Relapse Prevention

In their excellent little book Staying Sober (Herald House/Independence Press, 1986), Terence Gorski and Merlene Miller state, “Recovery is like walking up a down escalator. It’s impossible to stand still.” The best approach to preventing relapse is to establish a proactive plan that includes education, an ongoing understanding of self, and the aggressive identification and management of the factors that can lead to relapse.

Everything we do at Shadow Mountain is geared toward giving our students the tools they need to maintain sobriety after graduation. During the nine months of Levels One, Two, and Three, students develop the habit  of sobriety: daily attendance at Twelve Step meetings, weekly meetings (and daily calls) with a Sponsor, daily group meetings for issues of community accountability and mutual support, medication management and both individual and group psychotherapy. When an individual graduates from Shadow Mountain they are fully armed with an extensive arsenal of tools to employ in crafting a new life.

However, even people with decades of sobriety realize that relapse is always a possibility and that active Step work, vigilant self-awareness, and the mutuality and support of a 12 Step fellowship are necessary to maintain a sober lifestyle. In order to lay a solid foundation for the continuing process of recovery, an essential part of the program at Shadow Mountain is ongoing individual and group addiction work with highly qualified professionals in the field of recovery. Upon graduation from Shadow Mountain, continuing that work becomes an essential component of maintaining sobriety.

We are well aware that addiction is a family disease – every member of an alcoholic’s or addict’s immediate and extended family is affected by their loved one’s dependence on alcohol or drugs. While each individual is responsible for their own sobriety, families can be a tremendous source of support and encouragement in the life long process of recovery. In fact, Shadow Mountain’s treatment approach is based on the concept of family support. While a student is in residence, the Shadow Mountain team of residents, staff, and the extended network of sponsors and the Taos Twelve Step community serve as a supplemental family to each individual in the early stages of recovery. The active alliance of an individual in recovery and a supportive and educated family affords the greatest defense against relapse.

The primary “family focus” shifts back to their Family of Origin as well as an emerging community of sober friends when a student leaves Shadow Mountain following graduation. A family’s ability to establish and express clear guidelines and expectations can be of tremendous assistance in minimizing the chance of relapse when an individual is early in their recovery. Such a list might include:

·       90 in 90. The individual who emerges from rehab stands the greatest chance of success if they establish the practice of attending daily meetings in their community. This is of particular importance if they return to the community where they were accustomed to a using lifestyle. Numerous research studies have shown that it takes most people seven weeks of repetitive behavior in order to establish a habit. By attending 90 meetings in 90 days, the person new to recovery not only establishes the behavioral habit of attending to their addiction, but they maximize opportunities to create a new extended family of sober friends and acquaintances.

·       Immediate identification of and work with a Sponsor. In the Twelve Step community, there is a long tradition of responsibility for other people struggling with addiction and/or alcoholism. The Big Book says, “I am responsible. When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of AA to be there. And for that, I am responsible.” The centrality of a Sponsor/Sponsee relationship to the success of an individual’s program cannot be overstated.

·       Participation in  AlAnon, NarAnon, Codependents Anonymous, and/or Faamilies Anonymous.  The recovering alcoholic or addict is not the only one who is in need of effective tools to address their recovery. Every member of an addict or alcoholic’s family can benefit immeasurably from participation in one of the 12 Step programs designed for those who deal with the addiction of another. In addition to the benefit of receiving information and life skills necessary to cope with addiction, the family that participates in AlAnon or NarAnon sends a clear signal of support and mutuality to the individual in recovery.

·       Regular and random testing. The individual in recovery who agrees to a period of testing for a period of time following their graduation from Shadow Mountain demonstrates a clear investment in the emotional well being of their extended family. In addition to accepting responsibility for continued accountability, the recovering alcoholic or addict can help to re-establish the trust between themselves and their loved ones so often shattered during active addiction by willingly embracing an agreed upon program of urine and/or blood testing.

·       Establishment of clear boundaries.  Addiction tends to be an experience devoid of boundaries. The active alcoholic or addict will violate the security and integrity of others’ lives in order to feed their addiction. By establishing clear boundaries with mutually understood consequences for the violation of those boundaries, the family of an individual new to recovery insists on a new way of interaction designed to insure the safety of everyone in the extended family.

·       Ongoing individual and family psychotherapy. Addiction is a specialized problem that is often attended by unique stressors. People in recovery are frequently faced with issues that were either initiated during their active addiction or a consequence of their substance abuse. These may include financial and legal difficulties, family and relational distress, or behavioral issues. No one can recover in isolation. Active recovery requires the participation of a strong support network, and often that means the involvement of a behavioral health professional. While self-help programs can frequently be effective in addressing day to day difficulties, the addition of professional psychotherapy and counseling is an invaluable investment in recovery. 

 

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