Relapse Prevention: The Very Real Challenge

Here in the Fair Chance To Succeed group we discuss a lot of the barriers & challenges that our members face in their attempts to find work in a society that has labeled them as undesirable. Businesses don't see the individual behind the criminal convictions, only the history itself. While the words & paper are black & white, the people & the circumstances are not.

One major contributing factor can be substance abuse or addiction. It is often the precursor to the crime & the resulting conviction. In some cases, it is the substance use in itself that was the crime & the severity of the conviction lies within the laws of the state the arrest was made in.

It's challenging enough to re-enter society after jail or prison time and try to re-establish a life without the bane of addiction looming over your head. While many institutions offer in facility and pre-release treatment, many do not. As dictated by the DOJ, there are often very difficult post- release conditions imposed by parole. Sometimes those conditions include mandated treatment or continuing recovery programs. That's all well & good but it's the Relapse Prevention component that helps ensure continuing support for those individuals who struggle with triggers to use that is so important.

Employment rejection, lack of sufficient money to meet your most basic needs & returning to the location & people where you engaged in your use can make staying clean incredibly challenging. In addition to that, if you continue to entertain those self- destructive thoughts about using or allow yourself to wallow in guilt even a geographical move won't prevent eventual relapse.

The point here is, maintaining recovery is as much a job as finding and maintaining employment. You won't get to keep either one if you give in to triggers and give up. It's just the nature of the beast.

So, just as getting a job is important, building your recovery support is too. Whether it's attending 12 step or support meetings after you're done job searching for the day or spending time with support peers and family that can help you reflect on your progress & champion your efforts, YOU HAVE TO HAVE POSITIVE SUPPORT!! This really isn't an optional part of taking care of yourself so you can take care of your business.

Develop a Relapse prevention plan that includes your job search efforts. Focus on belief systems & negative thought processes because those are what drive the desire to use again. Solidify your positives & come up with affirmations that help you do you on the daily. Here's some guidelines to focus on:

1. Strategies to deal with stress
2. A plan to balance your personal and career obligations
3. Outlining ways to cope with cravings
4. Strategies to deal with triggers
5. How to properly handle expectations at home and at work
6. Ways to avoid people, places and things that negatively influence your recovery
7. Decreased appetite, depression, anxiety Additionally, some of the most common causes of relapses include stress, negative emotions and financial, personal or career instability. Negative emotions and conflict are unavoidable. A relapse prevention plan helps you identify potential barriers to your recovery. You can then construct a healthy and positive way to manage those potential conflicts. This is where your peer & family support come in. ASK FOR & BE WILLING TO RECEIVE HELP. And be ok with constructive feedback. It's not always criticism so just take it in without getting defensive. What's your perspective? Do you have insights about your own journey to share? What's your best relapse prevention advice or strategy? Tell us!!

#motivation, #standyourground, #inspireothers