You’ve done the hard part already. You recognized the problem, asked for help, and started treatment.
But you fear what will happen when the cravings return, or worse, if you slip up after months of trying your best? Many walk on this tightrope after alcohol rehab because addiction plays in mysterious ways.
If you’re scared you might be on the edge of a relapse, or already dealing with one, take it as a part of recovery.
Research shows that nearly half of all individuals completing alcohol rehab will relapse within the first year. It’s mostly because alcohol use disorder is a chronic condition that needs ongoing support.
This blog sheds light on how we build a relapse prevention plan at Resilience after a client’s treatment is over, so they can keep living life without letting things go south again.
Relapse is More Common Than You Think
Research shows that 39% of adults who received treatment for alcohol and substance use disorders were still in remission one year after rehab. Remission is the period when a person is sober or doesn’t do drugs.
It means that 61% of those who go through rehab end up slipping back into drinking or using again within the first 12 months. So much so, about 50% of people relapse within 12 weeks after finishing an intensive inpatient alcohol rehab program.
So, before you drop the idea of taking help again, know that alcohol recovery is challenging, and it’s important to have strong support even after an alcohol rehab program in Inverness, IL, ends.
How Resilience Maps a Relapse Prevention Plan After an Alcohol Rehab Program in Inverness, IL
Watching your progress go down a spiral of relapse is truly challenging and demotivating. But relapse doesn’t mean your rehab was a failure or that you aren’t trying enough. It could stem from a multitude of reasons, and what matters is nipping the alcohol use disorder in the bud if you feel old habits coming back.
Here is a relapse prevention plan that Resilience sets for you after an alcohol rehab program in Inverness, IL:
Personal Trigger Map & Safety Goals
The first step after completing an alcohol rehab program in Inverness, IL, is to understand what puts someone at risk, and we use a personal trigger map for that.
This map is developed after a thorough review of the person’s drinking history, emotional patterns, past relapse episodes, medical history, and even environmental stressors. This structured process helps the clinical team and the person in recovery see the full picture.
From there, we write clearly defined safety goals and share them in writing so the client can refer to them when needed. If you’re well-aware of your triggers and remember your goals, there’s less panic if stress, temptation, or emotional discomfort arise.
Writing goals might sound basic, but we at Resilience do it so you don’t rely on memory during a crisis moment, because everything is mapped out.
Skills Training & Relapse-Prevention Groups
Recovery doesn’t end after discharge, and skills training is a core part of the relapse prevention plan at Resilience. This is when the focus shifts from stabilisation to sustainability. Through both day and evening treatment slots, clients participate in sessions that teach real-time coping methods.
The clients are taught a key tool named the HALT method. It means checking whether you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired, because these are common states that result in impulsive decisions. Another practical tool is urge-surfing, where people learn to ride out cravings instead of reacting to them. You mentally observe the craving like a wave that rises, peaks, and eventually passes. All this time, you stay present and let the urge fade without reacting.
Relapse rehearsal is another structured activity which involves acting out situations that may otherwise cause a relapse, like being offered a drink at a gathering, and practicing how to respond. These rehearsals turn theory into your muscle memory, so if those moments happen, you already know how to handle them.
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
Cravings and relapse risk after an alcohol rehab program in Inverness, IL, are physiological in some cases. When the body is used to alcohol intake, its reward and stress systems may take time to reset, and Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) helps with that.
FDA-approved medications are considered based on a person’s symptoms and medical background. These medications help reduce the brain’s reward from alcohol and stabilize mood (depending on the prescription you’re given by the clinician).
These doses are carefully monitored in-house through regular labs, and the medication plan is updated based on how the person responds.
These meds work as a safety net during high-risk periods in the early months after discharge. If used alongside therapy and support groups, MAT helps make relapse less likely after an alcohol rehab program in Inverness, IL.
Holistic Stress-Reset Therapies
Stress management shouldn’t be an afterthought because it’s one of the main relapse triggers. Therefore, Resilience incorporates holistic therapies like yoga, breathwork, and outdoor walks into an alcohol rehab program in Inverness, IL.
These activities serve a purpose. For example, yoga and breathwork help regulate the nervous system and reduce cortisol (the stress hormone). Likewise, journaling helps identify thought patterns and emotional build-up before they turn into cravings. An experiential therapy (like group nature walks) offers physical activity and peer connection that help with emotional balance.
These stress-reset therapies help people build long-term habits that the clients can take home, and when stress is managed well, the need to escape it through alcohol starts to fade.
Rapid-Response Path if a Slip Happens
Even the best alcohol rehab program in Inverness, IL, can result in a relapse, and when it happens, how you handle it determines the way forward.
If a slip is reported at Resilience, a same-day reassessment is set in motion, which is not seen with blame or shame, but as a sign that the current plan needs to be adjusted.
The clinical team evaluates what happened and, based on the reasons and circumstances, clinicians recommend the next step. It could mean stepping back into evening IOP, short-term partial hospitalization, or a tweak in medication or therapy frequency to build on what’s already working.
You Did it Once, You Can Do it Again
Relapse after rehab feels like a big setback, but it isn’t the end of your recovery. Take it as a signal that your care plan needs to be adjusted, not abandoned. At Resilience Behavioral Health, we see relapse as something to work through.
If you’ve completed an alcohol rehab program in Inverness, IL, and feel old habits creeping in, we’re here to help you catch them early and stay on track.
Call us at 708-775-3952 or email [email protected] to talk to someone who gets it.
