Progressing Forward in Relapse Prevention

Progressing Forward in Relapse Prevention: Dealing with Stigma & VAPA Annual Meeting

Substance use disorder (SUD) is most often defined as a chronic disease involving a common repeating cycle of abstinence and relapse. ‘Relapse’ refers to a return to a previous level of substance use after a period of considerable reduction or abstinence from substance use. It is common practice to communicate with patients that even when a person with SUD is in remission and no longer using substances, a relapse is always a possibility. Just as it is with every patient struggling with a chronic medical condition, the goal during an exacerbation is to restore the patient to stability and keep them motivated and connected to treatment. However, when helping professionals who are both providing care and in recovery themselves experience relapse, reactions vary. These reactions are often driven by negative stigma and impact treatment decisions for both professionals and patients in recovery.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to develop a progressive paradigm in relapse prevention for a chronic medical condition.
• Participants will be able to summarize four reactive responses, commonly found in MAT settings, that contribute to the negative stigma of relapse in recovery.
• Participants will be able to utilize a guided discussion tool to address the stigma of treating a
  condition that’s both chronic and relapsing.