Common withdrawal symptoms when recovering from addiction include insomnia and fatigue. These can be common potential triggers for relapse. By implementing physical exercise and a balanced diet, you can improve your quality of sleep. Following a structured sleep, exercise, and eating schedule can retrain the body to sleep better and will also help reduce the risk of relapse.

HALT stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired. When you feel a craving to use, or you're feeling anxious or 'off,' ask yourself if you're feeling any of these symptoms. The most common triggers for many recovering alcoholics and addicts are hunger, anger, loneliness, and feeling tired. By doing a regular check of HALT, you can help prevent the risk of relapse.

Mindfulness meditation teaches you to become more self-aware. Being self-aware empowers you to cope with potential triggers to relapse. Studies found suggested significant improvement in individuals in recovery who follow a mindfulness meditation relapse prevention program compared to those who do not use mindfulness meditation. The research participants using mindfulness meditation remained clean and sober longer and reported less cravings and increased awareness and acceptance. 

Mindfulness meditation participants are encouraged to learn to “roll with” their cravings, rather than fight them. Acceptance that cravings will come is a learned skill through this practice, while implementing relapse prevention skills. Concepts such as acceptance, letting go of personal control, and the use of spiritual prayer and meditation are hallmarks of mindfulness meditation. A simple practice of mindfulness meditation, developed by Spirit Rock co-founder, Jack Kornfield, is a mantra to repeat 3 times while gently and mindfully focusing on your breath:

May I be filled with loving kindness

May I be well

May I be peaceful and at ease

May I be happy.

Mindfulness is paying attention, awareness, or focus on what you’re doing, where you are, who you’re with, and more. To start the process of becoming more mindful, simply notice what you are doing with no judgement. It can be helpful to write down your daily activities by tracking them with a smartphone or a journal to bring more awareness to what you are doing, thinking, and feeling. You can get greater insight and empowerment over your cravings.

Your triggers can be internal (anxiety, irritability, stress, anger, low self-esteem) or external (people, places, or things that remind you of your past use). Making a list of internal and external triggers is an productive way to gain awareness of your triggers and reduce the risk of relapse.

Please check out our free wellbeing toolkits for more detailed guidance.

Attending a support group regularly, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or FRANK provides support, accountability, education, and the ability to meet others who understand what you are going through. A sponsor and peer support can be important elements of your recovery. Reducing feelings of loneliness and the risk of isolation can help prevent relapse, both of which can be common triggers.

Stress and anxiety are often the biggest barriers to recovery. A helpful relapse prevention technique is a grounding self-help called the 5-4-3-2-1 coping technique. It takes you through your five senses to focus on the moment and avoid thoughts of using alcohol or other drugs, anxiety, negative self-talk, and any other unhealthy thought or feeling that may lead you to want to use to escape.

The 5 steps begin by taking a few deep breaths, followed by the following:

5. Acknowledge five things you see around you.

4. Acknowledge four things you can touch around you.

3. Acknowledge three things you can hear around you.

2. Acknowledge two things you can smell around you.

1. Acknowledge one thing you can taste around you.

Complete this exercise with a long, deep breath. Focus on your senses tp help you gain self-awareness and increase mindfulness. This will help you accomplish daily tasks, overcome unhealthy thoughts or feelings, feel more in-control and less overwhelmed, and reduce the risk of relapse.

By simply changing your breathing patterns, you can get better control over your mind and body. Breathing is an essential function throughout your body, but it also has a large effect on your brain chemistry. Breathing greatly impacts your emotions and helps regulate your overall mood. This is why deep breathing is so essential for your mental health.

Deep breathing releases neurotransmitters in your brain, many of which trigger feel-good chemicals resulting in relaxation, happiness, and pain reduction. Deep breathing, and the resulting increased oxygen flow, also encourages your body to exhale toxins.

The 4 x 4 deep breathing technique is a good one to try. Take four deep breaths in through your nose and hold, then release for four seconds. You should feel your diaphragm moving in and out while you breathe. Deep breathing is an excellent relapse prevention technique because it can be utilised virtually anywhere without anyone knowing you’re doing it.

When an urge happens, it can be difficult to manage it, especially in the beginning of recovery. A really helpful relapse prevention skill is making a list of healthy family members or friends who are also in recovery that you can call for support. Having a safe person to talk to can help you get past the craving and focus on why you do not want to return to previous behaviours. Keeping the list on you at all times is important to make sure you are always prepared.

If you find yourself with a craving to drink or get high, a great tool to use is 'playing the tape through' first:

1. To play the tape through, you must 'play out' what will happen in your mind until the very end.
   
   

2. Imagine what will happen in the short and long-term future if you decide to drink or use.
   
   

3. Think of the consequences that would occur if you used compared to if you did not use. This can help with your decision making and reduce the risk of relapse.

The threat of relapse can be frightening. However, it does not have to be when you are fully prepared with a toolkit of healthy coping strategies. Implementing your relapse prevention techniques into a daily schedule can greatly help reduce the risk of relapse. 

Contact your dedicated treatment provider to learn more about inpatient or outpatient treatment programs to learn more relapse prevention skills and get help today.