Relaspe Prevention Heading for a relaspe? QuickTime™ and a decompressor are needed to see this picture. Relaspe Prevention: What is it? • Living strategies that: A. prevent an initial relapse and maintain abstinence or harm reduction treatment goals B. providing lapse management if a lapse occurs to prevent further relaspe Unfortunately or Fortunately • Relaspe is common in addiction, but there is seemingly two paths that relaspe most commonly takes: 1. Lapse leads back to full blown addiction, or: 2. Lapse can lead us back to getting on track - we learn something from the “slip so to speak” Two Components to AVE • Affective and Cognitive • • Affective: is brought about between the discrepancy between one’s prior identity as the abstainer and one’s present behavior Cognitive: if the individual attributes factors of the laspe due to internal, global, and uncontrollable factors relaspe risk is heightened. On the other hand, if we view our lapse as external, unstable, and controllable it is more likely that the lapse will not lead to to full blown relaspe Abstinence Violation Effect (AVE) • Consequence of using brings about feelings of: • • • Self-blame Guilt Loss of perceived control of personal rules / values Cognitive-Behavioural Model of Relaspe Intra-personal Determinants • Self-efficacy - degree to which I feel confident and capable of preforming a certain behavior in a particular context • • Research has shown that having a higher self-efficacy is related to greater days of abstinence Also has be shown to be predictive of time to first drink and time to relaspe with 12 months Outcome Expectancies • The effect that I expect will occur when I use (physical, psychological, or behavioural) • • • Research has shown that the more positive I perceive my using to help me with the 3 p’s, the more likely I am to relaspe (Connors, Tarbox, & Faillace, 1993). However, other research has downplayed the degree to which this happens... While other studies have revealed that targeting positive expectancy (with alcohol) during treatment does not necessarily lead to changes in alcohol consumption post-treatment (Jones, 2001). Stages of Change • Precontemplation – not ready to change • Contemplation – thinking about change • Preparation – ready to change • Action – action, taking steps, doing • Maintenance – maintaining change The Processes of Behavior Change: How clients can move from one stage to the next 1. Consciousness-raising —finding and learning new facts and suggestions supporting the change (e.g., reading a book; watching a TV show; talking with a friend, teacher, or doctor) 2. Dramatic Relief — experiencing and expressing negative feelings about one's problems such as worry or fear (e.g., communicating with a friend, partner, counselor; writing in a journal) 3. Self Re-evaluation — realizing that the behavioral change is part of one's identity (e.g., seeing yourself as a non-smoker or a fit person) 4. Environmental Re-evaluation — assessing how one's problem affects the physical environment (e.g., realizing that second-hand smoke may affect nonsmoking children and partners or even pets) 5. Self Liberation — choosing and committing to act on a belief that change is possible (e.g., making a New Year's resolution); accepting responsibility for Coping • According to Marlatt and Witkiewitz(2005) coping is the most critical predictor or relaspe • • • Coping involves both cognitive and behavioural components We deal with both stressors and temptations Research by Chung (2001) has found that cognitive avoidance coping (not thinking about stressor or accepting stressor) predicted fewer problems with alcohol, interpersonal problems, and psychological problems following 12 months posttreatment Emotional States • In Marlatt’s original work emotional states was the strongest predicator of alcoholic male relapse • Especially negative emotional states • • • Craving According to Marlatt and Witkiewitz(2005) coping is the most widely studied, but misunderstood concept in the addictions field Craving is both the physical and psychological and is has been married to the notion of loss of control Research has disconfirmed loss of control hypothesis Craving (cont.) • • • Research has also shown that there is a lack of strong association between subjective reports of craving and relaspe. However, the correlates and underlying mechanisms of craving may still predict relaspe Thus Marlatt et al. 1999 distinguish between an urge to use from that of a subjective desire to use (which is closer to what they understand as craving) Inter-personal • Social Support • • • Positive social support and social network is highly predictive of long-term abstinence rates Meanwhile negative social support (interpersonal conflict, social pressure to use, anti-personality traits / cue exposure) is an increase risk for relaspe Functional support (spouse sharing in goals) appears to predict best outcomes following treatment at both 3months and 15 months Toward the Future: Linear to Dynamic and Multidimensional Models • Need for greater understanding What are we learning?