Relapse Prevention in Harlingen, TX

At any serious rehab, then, preventing these lapses is a huge part of the treatment offered. It's the way we work at our center for relapse prevention in Harlingen, as well.

When you attempt to change a habit of any kind -- say, one to do with wasting time watching television -- rarely does the habit quickly give way to the healthy and desirable behavior that you seek. In most cases, repeated lapses where you find your mind thinking up all kinds of excuses to spend tens of minutes at the television, are only to be expected.

Lapses are a common part of any attempt to change behavior. It shouldn't surprise anyone that this happens with attempts to quit drugs. Once the detoxification process completes, the brain may be physically free of drugs; it is still psychologically dependent on drugs, however, only in a way much, much deeper than any regular bad habit.

Lapses, Relapses and Prolapses

When you try to change a habit, things can go different ways -- you can make little mistakes along the way (lapses) and recover, you can make bigger mistakes and fail to recover immediately (relapses), or, happily, you can stumble towards an unanticipated improvement (a prolapse).

Many addicts attempting to escape addiction break down at the appearance of the first lapse or relapse, lose heart, and give up entirely on the idea of quitting. There's no reason to be discouraged, however; lapses and relapses are par for the course with any major change of habit or behavior.

When you leave our center for medical detox in Harlingen, you should expect to experience all three at some point. Lapses and relapses, especially, are common. The aim should be to anticipate them, avoid them and prevent them as far as possible, but to be mentally prepared for them when they do happen, and to not lose heart.

Relapse prevention treatment programs in Harlingen are an arrangement of therapeutic interventions to find one's way out of addiction once detox concludes. Patients who attempt to "wing it" after detox tend to repeatedly lapse and relapse, wasting considerable time in the process.

Those who take up serious relapse prevention therapeutic intervention, do far better. A lot depends on the quality of the intervention received, however. At our center for relapse prevention in Harlingen, for instance, we work hard to find each patient with a first-rate therapist who is an excellent match for their personality. The right therapist can make a huge difference to the outcome of a drug relapse prevention effort.

How Does Relapse Prevention Work?

Programs for relapse prevention address and attack the possibility of relapse in multiple ways.

Coaching the patient in the science of addiction can be one of the most powerful ways to head off relapse. A deep familiarity with case studies and examples of mistakes made by others, all arm the patient with powerful insight into the mental processes that occur after detox. The greater the insight, the better the power to control.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

CBT is an important therapeutic approach that also works towards equipping patients with greater insight. It is a far more organized and thorough approach, however, than self-education.

Relapse trigger identification and training, is an important CBT technique. It recognizes and addresses a very vexing problem with addictions -- that they form and operate with powerful sensory, emotional and environmental memory.

Not only is fighting addiction about avoiding drugs, it is also about avoiding all things that are capable of bringing to mind a need for drugs. In most recovering addicts, these include stressful situations, and situations involving high emotion.

Since addicts often turn to substance abuse to be able to deal with emotions and stress, their brains powerfully associate these feelings with the use of drugs. Coming across stress or emotions, then, can directly bring up a powerful need for drugs.

A number of other specific memories may bring up powerful-drug related thoughts in different people, as well. It is the aim of CBT to help patients work out different strategies whereby they might anticipate and avoid these reminders altogether. It can take a reworking of their lives, but it's the thing to do.

CBT also addresses the psychological and cognitive difficulties that the majority of addicts struggle with. Anger issues, difficulties dealing with people, difficulties with poor self-image or with dealing with everyday disappointments, can all be very difficult challenges for those who do not have the psychological tools needed to face them.

CBT helps patients analyze the ways in which their minds work in these areas, and develop new psychological defenses. With excellent CBT, patients can come out with stronger psychological selves, far more able to take on life's challenges.

Whether you have completed detox or not, if you have substance abuse problems, looking up relapse prevention therapy cannot hurt. Psychological health can be an excellent defense at any stage of substance abuse.

If you have questions, you should call us at our center for relapse prevention in Harlingen. We can show you how powerful these techniques are, and how they can help you get your life back. Call us now for help (877) 804-1531.