Did you know that the risk of suffering a relapse is at its highest immediately after completing treatment in an addiction rehabilitation centre?
Addicts coming out of rehab shouldn’t have the impression that they are now cured. Addiction is a disease that has no cure and relapse prevention is a lifelong commitment that takes hard work and perseverance.
Counselling plays an important part in addiction recovery and in this article; we will discuss the role of a counsellor in relapse prevention.
A relapse can be defined as a fall in an individual’s recovery from an addiction after a long period of sobriety.
Relapses are usually triggered when recovering addicts return to the same lifestyle, environment, activities or people before they entered addiction treatment.
In rehab, the counsellors will educate addicts about their addiction and will teach them the necessary skills on how to avoid using drugs and alcohol again.
Once a stint in rehab has been successfully completed, addicts are now required to put these new found skills into practice, if not, they will become extremely vulnerable to the possibility of suffering a relapse.
In some cases, family and friends can also play a negative role in the recovery as they might have unrealistic expectations for the recovering addict and won’t give them the chance to put their newly found skills and behaviours into place.
Addiction counsellors run various types of counselling and therapies such as one-on-one counselling, family therapy and group therapy, which can all help in relapse prevention, including making family members and friends understand their role in the recovery process.
If a relapse does happen, it’s not the end of the world. Addiction counsellors can help in identifying what caused the relapse as well as to work out a plan to avoid it from happening again.
Counsellors can also help in finding the correct treatment for those who continually relapse by finding a program that is suitable to the needs and requirements of the addict. They may get the information they need from family members, work colleagues as well as through drug or alcohol tests.
With the correct medical treatment and knowledge of qualified addictions counsellors, relapse prevention and a life of sobriety can be achieved. If you or a loved one have recently been admitted out of a rehab clinic, it’s advisable to seek further treatment.
Secondary care helps prepare addicts for a safe return back into society and the pressures of the real world.
We provide entry into the best private drug and alcohol rehabilitation centres with the most highly qualified addiction counsellors all over South Africa, the United Kingdom and Thailand. Call us now and let us assist in finding the best treatment for you.