Relapse Prevention Strategies and Tools

Relapse prevention plays a key role in sustaining long-term recovery. This is a proactive process that helps patients anticipate challenges, recognize triggers, and develop strategies to stay on track, rather than reacting after a setback.

Learn more about the variety of relapse prevention strategies and tools designed to help you or a loved one maintain sobriety and long-term recovery.

What Is Relapse Prevention?

Relapse prevention involves a set of strategies, which collectively form a relapse prevention plan, that help people stay sober, apply relapse prevention skills, avoid a return to substance use, and maintain ongoing sobriety.1,2 It is based on specific skills and often involves a cognitive-behavioral approach to identify a person’s unique triggers for relapse and an individualized plan to address these high-risk factors.2

During treatment at Empowered Recovery Center, you will receive personalized assistance with formulating your own individualized relapse prevention plan to ensure your long-term recovery success.

Core Relapse Prevention Strategies

Various relapse prevention tools form the core of an effective relapse prevention plan. Some common approaches include:3

• Participating in support groups like 12-step, Alcoholics Anonymous, or Narcotics Anonymous
• Practicing stress management, such as meditation or mindfulness
• Developing healthy coping skills

However, everyone’s plan can look somewhat different depending on their individual needs and preferences.

1. Recognizing and Managing Triggers

A trigger is any factor that increases the risk of return to substance use or relapse. It can involve specific thoughts, people, places, or situations where a person previously used drugs or alcohol. Triggers can vary widely from person to person, which is why it’s important to have an individualized relapse prevention plan that addresses each person’s unique triggers and helps them understand how to avoid relapse.2

2. Using the 6 Steps to Managing Urges

DiClemente’s 6-step transtheoretical model of change behavior is useful for understanding how people can implement healthy life changes, while also recognizing that relapse is often a part of the process.4,5

Recovery is not a straight line, but being aware of the following steps can help normalize the difficulties involved with change and may allow you to break the cycle of impulsivity:4,5

1. Precontemplation, where a person does not yet recognize the need for change and has no intention to act soon.
2. Contemplation, where the person is aware of the problem and is considering change but remains ambivalent.
3. Preparation, meaning they intend to take action soon and may start making small steps toward change.
4. Action, meaning they actively make specific, observable changes.
5. Maintenance, where they sustain change and work to prevent relapse.
6. Relapse, where a person experiences relapse or engages in problematic behaviors, often necessitates a return to treatment or adjustment in relapse prevention strategies. Relapse is not a failure, and recovery is not a straight-line process.

3. Utilizing DBT Skills for Emotional Regulation

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) combines cognitive-behavioral strategies with mindfulness to help people regulate emotions, tolerate distress, and build healthier coping skills.6 It’s especially helpful for addiction because it teaches people concrete tools to manage cravings, reduce impulsive behaviors, and address the underlying emotional pain that often fuels substance use.7

Some of the techniques used for managing stress and emotional triggers include:

• ACCEPTS skills, which help people tolerate distress and can include distraction, so people can get through difficult situations.8
• TIPP skills, which focus on temperature, intense exercise, paced breathing, and progressive relaxation, and may include splashing cold water on the face or regulating the breath.9
• Self-soothing, including activities that focus on the five senses, such as fully focusing on flavors while eating or wrapping yourself in a soft blanket.8
• Urge surfing, which is a mindfulness technique to help people cope with intense urges to use.2

4. Building a Strong Support Network

A strong support network is necessary for helping prevent relapse and maintaining long-term recovery. Research shows that social support can lower the risk of relapse, help people stay in treatment, and achieve more days of abstinence.10 Support networks can also include anyone you view as supportive of your sobriety, such as family, friends, loved ones, and others in recovery, such as sponsors, recovery support groups, therapists, and counselors.

5. Engaging in Healthy Coping Strategies

Self-care and healthy coping strategies can help support your recovery by helping you find meaning, live a healthier lifestyle, and fill your time while supporting your recovery.3 You might consider attending regular recovery meetings, engaging in new hobbies or interests (doing art, cooking, baking, or anything else you enjoy), practicing mindfulness activities (like meditation, breathwork), and exercise and physical wellness (such as joining a gym, running, yoga, or other forms of exercise). 2, 11

6. Creating a Relapse Prevention Plan

A structured and personalized relapse prevention plan can help cement your efforts toward recovery success and help you plan for emergencies.2 Relapse prevention plans aren’t one size fits all, but often contain the following:1

• High-risk situations to avoid, such as places where you feel tempted to use (like parties where alcohol is present)
• Coping strategies for managing cravings
• A list of supportive contacts you can call or text
• Your motivations for staying sober (such as becoming healthier or keeping your job)
• The consequences of relapse

Writing the plan out in a journal or on your phone can make it easier for you to review when needed, such as in moments of cravings or high stress.

7. Practicing Gratitude and Reflection

Gratitude in recovery is a mindset that can help you avoid negativity and self-defeating behaviors and refocus on the positive. Reflecting on the things you’re grateful for in life by practicing gratitude and reflection can support recovery by helping you realize how far you’ve come in your journey, appreciating your personal milestones, and being thankful for what you’ve gained or achieved in life by being sober. 11

For example, you might want to maintain a daily gratitude journal where you note down your achievements or the positive experiences you’ve had, no matter how small, to help you maintain focus.

