How To Build a Relapse Prevention Team that Works

The seeds you plant now are going to determine the harvest of your future.

There is so much more to recovery than just abstaining from the substance or behaviour that had become a problem, truly embracing recovery is about making a profound commitment to a healthier, more fulfilling life. And just like any significant project, if you want to ensure its success you need to make a plan. Unfortunately, despite making a ‘detailed’ continued care plan before leaving treatment many individuals overlook one critical tool when they leave primary inpatient treatment – the formation of a robust relapse prevention team. 

Today I’d like to delve into why having a relapse prevention team, a strong support network, is vital for maintaining sobriety and preventing relapse in the long-term. I’d like to offer you some insights on how to form your team, what roles each member wants to play, why looking beyond the expected can be helpful and how to future-proof your recovery.

Why You Need a Relapse Prevention Team?

You have shown incredible courage embarking on the path of recovery, and acknowledging that it's not a solo undertaking is essential to your success. Just like the group you had supporting you during the first part of this journey in treatment, a relapse prevention team acts as a compass, guiding you through the challenges of sustained sobriety in the real world.

Your relapse prevention team will serve as a stabilising force, reminding you that asking for help is not a sign of weakness but a wise and strategic move towards maintaining sustained sobriety and success. 

By creating your own team, you add the indispensable tools of shared experiences, diverse perspectives, and collective strength to navigate the complex journey of life in recovery.

Who Are the Key Players You Want To Have In Your Relapse Prevention Team?

The first thing you will want to do to put together an effective and comprehensive support network is to merge personal connections with professional expertise. Just like selecting players for a team, consider yourself selecting your key individuals for your Team Recovery:

1. Friends and Family: Your Foundational Pillar: 

• Identify the people in your sphere who will be able to provide unwavering emotional support and understanding.

2. Recovery Peers: Your Companions on the Journey: 

• Connect with peers who share your journey, fostering camaraderie and mutual understanding.

3. Recovery Coach and Therapist: The Game-Changing Professionals: 

• Enlist a recovery coach for personalised strategies, goal-setting, and accountability.

• Engage a therapist for mental health support and addressing underlying issues.

Remember, each team member has a distinctive role to play! By making sure everyone knows what their responsibilities are, you build a relapse prevention team that will be pivotal in helping you sustain your recovery.

What Does Each Team Member Do?

The efficacy of your team significantly hinges on the clear definition of roles and responsibilities of each of the players.

You want to be sure to create a well-structured framework of meaningful contributions from each team member to ensure you receive the support you need, when you need it.

Friends and family excel as emotional support pillars.

A recovery coach guides with perspective, structured strategies, tools and accountability.

A therapist will provide the space to continue unearthing your baggage and clearing through it ensuring that you can travel as light as possible going forward.

TOP TIP: Make sure you are clear about what each member of your team offers and you will be able to accelerate your recovery. By knowing where to turn when you are in need you will be reducing the risk of relapse exponentially.

Recovery as Holistic Wellness

I’ve said it before, and I will probably say it many times again: Recovery extends way beyond just eliminating substances or behaviours; it's about creating a purposeful and fulfilling life.

In my personal experience embracing a holistic approach to recovery by integrating practices like mindfulness, yoga, sports, acupuncture, massage, Reiki, TRE (Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises) and other alternative therapies that resonate with you will take your recovery to a deeper level.

Holistic wellness focuses on nurturing physical, emotional and mental well-being, creating a resilient foundation beyond abstinence leading you towards a more balanced and fulfilled life in recovery.

The more satisfied you are with life in recovery the more it becomes a no-brainer doing everything you can to keep it.

Invest Today For Life in Recovery That Keeps Giving Back

Your recovery journey is going to present many different challenges as you travel along it; by creating a strong foundation from the beginning you will be giving yourself the best possible opportunity for a successful, sustainable and satisfying recovery.

So, to wrap it up, assembling an effective relapse prevention team right at the beginning of your recovery journey is not just a strategic move but a totally transformative one that you don’t want to miss out on.

Not only are you going to be shaping your transition out of treatment but you will also improve the quality of the life you build with each day as you travel along the lifelong path of recovery.

Embrace this journey with intention, surround yourself with the right team, and you will be sowing the seeds of a future that you are excited to wake up for every day.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences on this in the comments below... How did you find the transition out of residential treatment? If you were to do it again, would you do anything differently?