Aftercare and Relapse Prevention

What aftercare should include

• Scheduled psychiatric review, with medication monitored rather than simply continued.
• Ongoing therapy — individual, group, or both — focused on the situations that trigger use.
• A written relapse-prevention plan the person actually helped write, naming their own high-risk situations and what they will do instead.
• Family sessions, because the home environment is part of the treatment.
• A clear route back into care if things slip, so that a lapse does not have to become a full relapse.

Warning signs worth knowing

• Withdrawing from the people and routines that were supporting recovery.
• Stopping medication, or missing follow-up appointments.
• Sleep going first — often the earliest sign that something is changing.
• Contact resuming with people or places associated with use.
• A return of the mood or anxiety symptoms that were there underneath.
• "I can handle just one" — the thought itself is the warning.

What families can do, and what not to do

• Do stay involved in follow-up appointments where the person consents.
• Do get support for yourself. Family members of people in recovery carry a great deal and frequently burn out.
• Do not police or interrogate — surveillance tends to push the behaviour underground.
• Do not treat a lapse as the end. Treat it as a reason to call the clinical team quickly.

If someone has relapsed

Get them reviewed sooner rather than later. A lapse caught early is often managed without another admission. Call +91 72669 93399 or leave your number below.

Frequently asked questions