Relapse Prevention

In this episode we discuss cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT. This is a particular form of psychological therapy that has been reliably shown to be of benefit in many conditions and is widely recommended as a first-line treatment for anxiety.

In this episode we discuss the formal diagnosis of anxiety disorders including phobias, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder and generalised anxiety disorder, as well as touching on obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Fear is a strong emotional and physiological response to an immediate and definite threat that leads to arousal and action, such as in the fight, flight or freeze response. Anxiety on the other hand is triggered by an anticipated threat. It can help motivate forward planning and preparation, but it can also get out of hand and lead to inappropriate or unhelpful responses including anxiety disorders.

We all experience some stress at times, but chronic psychological stress and its effect on your nervous system and hormones can lead to a range of physical and mental health problems as well as increased levels of drug use and addiction.

A residential rehabilitation service is a place where a person goes to stay or live-in for a prolonged period (typically anywhere from a few months to maybe 6-12 months) in a drug-free group environment where there's various types of support or treatment to help them make a good start on the road to recovery from addiction and drug-related problems.

Stopping drug use is only the beginning of recovery. To maintain that initial progress and make real inroads into addressing drug-related problems you also need to avoid slipping back to harmful drug use into the future. That's where relapse prevention becomes important.

The initial period of detoxification when drug use stops can be challenging and withdrawal symptoms such as cravings, irritability and sleep disturbance can be an issue. There are also some risks to be aware of. Knowing what to expect and having a plan how to manage withdrawal symptoms can improve the chances of not returning to drug use during this time.

Alcohol and drug use can cause harm to individuals, families, the wider community and society as a whole. A comprehensive approach to these harms addresses not just the harmful effects themselves, but also the patterns of use and the factors influencing initial and ongoing use.

Ongoing regular drug use can lead to changes in the brain and nervous system that underlie the physical and psychological aspects of addiction. Because people in addiction tend to use drugs more frequently, in greater amounts and for a longer period than experimental or casual users they are at greater risk of experiencing harmful consequences from their use. Sometimes a cycle emerges where more drug use leads to more problems, but more problems leads to more drug use.

Once an individual has started experimenting with drugs and has some personal experience this can influence their decision whether to use again and move on to repeated use. If ongoing use is frequent and regular they may start to experience tolerance and withdrawal symptoms.