Relapse Prevention Plan
Build a practical relapse prevention plan: your early warning signs, high-risk situations, coping responses, and the people you will call. Fill it in while you are steady so it is ready when things wobble.
Relapse starts before the substance
Relapse rarely begins at the moment of use. It usually unfolds in stages: emotional shifts come first, like stress building and self-care slipping. Then comes mental bargaining, like replaying memories of use or telling yourself one time would be fine. The physical act comes last. That is good news. It means there are warning signs long before the riskiest moment, and every one of them is a chance to change course. A relapse prevention plan is a map you draw while you are steady, so you do not have to improvise while you are struggling.
How to use this plan
Be specific and honest. A plan built on vague answers will not hold under pressure. When you finish, keep it somewhere you can reach in under a minute: a photo on your phone, a copy in your wallet or bag. Share it with at least one person who supports your recovery, and revisit it every month or after any close call. Plans work better when they stay current.
A note on support
This plan is strongest when you build it with a counselor, sponsor, or clinician who knows your history. If you slip, that is a signal to use your plan and reach out, not proof that you have failed. If you are in crisis or having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 in the US to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Your early warning signs
Check the signs that tend to show up for you in the days or weeks before things get risky.
Your high-risk situations
Check the situations most likely to put you close to using.
Your coping responses
Pick your top two or three warning signs or situations from above. For each one, write exactly what you will do instead. The more concrete, the better.
Your first call
Who is the first person you will call or text when a warning sign shows up or an urge hits? Write their name and number so it is here when you need it.
Your confidence today
How confident are you right now that you can follow this plan through your next high-risk moment? A lower number is not failure; it points to where the plan needs reinforcing.
Closing reflection
Take a minute before you put this plan away.
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