Playing the Tape Through for Recovery Success

Using Relapse Prevention Techniques When Cravings Get Strong

Do you remember watching an older VHS movie? Some of us remember being thrilled by the “new tech” that allowed us to pause or rewind to an important detail or even fast forward and watch the end if we didn’t have time to wait for the whole story to unfold.

Imagine if you could apply the same technique to understand what could happen if you give into drug use or alcohol cravings. You can! Playing the tape through is a helpful technique to avoid relapses or slip back into active addiction.

Even if you have never seen a tape cassette or VCR in your life, this technique is a valuable way of assessing future consequences for what can seem like an overwhelming urge in the present.

Changes Healing Center, located in Phoenix, Arizona, helps clients prepare for life after the recovery center by equipping them with many tools to prevent relapse. When clients learn how to play the tape, they master a valuable tool for dealing with those unwelcome cravings for drugs or drinking.

We invite you to continue reading to understand how the Playing the Tape technique can help regain control of emotions and urges, supporting long-term sobriety.

Relapse Prevention Tools – The Playing the Tape Through Process

Here’s an overview of how you can play the tape in the present moment to avoid poor decision-making and slipping back into alcohol or drug use behaviors.

Pause the Tape the Moment You Feel Like Relapsing

Cravings can creep in, even after several weeks sober. Some people can fight them off for a while. But for many others, the powerful decision to relapse arrives suddenly and overwhelms every sense. At that second when urges turn into unshakable desire to use or drink, it’s time to hit the pause button. Immediately!

This moment is when it’s essential to pause the tape and start playing the tape method.

Rewind to the Past (Active Addiction) and Challenge Euphoric Recall

The next step is to rewind the tape to your past when you felt like using or drinking. What were the triggers that caused the use of substances? Look at what caused you stress or anxiety, including certain friends, situations, or even loved ones.

As you do this, be aware of a trick your brain plays – prioritizing euphoric recall that frames your addiction in a positive light. You realize by now that drinking or drug use has rewired your thought patterns.

You might look first at the happy memories of partying with friends instead of thinking about the reality of being physically sick or times you may have disappointed or hurt a person you love.

Challenge the euphoric recall, those positive memories of previous use. Instead, peel back the layers to your real feelings in the context of that scene.

Play the Tape to the Future and Consider Consequences

Next, it’s time to fast forward to a possible outcome if you give into the relapse urge. What will your life look like? Will a random person on the street call you an “addict” and cross the street out of fear? Will loved ones be able to forgive and forget all over again?

Use your imagination to write the ending to this story realistically.

Imagine a Happier Ending and Play the Tape to the Very End

Now, practice the ending of the movie again. But this time, play out a happy conclusion. Have you heard positive things about your progress from your family and friends? Are you living your best life and in a happier, more stable mood?

Visualizing how great things can be when you skip the urge to shop the wine aisle or meet up with your dealer can be an excellent relapse prevention exercise.

Donovan Used the Playing the Tape Tool to Stay Sober

Changes client ‘Donovan’ is a good example of someone who played the tape as a relapse prevention tool. Donovan, a young man in his early 20s, completed outpatient treatment at Changes and returned to daily life clean and sober.

Things went well for the first few months after rehab. Things changed, however, when his mother passed away unexpectedly.

Donovan struggled to accept his mother’s death; he didn’t know about her heart disease until she suffered a fatal heart attack. He felt guilty and selfish – he should have been aware, but now he felt he’d wasted so much time on cocaine abuse.

He wanted to smoke crack to ease the pain of this loss but had fought hard to be free of cocaine. He remembered the “play the tape” exercise he’d learned while planning for aftercare.

Taking a Moment to Re-Evaluate Cravings

Donovan immediately hit the pause button and considered his urges. He remembered to rewind the tape. He immediately knew that the cocaine urges came from losing his mother; that part was easy for him.

Next, he hit the fast-forward button and looked at the consequences if he used it again. Without his mother there, he needed to step up and be a better support for his younger siblings. It was hard to imagine life without his mother.

Still, Donovan tried to imagine the upcoming holidays and birthday celebrations with his sister and brothers without his mom.

By playing the tape through, he knew deep inside that his mother would have wanted him to continue recovery and continue making memories with his family. Donovan chose sobriety and is learning to live life without his mother.

Other Tools to Support Your Long-term Goals of Recovery

If the “Play the Tape Through” exercise is not something you might find helpful, look for other ways to stay sober. Here are a few things you might enjoy.

Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous

If you prefer to embrace recovery in the form of spirituality as a support for sobriety, with steps laid out in a precise order, try an AA or NA meeting,

Checking in at the recovery meeting each week and following the 12 steps gives recovering alcoholics the necessary structure. You can expect to learn new skills each week.

Weekly attendance helps you remain accountable for your sobriety.

SMART Recovery

SMART Recovery is another community-based program. Instead of focusing on spiritual tools, they offer a science-based, simple kit consisting of four pillars:

1. Building/maintaining motivation or sobriety
2. Coping with/overcoming urges to drink or use
3. Managing the thoughts, feelings, and actions that lead to use
4. Living a better-balanced life

The program uses cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing techniques as the basis of relapse prevention. The group completes an activity. Then, everyone present gets to talk about the experience.

Mindfulness Meditation

Check out YouTube and pick a mindfulness meditation video. This tool increases awareness of cravings and emotional triggers, helping to avoid alcohol or drug use when a craving strikes.

It allows you to clearly see your thoughts instead of feeling overwhelmed by them.

Call Changes Today for Proven Recovery Support Programs

For many reasons, some people need additional support when recovering from an addiction. There is no shame in asking for this extra help. The main thing is that you’ve recognized the severity of your substance use and are ready to press the rewind button and try again.

Changes is a Joint Commission-accredited treatment center. Our focus is on using evidence-based methods to get to the heart of your addiction. Once we understand why you started to drink or use drugs, we can address the issue and lead you to becoming clean and sober.

If your substance abuse has taken control of your relationships and life, you’re doing the right thing by seeking help.

Reach out to Changes Healing Center today.