Relapse Prevention
This acronym reminds us to check if we are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired before making decisions.
What is HALT?
This substance is a depressant that slows the central nervous system, even though people often think it helps them “loosen up.”
What is Alcohol?
This CBT technique involves identifying distorted thoughts and replacing them with more balanced, evidence-based alternatives.
What is cognitive restructuring (or reframing)?
This term describes the shift from self-centered thinking to reliance on a Higher Power and group accountability as outlined throughout the Steps.
What is spiritual awakening?
This brain chemical is heavily involved in reward and motivation and becomes dysregulated with repeated substance use.
What is dopamine?
This term describes small choices that seem harmless but move someone closer to use.
What are "Seemingly Irrelevant Decisions"
This phenomenon occurs when someone needs increasing amounts of a substance to achieve the same effect due to neuroadaptation.
This coping strategy encourages observing cravings without acting on them, recognizing that urges rise, peak, and fall.
What is urge surfing?
This concept describes the internal condition that drives addictive behavior even in the absence of substances.
What is the spiritual malady?
After stopping substances, this part of the brain responsible for decision-making and impulse control can take months to regain optimal functioning.
What is the prefrontal cortex?
This is the process of mentally walking through what will realistically happen if you pick up, including consequences.
What is Playing the Tape Through?
This active ingredient can reverse opioid overdose by displacing opioids from receptor sites, but may precipitate withdrawal symptoms.
What is Naloxone? (Narcan)
This relapse-prevention coping strategy involves identifying a trigger, naming the thought that follows it, challenging the distortion, and choosing a recovery-aligned behavior.
What is the Trigger–Thought–Behavior chain (or CBT chain analysis)?
This Step introduces the idea of turning one’s will and life over, marking the beginning of action rather than analysis.
What is Step Three?
Chronic substance use downregulates this brain system responsible for experiencing pleasure from natural things like food, connection, and accomplishment.
What is the dopamine reward system? (Reward pathway)
Relapse often begins here before physical use occurs — when thinking becomes distorted, romanticizing past use, or minimizing consequences.
What is Emotional and Mental Relapse? (Pre-lapsing)
This term describes the return to use after a period of abstinence when tolerance has decreased, significantly increasing overdose risk.
This skill involves tolerating distress by reminding yourself that discomfort is temporary and does not require immediate action.
What is distress tolerance (or radical acceptance of discomfort)?
This principle explains that recovery depends on maintaining personal spiritual condition through daily inventory, prayer/meditation, and service. (STEPS)
What is Steps 10, 11, and 12 (the maintenance steps)?
This survival-focused brain structure can trigger strong emotional reactions and cravings when reminded of past use.
What is the amygdala?
This structured plan identifies triggers, coping strategies, support contacts, and emergency steps to reduce relapse risk.
What is a Relapse Prevention Plan?
This partial opioid agonist has a ceiling effect that lowers overdose risk compared to full agonists like heroin or fentanyl.
What is buprenorphine?
This skill involves clearly stating what behavior you will or will not participate in without trying to control the other person.
What is assertive communication (or boundary setting)?
According to program literature, the real problem of addiction centers in the mind rather than the body, because once the mental defense against the first drink or drug is lost, the physical craving becomes inevitable.
What is mental obsession?
In early recovery, this happens when the brain’s reward system has not yet fully recalibrated, causing normal life activities to feel boring or unrewarding compared to past substance use.
What is anhedonia?