Relapse Prevention Strategies
Relapse prevention plans are there to offer structure and actionable steps to help you get through each day steadily. Simply knowing you shouldn’t relapse is not enough. Substance use disorders are serious, and anyone in recovery should have a “game plan” in place that’ll help them navigate moments of temptation.
Note: This website is for information only. We can help you understand options and prep for conversations with licensed providers, but we don’t diagnose, treat, or guarantee outcomes.
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What Relapse Prevention Means
Relapse prevention is exactly that: a set of skills, steps, or support that focuses on getting you through triggers, cravings, and navigating life without substances. It aims to provide accessible and easy-to-use tools for difficult moments.
Know Your Triggers
The first step: knowing what your triggers are and how to recognize them. Any of the following could trigger someone in recovery:
- People: friends you used with, taxing or draining relationships
- Places: bars, certain locations, your bedroom, the usual route home
- Feelings: hungry, angry, lonely, tired (HALT); plus bored, anxious, or sad
- Times: evenings, weekends, right after work, payday, holidays
- Situations: arguments, big wins or losses, being alone, pain, poor sleep
Quick exercise: write down your top five triggers, and next to each one, jot down a better choice you could make instead.
5 Core Skills to Remember for Difficult Moments
- Urge surfing (10 minutes): Let the craving rise and fall like a wave, observing instead of fighting it. Breathe slowly, set a timer, and ride it out.
- 5–4–3–2–1 grounding: List what you notice using each of your five senses. Name 5 things you can see; 4 things you can touch; 3 things you can hear; 2 things you can smell; 1 thing you can taste.
- Delay and distract (15 minutes): Give yourself a short task if you’re feeling any urges, like taking a brisk shower or going for a walk.
- HALT check: Ask yourself if you’re hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. You’d be surprised how much can be solved with this one.
- An exit line ready to go: “I’ve got to go. See you tomorrow.”
Build a Simple Daily Routine
Sleep: the same bedtime and wake time, day after day
Movement: 10 to 20 minutes of light exercise, most days
Meals and water: on a schedule, not as an afterthought
Support: show up for therapy or your group sessions
Joy: one small thing you truly enjoy and brings you peace
Check-in: set a goal in the morning to look back on at night
Social and Phone Boundaries
Mute or remove problematic contacts, leave pressure groups, share your plans with safe people, and avoid high-risk settings.
Medication and Medical Support, When It’s Right for You
FDA-approved medications can be a great help for some individuals, especially those facing alcohol and opioid use disorders. MAT can ease cravings and lower the risk of experiencing a relapse. Psychiatric meds can also help with mental health concerns like anxiety, sleep, or mood fluctuations.
Note: Don’t change anything about your medications without talking to your medical provider first.
Lapse vs. Relapse
A lapse is a brief, momentary return to use.
A relapse is a longer return to old patterns.
Either way, if you have used substances again, put your safety first and reach out to your clinician or your alumni contact.
Your Plan for the First 24 Hours After a Slip
- Safety check: call emergency services if you need to
- Tell one person you trust, and get out of that location
- Write down what led from the trigger to the action, step by step
- Do something small to repair or reset mentally
- Clear out any remaining substances around you
Weekend and Payday Plan
Before: set cash limits, plan transport, someone supportive on standby
During: take non-alcoholic drinks, plan an exit line, set a time limit
After: check in by text, eat something, plan a good night’s sleep
Quick Tips for Travel and Holidays
- Book a room with a fridge and keep plenty of drinking water
- Let someone know your schedule for accountability
- Plan how you’ll leave a party if you need to
- Look up local or virtual meetings ahead of time
- Protect your sleep with a calm morning routine
Digital Tools That Help
- Setting calendar reminders for medications, therapy, and groups
- A notes app for your triggers and crisis numbers
- A timer for “urge surfing” (ride out cravings by observing them like a wave)
- A sobriety tracker, if that’s useful to you
For Loved Ones
- Ask what would help: a ride, childcare, or a regular check-in
- Maintain boundaries that are kind but clear
- Notice and celebrate the small wins along the way
- Call emergency services if there’s an urgent safety concern
Your One-Page Relapse Prevention Plan
- Your top five triggers
- Three skills you can use fast
- Three people you can call for support
- The anchors of your daily routine
- Medications and follow-up appointments
- Your 24-hour plan for after a slip
- Emergency numbers
FAQs
Do I Have to Avoid All Risky Places Forever?
You don’t have to avoid places forever, but know your own limits. Start with firm boundaries, and ease back in slowly, with support and an exit plan in hand.
What if My Cravings Don’t Go Away?
Tell your clinician if you’re struggling with cravings. These skills do get easier with practice, and you can always reengage in IOP or PHP if you need more support than you’re getting.
How Long Does Relapse Prevention Last?
Relapse prevention is a skill you should keep indefinitely as someone in recovery. Attending relapse prevention programming, however, should last as long as it’s useful to you. Many people keep a simple plan in place for months or years, tweaking it along the way.
Is a Slip the End of Recovery?
No. A slip just shows you where your plan needs some work.
Helpful Resources
In Crisis? Get Immediate Help
If you’re in danger or thinking about hurting yourself, call 911 or your local emergency number. In the US, you can also call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Other numbers that can help:
- SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
- Crisis Text Line: Text HELLO to 741741