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How Coping Skills Can Prevent Relapse

How do you cope with conflict or challenges that come your way? Everyone faces adversity at some point in their life. How you respond to and handle adversity is critical for your health and wellbeing.

At a young age, we are often taught to shake things off or take a walk to cool down when we are feeling stressed or upset. The truth is, as we age and encounter more difficult situations, these simple solutions may not always have the therapeutic effect they once did. When it comes to drug or alcohol addiction, there are many things that can come your way that may cause distress and hardships. Relapse can be difficult to avoid at times, especially when cravings strike or you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or stressed.

In these instances, it is necessary to come to battle prepared with skills and strategies for coping with the urge to use. These can be developed and strengthened over time. With practice and determination, you can reduce the chances of relapse by using skills learned in treatment. At Enlightened Solutions, we focus on relapse prevention.

Potential Challenges

Let’s take a moment to discuss potential issues that could arise during recovery that could make you consider relapse. These could be small things, large problems, unexpected incidents, or even minor setbacks to your progress.

For instance, say you lost your job suddenly. This can not only create stress for you but could also create stress for your family members who may be counting on you to pay the bills. Maybe you have an argument with your partner or family member. Familial conflict can be a huge trigger for many and can often create immense stress.

Spending time with others who may be a poor influence or aren’t supportive of your new lifestyle can also create issues. You may feel pressured or feel as if you don’t belong. These emotions can lead to the consideration of using again to ease these feelings of isolation. We all have bad days, right? However, a bad day for someone in recovery can result in relapse if they are not prepared with strategies for staying on track.

Building Coping Skills in Treatment

Coping skills can be developed through therapy and group learning and practice during treatment. Many would consider coping skills to be some of the most important things to carry into recovery. The more prepared and confident you are in your ability to stay on track during recovery, the more successful you are likely to be.

How do you build this confidence? The answer lies in feeling well equipped to take what you have learned in treatment and apply it to life in recovery.

Individual Therapy

Individual therapy sessions allow you to really open up and explore your trauma, barriers to recovery, and behavior patterns that do not serve you. By addressing these things one-on-one with a therapist, you are able to develop skills for navigating these potential barriers to your success.

A few examples of skills you might develop through individual therapy could include boundary setting, mindfulness, methods for self-care, and more. Putting the skills learned to practice outside of sessions is key.

Group Therapy

Group therapy, while less individualized, can create a sense of community and a feeling of belonging. When you feel like others have your back, you feel more confident and comfortable leaning on others for support. Sometimes, having the support of peers can help you cope with conflict and avoid relapse.

Group therapy also provides an opportunity for you to practice the skills you learned during individual therapy sessions. Practicing these new skills in a safe space with others who share similar goals can be less intimidating and can allow you to really sharpen your abilities prior to integrating them into your life outside of treatment.

Experiential Therapy

Experiential therapy involves using fun and often fellowship-driven activities to promote skill-building and practice. This can serve as an additional step following group therapy for you to practice your coping skills in real-life settings. Some examples of experiential therapy can include gardening, fishing, surfing, or hiking.

Consider the skills involved in these activities. You might need patience, focus, and determination. Many may also require teamwork and leaning on others for support. All of these skills can help you cope with stressors and challenges that could trigger a relapse.

Coping skills come in handy in many situations. Whether you need to overcome a difficult situation with work or you need to process an unexpected loss, coping skills are essential. When it comes to avoiding relapse and staying on track throughout treatment and recovery, how you respond to adversity will make all the difference.

Coping skills are crucial when it comes to staying focused on your goals throughout treatment and recovery. By engaging in individual therapy, group therapy, and other experience-based therapies you can develop specific skills for coping with stressors and obstacles you are bound to face in treatment and recovery. At Enlightened Solutions, we offer various forms of therapy to address your specific needs. We take a trauma-first approach to treatment, meaning we aim to address underlying trauma and help you heal mentally, spiritually, and physically as you move forward with your goal of sobriety. Let us help you develop skills for a successful and healthy future. Through our programs, you can build the confidence and skills you need to thrive in recovery. If you or someone you care about is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, give Enlightened Solutions a call today at (833) 801-LIVE.

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