As a result, those recovering from addiction can be harsh inner critics of themselves and believe they do not deserve to be healthy or happy. The dynamic model of relapse takes many of the RREP criticisms into account. Ecological momentary assessment, either via electronic device or interactive voice response methodology, could provide the data necessary to fully test the dynamic model of relapse19.
Using a wave metaphor, urge surfing is an imagery technique to help clients gain control over impulses to use drugs or alcohol. In this technique, the client is first taught to label internal sensations and cognitive preoccupations as an urge, and to foster an attitude of detachment from that urge. The focus is on identifying and accepting the urge, not acting on the urge or attempting to fight it4. Relapse prevention initially evolved as a calculated response to the longer-term treatment failures https://ecosoberhouse.com/ of other therapies. The assumption of RP is that it is problematic to expect that the effects of a treatment that is designed to moderate or eliminate an undesirable behaviour will endure beyond the termination of that treatment. Further, there are reasons to presume a problem will re-emerge on returning to the old environment that elicited and maintained the problem behaviour; for instance, forgetting the skills, techniques, and information taught during therapy; and decreased motivation5.
5. Feasibility of nonabstinence goals
An important part of RP is the notion of Abstinence violation effect (AVE), which refers to an individual’s response to a relapse where often the client blames himself/herself, with a subsequent loss of perceived control4. It occurs when the client perceives no intermediary step between a lapse and relapse i.e. since they have violated the rule of abstinence, “they may get most out” of the lapse5. People who attribute the lapse to their own personal failure are likely to experience guilt and negative emotions that can, in turn, lead to increased drinking as a further attempt to avoid or escape the feelings of guilt or failure7.
- A good clinician can recognize the signs of an impending AVE and help you to avoid it.
- The abstinence violation effect (AVE) highlights the distinction between a lapse and relapse.
- About 26% of all U.S. treatment episodes end by individuals leaving the treatment program prior to treatment completion (SAMHSA, 2019b).
- • Build a support network of friends and family to call on when struggling and who are invested in recovery.
Among those seeking treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD), studies with large samples have cited rates of nonabstinence goals ranging from 17% (Berglund et al., 2019) to 87% (Enggasser et al., 2015). In Europe, about half (44–46%) of individuals seeking treatment for AUD have non-abstinence goals (Haug & Schaub, 2016; Heather, Adamson, Raistrick, & Slegg, 2010). In the U.S., about 25% of patients seeking treatment for AUD endorsed nonabstinence goals in the early 2010s (Dunn & Strain, 2013), while more recent clinical trials have found between 82 and 91% of those seeking treatment for AUD prefer nonabstinence goals (Falk et al., 2019; Witkiewitz et al., 2019). Two publications, Cognitive Behavioral Coping Skills Training for Alcohol Dependence (Kadden et al., 1994; Monti, Kadden, Rohsenow, Cooney, & Abrams, 2002) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Cocaine Addiction (Carroll, 1998), are based on the RP model and techniques.
Moving Forward in Recovery After AVE
Recovery is an opportunity for creating a life that is more fulfilling than what came before. Attention should focus on renewing old interests or developing new interests, changing negative thinking patterns, and developing new routines and friendship groups that were not linked to substance use. The belief that addiction is a disease can make people feel hopeless about changing behavior and powerless to do so. Seeing addiction instead as a deeply ingrained and self-perpetuating habit that was learned and can be unlearned doesn’t mean it is easy to recover from addiction—but that it is possible, and people do it every day. It is in accord with the evidence that the longer a person goes without using, the weaker the desire to use becomes. The longer someone neglects self-care, the more that inner tension builds to the point of discomfort and discontent.
It is also necessary to know that they are not a sign of failure; they are inevitable. But their lifespan can be measured in minutes—10 or 15—and that enables people to summon ways to resist them or ride them out. Nevertheless, the first and most important thing to know is that all hope is not lost. Relapse triggers a sense of failure, shame, and a slew of other negative feelings. It’s fine to acknowledge them, but not to dwell on them, because they could hinder the most important action to take immediately—seeking help. Taking quick action can ensure that relapse is a part of recovery, not a detour from it.
Cognitive Processes
While some assert that relapse occurs after the first sip of alcohol or use of another drug, certain scientists believe it is a process which more closely resembles a domino effect. Social-cognitive and behavioral theories believe relapse begins before the person actually returns to substance abuse. These properties of the abstinence violation effect also apply to individuals who do not have a goal to abstain, but instead have a goal to restrict their use within certain self-determined limits. The limit violation effect describes what happens when these individuals fail to restrict their use within their predetermined limits and the subsequent effects of this failure. These individuals also experience negative emotions similar to those experienced by the abstinence violators and may also drink more to cope with these negative emotions. Cognitive dissonance also arises, and attributions are then made for the violation.
- Explore the benefits of outpatient treatment and learn the importance of seeking professional help.
- Recovery also requires discovery or rediscovery and development of interests that have the power to drive pursuit and deliver rewards, not only spurring the addicted brain to rewire itself but giving life real meaning—the ultimate goal of every person.
- In the absence of an emergency plan for just such situations, or a new life with routines to jump into, or a strong social network to call upon, or enhanced coping skills, use looms as attractive.
However, it’s important to recognize that no one gets through life without emotional pain. Also critical is building a support network that understands the importance of responsiveness. Not least is developing adaptive ways for dealing with negative feelings and uncertainty. Those ways are essential skills for everyone, whether recovering from addiction abstinence violation effect or not—it’s just that the stakes are usually more immediate for those in recovery. Many experts believe that people turn to substance use—then get trapped in addiction—in an attempt to escape from uncomfortable feelings. Some people arrange a tight network of friends to call on in an emergency, such as when they are experiencing cravings.