How to Create a Relapse Prevention Plan to Maintain Your Recovery
Key takeaways:
Relapse is a nearly universal part of the recovery journey. Whether faced with a substance misuse issue or other mental health concerns, relapse is incredibly common.
While it can help to review other people’s plans, your relapse prevention plan should be your own. Make sure it reflects your unique goals and challenges.
Planning for relapse prevention isn’t a sign of weakness. Rather, it’s a sign of strength that shows a strong commitment to recovery.
If you or someone you care about is in recovery from addiction or mental illness, it's important to talk about relapse. Sometimes, people mistake relapse for failure. But that couldn't be further from the truth.
Most people in recovery will experience a relapse at some point. What's most important is how you respond to those situations. In challenging moments, a personalized relapse prevention plan can help you get back on track.
What is a relapse prevention plan?
A relapse prevention plan is a personalized tool for recovery. It's designed to help you understand yourself, your triggers, and your support system. It can help you navigate challenges and harness your inner strengths.
Most people associate relapse prevention plans with substance use disorder or addiction. But these plans are also useful for people in recovery from many other types of mental health concerns.
For example, people living with depression or anxiety also use relapse prevention plans. In this case, your plan can include items like:
Warning signs your condition is getting worse
Stressful situations that may trigger symptoms
Coping skills to use in times of distress
A list of people you can reach out to for support
Crisis resources
Creating a relapse prevention plan
When you think about your relapse prevention plan, remember that it needs to work for you, not anyone else. So it should reflect your unique needs and environment.
The following questions can help you decide what to include in your plan:
What is your personal "why" for wanting to remain in recovery? What motivates you to stay on track?
What are your relapse triggers? What thoughts, feelings, experiences, people, or places could negatively affect your recovery?
How do your triggers show up in your mind and body? What clues tell you that you could be at risk of relapse?
What activities make you feel strong and empowered? How do you rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit? What activities help you stay strong in the face of challenges?
How do you deal with stress or other uncomfortable emotions? What would you include in a menu of healthy coping tools for limiting stress?
Who can you talk to if you're worried about relapse? This could be a trusted friend or family member, therapist, sponsor, or someone else in the recovery community.
Proven relapse prevention skills and strategies
Throughout the recovery journey, it's important to care for your physical, mental, and emotional health. The following strategies can help you prioritize your well-being and prevent relapse.
Build a supportive environment
Consider how the places you visit and the people you interact with can play a role in your recovery. For example:
Steer clear of places that might tempt you to engage in unhealthy behaviors.
Avoid people who are unsupportive of your recovery.
Build connections with people who affirm your desire to live a healthy life.
Get rid of objects (like drug paraphernalia) associated with substance use or other unhealthy habits.
Keep your mind and body strong
Prioritizing your mental and physical health can prevent relapse and help you get back on track quicker when slipups occur.
Do physical activities you enjoy and that lower your stress level. Talk to your doctor if you're considering trying a new activity.
Eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of water.
Maintain a sleep routine that helps you get adequate rest.
Engage in self-care in whatever form works for you. Consider experimenting with stress-limiting activities like deep breathing, yoga, or mindfulness.
Create a sense of community
Your recovery experience is uniquely yours, but that doesn’t mean you have to go through it alone. Make a list of ways to build regular social support in your life, such as:
Spend time with friends and loved ones.
Join a recovery-oriented group either in person or online.
Let your loved ones be a part of your recovery if it feels right. Talk to them about what you're experiencing and ask for their support.
If you are a member of a religious group, connecting with your spiritual community can help prevent relapse.
Make a list of people you can talk to if you're worried about relapsing.
Example relapse prevention plans
If you're working on a relapse prevention plan for yourself, take a look at the following examples. While your plan should be unique to you, these can help you brainstorm some ideas of what to include. You can also take a look at the Wellness Action Recovery Plan (WRAP) for additional ideas.
Substance use disorder relapse prevention plan
My goal for recovery is: | To abstain from using alcohol |
This goal is important to me because: | I want to be a good mom and that means being healthy and present for my kids |
Some of my known triggers are: | • Work stress • Fighting with my partner • Worrying about money • Being in a place where alcohol is served (bars) • Social situations where everyone is drinking but me |
When I feel stressed, I: | • Tend to lose my appetite • Get super irritable and snap at everyone • Have trouble concentrating on even simple tasks • Have trouble sleeping |
What emotions might lead to a relapse? | Oddly enough, feeling really happy or feeling really sad can both make me feel tempted to drink. I sometimes miss being able to drink to celebrate. But I also want to numb out sometimes when I feel scared, anxious, angry, or stressed. |
When I'm feeling those symptoms, it helps to: | • Take a break from screens, especially social media. • Make an appointment with my therapist. • Go to the park with my kids or play with them in the backyard. • Listen to a podcast about maintaining sobriety. • Journal and write down my thoughts. • Reread old journal entries to remind me why I started this journey. |
If I need to talk to someone, I can contact: | • My therapist • My sponsor • My mom • My online support group |
Self-harm relapse prevention plan
My goal for recovery is: | To avoid engaging in self-harm behaviors like cutting |
This goal is important to me because: | I worry that my behavior could put me in a really unsafe place. I want to learn how to deal with stress without hurting myself because I know it’s not good for me. |
Some of my known triggers are: | • Being socially isolated and not leaving my apartment • Comparing myself to others • Visiting my family • Being back in the place where my friend passed away |
When I feel stressed, I: | • Stop taking care of myself and even simple things like my hygiene feel unimportant • Just want to sleep all the time because I’m exhausted • Sometimes will do other things that put my well-being at risk |
What emotions might lead to a relapse? | If I notice more negative self-talk creeping in, I know I'm not in a good place. I start to feel hopeless and worthless and like no one would ever want to be around me. |
When I'm feeling those symptoms, it helps to: | • Talk to a friend and let them know I'm not doing well. • It also helps to do something creative and steer clear of anyone who tends to criticize me a lot. |
If I need to talk to someone, I can contact: | • The weekly support group at the crisis center • My brother • My roommate • My Aunt Jenny |
The bottom line
Almost everyone on the journey to recovery will face a relapse at some point. So it’s important to plan ahead for how you’ll handle this experience.
The best time to create a relapse prevention plan is at the start of treatment or when you're in a calm, safe state. That's because if you wait until you're stressed or faced with temptation, it can be tough to come up with solutions.
But by taking some time to create a relapse prevention plan for the future, you can give yourself the tools to get back on track and recommit to your goals for recovery.
Why trust our experts?
References
Grant, S., et al. (2017). Mindfulness-based relapse prevention for substance use disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Addiction Medicine.
Melemis, S. M. (2015). Relapse prevention and the five rules of recovery. Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine.
Menon, J., et al. (2019). Relapse prevention. Indian Journal of Psychiatry.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020). Drugs, brains, and behavior: The science of addiction.
Pombo, E. (2019). Self-help techniques for coping with mental illness. National Alliance on Mental Illness.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2022). Reducing relapse risk.
If you or someone you know struggles with substance use, help is available. Call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 to learn about resources in your area.
