groups help patients get in touch with their own selves through the practice of art.

Individual therapy: In one-on-one therapy, the therapist works with each client to teach awareness and mindfulness. This can help them gain awareness of the mental processes that occur when they weaken in their resolve and return to drug abuse. Participants are made aware of stages such as pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation and action, and are allowed to practice prevention at each one of these stages.

Choose Our Program for Relapse Prevention in Union

Many studies report high success rates for outpatient rehab methods. What these studies don't report, however, is that the successes reported rarely hold up over long periods of time. Relapse prevention treatment tends to work best in our inpatient rehab in Union. It takes highly focused therapy many hours a day for weeks on end to truly make a difference.

Our center for relapse prevention in Union offers the most effective kinds of therapy, and our experts would be glad to help you. If you have questions or would speak with relapse prevention therapists, call us at (877) 804-1531.