RELAPSE PREVENTION PROGRAMS

I. INTRODUCTION

II. RELAPSE PREVENTION PROGRAMS AT SUNSHINE COAST

1. Alumni Program (30-day)

2. Refresher Weekend Program for alumni

III. FOR MORE INFORMATION

I. INTRODUCTION

If you have been through treatment before, the following scenario may seem familiar:

You enter treatment. You’ve resigned yourself to feeling hopeless about your life or anxious about the future. During treatment, these feelings start to lift. In fact, you haven’t felt this good for years. As you leave treatment, you feel ready to tackle the mess you left at home, confident that the negative thoughts and feelings that led you to drugs and alcohol are behind you.

After you get home, however, you start to feel frustrated that you’ve changed but everything else is the same. The support that you turned to in treatment (your peer group, your counsellor, etc.) is no longer there. Over time, you grow increasingly disillusioned and hope is replaced with disappointment. You decide to tough it out and fix the problem yourself. You miss counselling appointments. You no longer spend time with sober friends and family. You stop going to meetings …

What happens next depends on the individual. However, if relapse is the eventual outcome there’s no need to feel ashamed or doomed to failure. At Sunshine Coast, we don’t shy away from the “R” word. In fact, we have programs designed specifically to address relapse.

II. RELAPSE PREVENTION PROGRAMS AT SUNSHINE COAST HEALTH CENTER

Several relapse prevention options are available as follows:

1. ALUMNI PROGRAM (30-day)*

Program Description

Clients who attend the Alumni Program will deepen their understanding and ability to manage high risk situations and, furthermore, learn new and more effective ways to manage the thoughts, feelings, urges and reactions (TFUAR’s) that arise as a result of core personality and lifestyle problems.

Much of the individual counselling and related client work is designed to identify stressors and implement relapse prevention techniques as well as other strategies. Each week, clients will present to their peer group a written exercise related to their own relapse warning signs, relapse cycle, and relapse stressors. Clients also learn to recognize when they are slipping into the emotional or mental phase of the relapse process.

Admission Criteria

• Successful completion of any residential program offered at Sunshine Coast Health Center
• Satisfactory funding plan prior to admission

 

Clients are not required to re-apply for admission to the Alumni Relapse Prevention Program if they have completed treatment at Sunshine Coast Health Center within the past year.

Program Fee

For more information on the fee for the Alumni Program contact Admissions toll-free at 1-866-487-9010 or refer to the Fee Schedule section.

2. REFRESHER WEEKEND PROGRAM *

Exclusive to Sunshine Coast Health Center, alumni are welcome to take advantage of complimentary refresher stays to reconnect with staff and peers. Refresher Weekend Program participants are encouraged to join in all groups and activities. Please note that this program is not designed for alumni who are struggling in recovery.

 

CONCLUSION

While relapse is preventable, clients who complete treatment can find themselves in situations where the urge to drink or use drugs is overpowering.

At this critical moment, individuals have the opportunity to throw themselves headlong back into their addictions or immediately seek help and learn from the event as a teachable moment.

A relapse can become a teachable moment when an individual gains more insight into their addiction and as a result finds a better way to manage recovery as well as intensify their overall recovery program.

At this stage in your recovery, a quick response is critical.

III. FOR MORE INFORMATION

For more information on relapse prevention programs offered at Sunshine Coast Health Center contact the Admissions Department toll-free at 1-866-487-9010.

For information on relapse prevention that is more general in nature, visit the Psychological Modalities section.