Relapse Prevention Group Activities

Get Relapse Prevention Group Ideas and Inspire Your Recovery

An effective relapse prevention plan includes finding local support groups to help those in addiction recovery find the emotional support needed to stay sober. Substance abuse recovery can be a lonely place.

However, working with other group members shows those recovering from substance use that their needs matter and that they’re not alone.

What relapse prevention group activities should you expect when attending treatment?

At Changes Healing Center, we work with clients to develop robust relapse prevention strategies as part of the aftercare planning stage. The supportive environment is especially helpful during the days of early recovery after graduation from our program.

The relapse prevention group activities complement the more formal group therapy clients experience at our facility, with a focus on being prepared to return to the challenges of daily living outside treatment.

We invite you to read and learn more about continuing the recovery process by getting the details on our relapse prevention program and groups.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Your Relapse Prevention Plan

CBT is a key part of your counseling, whether at our recovery center or most other Joint Commission-accredited facilities. So here’s some great news – those same concepts you’ve already mastered are also critical to the success of a relapse prevention plan.

In a recovery group, members will often complete worksheets for 5 to 10 minutes and then begin sharing experiences among the group.

Cognitive Restructuring Worksheet

This probably seems familiar – it’s the cognitive restructuring process your therapist guided you through during recovery treatment.

However, now your CBT activities will shift in focus. As you complete the activity, you will imagine moving your mind from overcoming addiction to relapse prevention.

A Support Group Helps Master New Coping Skills

A support group leader knows that mastery of different coping strategies helps support better mental health as well as addiction recovery.

Physical relapse often starts with an emotional relapse (or a mental relapse). This scenario happens when someone neglects self-care and starts to let down their guard against drug use.

They don’t intend to use drugs or alcohol again. But they quickly fall back into old habits and slip up. With the proper techniques, this situation is preventable.

A Support Group Helps Master New Coping Skills

A support group leader knows that mastery of different coping strategies, from playing the tape through to understand consequences, to doing volunteer work, help bolster mental health as well as addiction recovery success.

Physical relapse often starts with an emotional relapse (or a mental relapse). This scenario happens when someone neglects self-care and starts to let down their guard against drug use.

They don’t intend to use drugs or alcohol again. But they quickly fall back into old habits and slip up. With the proper techniques, this situation is preventable.

5-4-3-2-1 Technique for Preventing Relapse

One method popular in a group setting is leading participants in the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. Participants breathe lightly and focus on their five senses. In their heads, each name:

• 5 things they can see
• 4 things they can feel
• 3 things they can hear
• 2 things they can smell
• 1 thing they can taste.

When group members provide feedback like this to themselves, they effectively distract their minds from triggers or cravings, instantly grounding themselves.

The 5-4-3-2-1 is just one of many coping mechanisms to manage stress and avoid potential relapse. Others include mindfulness meditation or even short yoga sessions.

Stress Management to Avoid Common Triggers

Relapse prevention group activities at Changes also often include stress management techniques. Stressful situations are common triggers of substance abuse.

These group activities help members develop strategies for managing stress as part of a long-term sobriety plan.

Visualization Tools: Staying Sober by Building Skills to Cope with Stress

In this activity, the councilor invites participants to close their eyes and slow their breathing. They’ll lead a series of visual prompts. For instance, they might ask them to imagine themselves in a calm, safe space. They suggest it could be a warm sandy beach or spending time in a cozy room.

They’ll ask them to take in all the tiny details – the scene’s sounds, sights, temperature, and aromas. The more vividly they can imagine this place, the more effective the exercise.

Participants immerse themselves here, letting go of their worries and letting them fade away. They can stay in this space for a few moments, then leaders bring them back to the present space in a calmer state.

Visualization and similar coping mechanisms, such as deep breathing, significantly enhance your ability to thrive after leaving a treatment program.

Creative Expression Activities (Writing, Art Therapy, Music)

Some group activities provide a creative outlet, with participants gaining insights to the underlying causes of their problematic behaviors without judgment. Music or art therapy and writing are wonderful ways to increase self-awareness.

In group settings, journaling tools are usually the most convenient of the arts. Like other arts, writing allows group members to explore their deep feelings in a community of their peers.

Journaling: An Integral Part of Recovery

Journal writing supports your well-being by providing you with a way to consider your past substance use and then consider how you can apply all your new skills to your ongoing recovery journey.

This support group activity leads to group discussion after the exercise for those who feel open to sharing experiences.

High-Risk Situations Journal Prompts

Writing group activities are introspective – no two members have experienced addiction in the same way; there are no specifically correct answers to this exercise.

Relapse prevention activities include prompts that tackle the topic of relapsing head-on. Some typical prompts are:

• Explain a time when you’ve been in high-risk situations after completing addiction treatment.
• What triggers made you consider substance use?
• Which coping strategies did you use to stick with your relapse prevention plan?
• Is there anything you would do differently if your recovery is threatened in the future?
• What ongoing support tools do you need to stay on track?

These five prompts take courage because they require an honest self-assessment. Your group leadership will remind you that writing quality doesn’t matter, it’s soul-searching that makes a difference in this group activity.

Like many group activities, journal writing focused on identifying triggers and coping strategies. Completing these group activities in a safe space with other recovery community members at Changes Healing Center helps members fine-tune their relapse prevention plan and stay clean and sober.

Physical Activities Can Be Good Relapse Prevention Activities

Multiple studies confirm that physical activity is indisputably helpful when planning your own relapse-prevention activities. However, it is sometimes less common in group settings. Depending on group size, physical activities can be challenging to coordinate.

Also, they can be non-inclusive for members experiencing mobility challenges. For example, group hikes can be possible if safe, paved surfaces are available for all members to participate.

But you’ll more likely find the recovery group members doing stretching exercises or easy-to-modify physical activity. Nevertheless, it’s an excellent reminder that physical fitness addresses brain health and is a necessary part of your relapse prevention plan.

3 Benefits of These Relapse Prevention Group Activities

You might feel tempted to complete these activities alone and skip the group activities. While self-efficacy and learning to manage your life independently are important, group relapse prevention is also incredibly helpful. When you complete group activities, you receive:

1 – Peer Emotional Support to Avoid Relapse

Ongoing encouragement is necessary during relapse prevention, especially while still early in the recovery process. Your peers understand the experiences and emotions you’re feeling and will uplift you on days that you need them.

2 – Accountability (Critical in Relapse Prevention)

Checking in with your group each week can help you stay on track and strive toward your personal goals. Seeing small, weekly successes can help you remain committed to staying sober. Taking those small steps by touching base with your group each week can provide you with the necessary feedback to avoid a relapse once you leave treatment.

3 – Increased Self-Awareness, Especially Regarding Relapse

Avoiding relapse means you must have self-awareness, especially staying in close touch with the triggers that cause you to use. When you know the things that could lead to a relapse, you can use some creativity and avoid them whenever possible.

Call Changes Healing Center to Start Your Recovery Journey

We invite you to call Changes Healing Center if you’ve tried forming connections with the local recovery community to prevent relapse but need additional, professional support.

We provide customized treatment options that include group and individual therapy, dual diagnosis treatment programs, and medication management.

We will help you uncover the root causes of our substance abuse to help you develop the appropriate coping skills to get – and stay – sober.

We work with AHCCCS and most major insurance companies. Our admissions team will even call your insurance plan administrators to ensure you receive treatment pre-authorization if needed.

Our professional team is here to guide your recovery journey – call us today.