Addiction recovery doesn’t end once rehab is over. If we’re honest, post-rehab is when the really hard work begins. Once your rehab program ends, you’re outside of that controlled environment and no longer surrounded by people who either have the shared goal of getting sober or want to help you achieve it. Now begins the (often lifelong) effort of relapse prevention. It sounds daunting, but there are ways to make this new chapter in recovery easier, and increase your odds of preventing relapse after rehab. 

Relapse Prevention: 3 practical strategies to set yourself up for success after rehab 

Staying sober after treatment doesn’t happen by chance or because of your willpower. Navigating the real world after rehab requires planning, preparation, and consistency. Do these five things and you’ll put yourself in a great position to successfully prevent relapse after rehab. 

Identify addiction relapse triggers

The saying, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” is extremely relevant when it comes to addiction recovery. When substance abuse gets to the point of full blown addiction, it often becomes habitual. Seeing certain people, smelling particular smells, or even being in certain environments, can cause us to reflexively reach for our drug of choice. Even if our immediate surroundings don’t directly cause cravings, they can influence our emotional state which can be an even more powerful driver. 

These circumstances that give us the urge to use are known as triggers. Identifying what these are — whether its sensory factors we can observe, or an emotional state we feel, is key to weakening their power. Once known, you can actively create contingency plans to reduce your exposure to triggers and have a backup of how to handle them if encountered. 

Find your go-to coping strategies

Coping strategies are one of the most effective tools for staying sober after treatment because although knowing our triggers can make them easier to avoid, it’s unlikely that we’ll be able to avoid those triggers forever. These are tools that can help a trigger (or any other situation that could be a threat to sobriety) is encountered. 

What exactly is a coping strategy? These can be one-off actions like breathing exercises, calling a loved one, or going for a walk; or larger, continued efforts like going to a 12-step meeting or discovering a new hobby. Whether big or small, these strategies help break through the moments thought could lead to relapse by challenging and reframing negative thoughts, help with the processing of emotions, and reduce stress.

Popular coping strategies for recovery:

  • Journaling
  • Exercising
  • Meditation 
  • Gardening
  • Creative expression

Develop a routine

A routine is defined as a repeated behavior that doesn’t require much conscious thought. Translation: operating somewhat on autopilot. It’s essential for long-term lifestyle changes like that of staying sober after addiction. Routines serve the dual purpose of building healthy habits into your daily life and reducing the odds of encountering triggers or falling into situations that would put your sobriety at risk. Plus, research shows that routines make us happier: they reduce stress, improve mental health, and increase productivity and energy.

Creating a routine throughout your day doesn’t have to be a daunting task — nor do you have to plan for every waking moment. Instead, think about small changes you can make in certain parts of your day that would set you up for success. These might include:

  • Going for a walk first thing in the morning instead of picking up your phone
  • Drinking a glass of water with every meal
  • Meditating for 10 minutes during your lunch break
  • Limiting screen time an hour before bed
  • Before bed, thinking of five positive things that happened during the day
  • Meal prep one day every week; or have a designated grocery shopping day

Keep in mind that it can take a habit anywhere from 18 to 250 days to stick. Your new routine will require conscious effort until it becomes second nature. If you are struggling to stick with your desired routine, consider what microactions you could take that would support it. For instance, if you want to break the habit of looking at your phone in the morning, put your phone in another room the night before. If you want to drink more water during the day, keep a glass of water at your bedside or get in the habit of carrying a water bottle. The key to successful routine formatting is adding friction to the behaviors we want to stop, and reducing friction (making it easier) for the behaviors we want to encourage. 

You don’t have to handle relapse prevention alone

While these three strategies are things that anyone can implement on their own, it’s always a good idea to have other means of support outside of yourself. This could be counseling, therapy, peer-support groups, or MAT. If you feel you are at risk of relapse, consider reaching out to a drug rehab which likely will have relapse prevention resources.