Here’s the upfront reality of substance use disorder (SUD). It is 100% treatable and recovery is 100% possible. However, dependency on meds is not something that should be considered 100% “curable.” The truth is that, while it certainly doesn’t happen with everyone who struggles with dependency on meds or drinking, relapse is an unfortunate reality of recovery.
The NIDA discusses this concept. NIDA explains that “Like other chronic diseases such as heart disease or asthma, treatment for medicine misuse usually isn’t a cure. But dependence on them can be managed successfully. Treatment enables people to counteract self-medicating’s disruptive effects on their brain and behavior and regain control of their lives.”
It is important to understand that recovery is never guaranteed. Also, the recovery journey may include relapses. However, here at Clearview Horizon Girls Academy, we have the tools and techniques to help girls avoid a relapse. Just as importantly, we know how to handle a relapse if one should happen. We impart this knowledge to our students and their families. We like to work with the principle that “It’s not how we fall, it’s how we get back up.”
Understanding What Relapse Looks Like
The definition of relapse is substance use that occurs after someone has begun a program of treatment. Before treatment, when someone is trying to recover on their own, it’s typical to have continuing drinking or substance misuse after a period of sobriety. That situation is defined more as a break from active dependency rather than a relapse.
Relapse is much more common than people think. Research published in the academic journal, Current Psychiatry Reports, provides staggering statistics regarding this reality. The article states that “Recent estimates from clinical treatment studies suggest that more than two thirds of individuals relapse within weeks to months of initiating treatment. For 1-year outcomes across drinking, nicotine, weight, and illicit meds abuse, studies show that more than 85% of individuals relapse and return to use within one year of treatment.”
With relapse statistics at those levels of severity, we feel it is more crucial than ever to provide our students with the tools they need to best avoid relapse. The good news is that we have highly effective tools to help ensure that relapse doesn’t happen or continue to recur.
Tools to Avoid Relapse
The first thing to understand regarding relapse prevention here at Clearview Horizon Girls Academy is that, yes, we understand statistics, but we never treat our students as such. We see our students as the unique individuals that they are. Thus we customize their treatment plans to their individual needs.
For our students who are struggling with excessive illegal drinking or SUD, their individualized plan will focus on avoiding relapse. Within those treatment plans, we can integrate therapy and psychotherapy, holistic modalities such as breathwork, physical fitness practices, and spiritual guidance.
Therapy and Relapse
One of the most important aspects of therapy for those who are struggling is getting down to the root of what is causing their risky behaviors. It is important to understand that, almost always, drinking and self-medicating are symptoms of deeper emotional issues or traumas.
Here at Clearview Horizon Girls Academy, we have a broad range of therapeutic offerings. These include more traditional talk therapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). We also have cutting-edge therapies such as neurofeedback therapy. We also are blessed with the ability to offer equine therapy due to our qualified specialists on staff and the Montana backdrop that allows us to stable our horses.
Holistic Practices and Physical Fitness
Understanding that relapse can happen due to a decrease in physical activity, self-image, and self-confidence is critical to note. By practicing yoga and breathwork, our students are able to better get in touch with their physical bodies and create a routine to keep them active. This mitigates relapse.
Our group fitness activities such as swimming and boating on Lake Pend Oreille and mountain climbing and snowboarding on Schweitzer Mountain allow our students to interact with nature and relate with their peers. These group activities help foster new outlooks as well as new relationships. As they say in many 12-Step programs, “nothing helps avoid relapse more than relating and working with others in recovery.”
The Importance of Spirituality and Relapse
Adopting a spiritual life can be vital for those in recovery. Many of the students who struggle come to us empty and lost. We believe that spirituality can fill that place of emptiness with hope.
Twelve-Step programs discuss the concept that “resentment is the number one offender that leads to a relapse.” They also explain that “a heart that is filled with love and the holy spirit will have no room for resentment.” Learning to forgive, which we discuss in our spiritual education here at Clearwater, may translate into no relapses.
The final takeaway regarding relapse is to remember that a relapse doesn’t have to be the end. Sometimes there is just a little more darkness before the dawn. Still, have faith. With an open heart and the right help, the dawn may be just around the corner.
Unfortunately, relapse can be a part of recovery for many people. However, relapse is not an inevitability, and it certainly doesn’t have to be the end. Many people forget that recovery is not about a finish line. Rather it is about the journey. Here at Clearview Horizon Girls Academy, we instill our students with the confidence and knowledge they need to not only avoid relapse, but to be able to move on, get back on track, and grow if a relapse does occur. Recovery is never guaranteed, but with the right tools and information, recovery can be attained and maintained regardless of the challenges life may bring. Contact Clearview at 866-584-4788 for more information.
