If you want to be healthy and stay sober for the long haul, you will need to take steps to prevent a relapse. Relapse is a common challenge for recovering alcoholics, and many people relapse multiple times before they are able to achieve long-term sobriety.
A relapse can occur even after years of abstinence, so it’s essential that you take the right steps to protect your recovery. In this guide, you’ll find several ways to prevent a relapse from happening.
1: Don’t Go It Alone
It’s incredibly difficult to stay sober alone, especially if you don’t have other sober people to lean on. If you’re struggling with cravings, then it will be much harder to resist the temptation of alcohol if no one is there for support.
On top of that, it can be helpful to attend AA or NA meetings regularly as a way to maintain social connections and be accountable to others. If you go it alone, you’ll need to rely solely on your own motivation and willpower, which is never enough. Using a rehab center like Pinnacle Recovery (https://pinnaclerecoveryut.com/) can also help.
2: Get Back On The Wagon Quickly
Alcohol addiction can cause people to feel like they “fall off the wagon,” but this metaphor is actually misleading. The best way to stay sober is to never get off of the wagon in the first place, and it’s a good idea to prevent a relapse by returning back on the wagon quickly if you ever do fall off.
The longer you wait after a relapse occurs, the more likely it will be that you’ll continue drinking. Instead of waiting, you should get back on the wagon as soon as possible. If you need help, don’t forget to reach out for support.
3: Limit Social Gatherings
While having some social gatherings can be fun and healthy, there are also many situations where it may be unwise to attend a party or other function. Try to prevent a relapse by avoiding alcohol-heavy social settings such as bars and nightclubs.
You may want to limit your social gatherings exclusively to sober activities, such as playing sports or meeting at a coffee shop. If you do want to go to parties but are worried about relapsing, then bring along a friend who can help stop you if you’re having second thoughts about drinking.
4: Go To Therapy
Therapy is incredibly effective at preventing relapse, and it can actually help people stay sober for a lifetime. Therapy can provide you with skills that prevent relapse from ever happening. In addition to practicing mindfulness and stress management techniques, you can also develop coping mechanisms for dealing with cravings and triggers. Therapy is an invaluable resource, and it can provide you with prevention strategies that will keep you sober for the long term.
5: Identify Your Triggers
Triggers can cause people to relapse after years of abstinence, so it’s important to identify any risky triggers before they lead to a full-blown relapse. Some common triggers include stress, boredom, and social gatherings. Once you learn more about your triggers, it will be much easier to take the right steps to avoid a relapse from occurring.
6: Avoid Alcohol Completely
Many people who struggle with alcohol issues consider themselves “social drinkers” or “occasional drinkers,” but this is actually a mistake that can lead to a full-blown relapse. The best way to stay sober is to avoid alcohol completely, even if this seems like an overreaction.
Only by avoiding any and all alcohol will you be able to guarantee your sobriety for the long term. Even if you think that you can have just one drink, the truth is that you don’t know for sure. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so it’s best to stay away from alcohol completely.
Laila Azzahra is a professional writer and blogger that loves to write about technology, business, entertainment, science, and health.