According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 59.3 million (23.1%) adults in the U.S. experience any mental illness (AMI) or a serious mental illness (SMI). In addition to experiencing one or more mental health disorders, many people face challenges with co-occurring substance use. As noted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), approximately 21.5 million adults in the U.S. have co-occurring mental health disorders and substance use disorder (SUD). Access to mental health relapse prevention is vital to avoiding a mental health relapse. Whether you experience mental health challenges alone or co-occurring SUD, addressing mental health is an important part of maintaining recovery.
At Driftwood Recovery, we know how important connection and community integration are in transitioning into recovery. Making the shift from a structured treatment program to continuing care in recovery can feel daunting. Continuing to heal from dual diagnosis or co-occurring mental health and SUD challenges can further complicate healing. Life is naturally filled with stressors that can impair well-being and increase the risk of relapse. You deserve access to a continuing care network where you can find support and accountability to thrive.
As a result, we are committed to providing an engaging alumni program with services and resources for mental health relapse prevention. Yet, you may question what is mental health relapse prevention. If you have experienced challenges with SUD, you are likely aware of the prevalence of addiction relapse. However, you may be less familiar with the concept of mental health relapse and mental health relapse prevention. By expanding your awareness of mental health relapse, you can understand the value of mental health relapse prevention in your recovery.
What Is a Mental Health Relapse?
In general, a mental health relapse occurs when mental health disorder symptoms return after a period of improvement or remission. Moreover, a mental health relapse can also include the worsening of mental health symptoms following recovery. Due to misconceptions about mental health, it can be difficult to recognize the significance of a relapse or the need for treatment. As SAMHSA notes, mental health includes your emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Thus, mental health plays an important role in how you think, feel, and behave.
According to “The Lifetime Prevalence and Factors Associated with Relapse Among Mentally Ill Patients at Jimma University Medical Center, Ethiopia” by Liyew Agenagnew and Chalachew Kassaw, mental health relapse is common in all types of mental health disorders. For example, there is a 52–92% relapse rate for individuals with schizophrenia and 65-73% for those with bipolar disorder. Therefore, it is invaluable to mental health relapse prevention to understand the risk factors for mental health relapse.
Risk Factors for Mental Health Relapse
There are a variety of risk factors that can contribute to a mental health relapse. Risk factors can impede recovery, whether external, internal, or related to behavioral changes. Listed below are some of the risk factors for mental health relapse:
- Stressful life events
- Changes in sleep habits
- Conflict with others
- Poor social support
- Unemployment
- Low income
- Loneliness and isolation
- Stigma
- Co-occurring conditions
- Poor medication adherence
- Lack of community mental health services
Looking at the risk factors for mental health relapse highlights the need for mental health relapse prevention.
Value of Mental Health Relapse Prevention
Reducing or recovering from mental health symptoms is something to take pride in on your recovery journey. However, lasting recovery does not start and end with treatment. Countless factors, including life stressors, can contribute to impeding your mental well-being. As a result, mental health relapse prevention can give you the tools to manage your symptoms in your daily life. With mental health relapse prevention, you can build resilience to life stressors to lead a healthy life in recovery:
- Self-awareness
- Self-monitoring
- Self-care
- Self-determination
- Life satisfaction
- Set and achieve goals
Despite the benefits of mental health relapse prevention, various barriers work to impede sustained recovery.
Dismantling Barriers to Mental Health Relapse Prevention
Barriers to mental health relapse prevention often overlap with risk factors for relapse. For example, many barriers to mental health support are tied to the cost of services, stigma, and poor social support. However, as the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment notes, a better understanding of perceived barriers can help create accessible and integrated services to meet the needs of each individual. The barriers to support can feel daunting, but with continuing care, barriers can be dismantled to support maintaining recovery. Beyond medication management and therapy, support tools can include:
- Nutrition
- Physical activity
- Peer support
Yet, how do you take steps toward better mental health care post-treatment? Through trusted continuing care support in an alumni program, you can build a mental health relapse prevention plan to support you throughout recovery.
Building a Mental Health Relapse Prevention Plan
Creating a mental health relapse prevention plan is an important step toward recognizing your symptoms. When you can recognize your symptoms, you can use tools to manage your symptoms and feel better in your daily life. Your mental health relapse prevention plan should include:
- Monitor mood
- Quality sleep
- Exercise
- Hobbies
- Gratitude
- Reframe thoughts
- Stay connected
- Adaptive coping strategies
- Medication maintenance
- Help-seeking behaviors
With an active alumni program, you can access services and resources to help you build and maintain your relapse prevention plan. Moreover, you can find connections and community among alumni who remind you that you are not alone in your recovery.
Power of Connection for Mental Health at Driftwood Recovery
At Driftwood Recovery, we know a strong alumni program gives you a foundation of connection and community for long-term wellness. Through a peer-driven approach to continuing care, you foster self-efficacy to manage the setbacks and challenges that arise in recovery. We are dedicated to providing a continuing care program built on compassion, support, service, and accountability. Lasting healing does not happen alone, and with a supportive, sober community, you can build a courageous life in recovery.
Addiction relapse is not the only form of relapse that can impede your well-being. Mental health relapse can disrupt your recovery whether you have co-occurring SUD or not. Following treatment, there are various risk factors and barriers that can lead to a mental health relapse, like stigma, financial stressors, and poor social support. Therefore, building a mental health relapse prevention plan is invaluable to symptom management and sustained recovery. With access to an active alumni program in continuing care, you can connect to a sober community and resources to support relapse prevention. At Driftwood Recovery, we are dedicated to providing a peer-driven approach to recovery post-treatment. Call (512) 759-8330 to learn how alumni can support you.