Other Relapse Prevention Tools and Resources

Other tools can support your recovery journey if they work for your needs and preferences. This can include:2,12

• Recovery journals
• Mobile recovery apps
• Sober living
• Therapy workbooks
• Individual therapy

You can use these tools to monitor progress, reinforce positive behaviors, and, in the case of sober living, help you reintegrate into daily life in a supportive, substance-free environment.

Sober Apps and Online Groups

Mobile apps and online communities can help people stay connected and engaged in their recovery plan. Mobile apps, such as Addiction Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System (A-CHESS), I Am Sober, or SMART Recovery’s app, can help you monitor your recovery or stay on track.12, 13, 14 You can also find additional support via online groups or find local ones in your area, such as through sobriety-focused Facebook groups.

Sober Living and Aftercare

As briefly mentioned above, aftercare and sober living homes can both provide ongoing stability, structure, and accountability. Sober living homes are drug- and alcohol-free residences designed to support people as they transition back to their daily lives after formal treatment.15 At Empowered Recovery Center, patients get one full year of aftercare support free of charge, to help them stay on track.

Support Groups for Recovery

Support groups like 12-step groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), or SMART Recovery can help people stay engaged in their recovery, help them maintain sobriety, and provide necessary support, structure, and camaraderie.13,15 Many of these support groups have chapters nationwide and are free of charge.

Relapse Warning Signs

Relapse tends to occur gradually and involves emotional, mental, and physical stages.3 Recognizing early warning signs can help you know when it’s time to take action, step up your level of support, and reach out for help. Some warning signs can include:3

• Increased cravings
• Bottling up emotions
• Lying or isolating from others
• Not going to support group meetings or going and not sharing
• Poor self-care, eating, and sleeping habits
• Thoughts such as “I can just use once” or “just have one drink”
• Thinking about places, people or things associated with past use

Common Relapse Triggers & High-Risk Situations

Triggers and high-risk situations can vary widely from person to person, but people can experience some common triggers.16

Internal triggers can include:3

• Cravings or urges to use
• Thoughts about using
• Minimizing the previous consequences of using
• Emotional difficulties or stress

External triggers may involve:16

• Places you used to use (i.e., bars or restaurants)
• People with whom you used to use
• Seeing drug paraphernalia (pipes, rolling papers)
• Important dates, such as birthdays or holidays
• Life changes, like divorce or the death of a loved one

Recovery Support at Empowered Recovery Center Kansas City

At Empowered Recovery Center in Kansas City, we can work with you to develop a personalized relapse prevention plan and provide ongoing aftercare support to maintain long-term recovery. Our flexible rehab programs include partial hospitalization programs, intensive outpatient programs, virtual IOP, and standard outpatient. We also offer dual diagnosis, medication-assisted treatment, and individual, group, and family therapy in all our programs.

Starting rehab in Kansas City begins by reaching out to Empowered Recovery Center. Our team will discuss options for paying for addiction treatment through rehab insurance coverage and help verify your insurance benefits.

References

1. Florida State Courts. (2019.). Relapse prevention plan. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://www.flcourts.gov/content/download/732700/file/RELAPSECC Frontend Template
2. Recovery Answers. (n.d.). Relapse prevention (RP). Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://www.recoveryanswers.org/resource/relapse-prevention-rp/Recovery Research Institute
3. Melemis, S. M. (2015). Relapse prevention and the five rules of recovery. Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, 88(3), 325-332. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4553654/
4. Prochaska & DiClemente. (n.d.). Prochaska & DiClemente’s Six Stages of Change [PDF]. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://tnchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Stages-of-Change.pdf
5. Raihan, N., & Cogburn, M. (2023). Stages of Change theory. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556
6. Behavioral Tech. (2016, July 1.). DBT and substance use disorders. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://behavioraltech.org/dbt-substance-use-disorders/
7. Dimeff, L., & Linehan, M. (2008). Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Substance Abusers. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2797106/
8. Gill, R. (2013). DBT skills training quick reference sheet. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://namisantaclara.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/6-DBT-Skills-Training-Quick-Reference-Sheet-by-Rachel-Gill.pdf
9. Linehan, M. M. (2015). TIP skills. In DBT skills training handouts and worksheets (2nd ed.). Guilford Press. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://in.nau.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/202/TIP-Skills.pdf
10. Islam, M. F., Biswas, T., Khan, M. S. I., Hoque, M. E., & Moniruzzaman, M. (2023). The importance of social support in recovery populations. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10259869/
11. Krentzman, A. R. (2017). Gratitude, abstinence, and alcohol use disorders. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 78, 30-36. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5501091/
12. Lord, S., Moore, S. K., Ramsey, A., Dinauer, S., & Johnson, K. (2016). Implementation of a substance use recovery support mobile phone app in community settings: Qualitative study of clinician and staff perspectives of facilitators and barriers. JMIR Mental Health, 3(2), e24. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4942682/
13. SMART Recovery. (n.d.). SMART Recovery. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://smartrecovery.org/
14. I Am Sober. (n.d.). I Am Sober. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://iamsober.com/en/site/home
15. Tracy, K., & Wallace, S. P. (2016). Benefits of peer support groups in the treatment of addiction. Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation, 7, 143-154. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5047716/
16. Cleveland Clinic. (2025, April 7.). Relapse (return to substance use). Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/relapse-return-to-substance-use