A relapse prevention plan is comprised of measures, techniques, and many different tools to avoid falling back into bad habits. A relapse is an act of abusing substances again after a period of abstinence. Since recovery is not a linear process, it has its ups and downs, and relapse can be one of them.

Currently, studies show that relapse is more than typical among recovering individuals. Previous studies said about 40% to 60% of people tended to relapse. Now, recent findings state that this number went up to 85% just in the first year of recovery. More than 60% of people relapse in about weeks to months after starting addiction treatment.

At this point, the medical community understands enough about relapse to know how it works – and how to best avoid it. Relapse triggers and chances differ from person to person. However, by understanding how relapse works, one can use many techniques to prevent it. A relapse prevention plan is precisely that, and different things work for different people.

There are many things to consider when avoiding relapse. Each factor should be approached differently. All of the triggers and symptoms could require meds, therapy, or support groups. There are many solutions to multiple situations.

Are There Stages and Warning Signs of Relapse?
A relapse is not a sudden event; it is a gradual process. Generally, a person will start experiencing some smalls symptoms or notice a few changes in behavior. Ideally, it is best to start looking into a relapse prevention plan as soon as possible. However, some people might not catch or notice these things early on. While it is still possible to prevent a relapse in later stages, it might require a more intense approach.

Relapse Happens in the Following Stages:
Emotional relapse – This initial phase is much more subtle and harder to notice for some. Though most people are not aware of it, this is when you start engaging in behavior that might lead to relapse. You are not actively or directly thinking of abusing substances. But you might begin isolating yourself or have strong feelings of anxiety, anger, or sadness. And usually, you do not share those feelings. At times, you might notice changes in your behavior and not do much about them. For example, eating or sleeping habit changes.

Mental relapse – Now, the actual thoughts of using start entering your mind. This might be the highest point of the internal conflict. You do not want to fall back into substance dependence, but you start missing aspects of consuming the substance. Like in a toxic relationship, you start focusing on the good memories and feelings, while forgetting the downside. You could even find yourself hanging at the same spots and with the same people, creating an opportunity for relapse.

Physical relapse – This is considered the final stage of relapse — the actual contact with the substance you were addicted to. The first slip is enough to put a person on the wrong path. Just because they don’t start using heavily right away, doesn’t mean they won’t. By then, any action to stop yourself is not part of a relapse prevention plan. It is an actual remedial action toward relapse.

Symptoms And Signs
For each of the relapse stages, there are different signs one might give out. Knowing what to look out for will help you know what part of a relapse prevention plan might be best for your situation. If you know an individual in recovery, knowing these might help you know when someone might be in trouble with relapsing.

During the emotional relapse stage, one might experience:
Anxiety (in general, about anything)
Intolerance and/or short temper
Easily angered, constantly angry
Mood swings, moderate or severe
Isolation in social situations, at work, and even amongst family
Defensiveness, primarily when the subject of relapse or getting help is addressed
Not asking for help when clearly struggling
Not attending meetings or sessions for recovery
Changes in eating habits (eating either too much or too little)
Changes in sleeping habits (sleeping either too much or too little)

These are classic behaviors for those going through an emotional relapse. While one or other might be common to the recovery, too many can be a cause for concern. And after these, there are other signs to look out for on the mental relapse stage.

The second part of this process, as mentioned, is of great conflict. After emotions start to play a more significant role in affecting thoughts, the person might:
Romanticize/glamorize substance use, thinking only of the good times
Think about the people you used with and places you’d go, missing it all
Lie about substance abuse-related thoughts and habits
Hang out with people that are not sober

Fantasize about using, imagining scenarios they could make happen in order to relapse
Plan a possible relapse around other people’s schedules
This could be considered the transition phase from thoughts to actions. Taking preventative action at this stage might be the difference between re-starting an addiction process and staying clean. But if you or a loved experience this, how should you deal with it, according to a relapse prevention plan?

More info on source: https://sanalake.com/treatment/relapse-prevention-plan/