Trauma Informed Relapse Prevention by Gwendolyn Bammel

What is Trauma Informed Relapse Prevention about?

With so many families affected by addiction, we need a new approach to recovery. This approach starts with the knowledge that using alcohol/drugs can be an effective but costly escape from the feelings and situations that we don't know how to handle.

When we treat the underlying issues, then there is less need to escape the problems in our lives, and that is the best relapse prevention.

What inspired you to write this book?

As a person in long term recovery myself, I kept watching people try to stay abstinent who kept slipping. If someone doesn't want recovery, then of course they will continue using. However, it's devastating when you really want recovery and can't seem to keep it.

After many years of working in the recovery field, I realized we needed to change our approach. This theory and workbook is the beginning of that.

Does this book focus on the client’s relapse of substances? Or does relapse include a psychological pattern of thinking as well (self-harming, shutting down, depression, etc.)?

Both.

When it comes to life's problems, if we escape or distract ourselves rather than facing the problems, those problems get worse or pile up. Our mental health and relationships begin to suffer, leading to patterns of thinking that include isolation, distrust, etc.

When this is happening, we are more likely to return to the substance or behavior of our addictions.

This approach helps with concrete skills and changes that directly turn down the intensity or volume of our problems. Then we are more able to cope and connect, and we have less need to escape our lives.

How does a trauma-informed approach help clients versus not using a trauma-informed approach? Can you give an example you would use in a session?

Traditional relapse prevention assumes that each person isn't genuinely trying to work on recovery, and if they do work on recovery they would stay sober.

Trauma Informed Relapse prevention acknowledges that relapse is a fight/flight/freeze response triggered by trauma. It allows grace for anyone who relapses and gives direct skills that can help them calm the hypothalamic-pituitary response.

One of the first things I do with any client is teach them emotion regulation skills so that their feelings can stay within a manageable range. Each of the skills in the workbook can be done within 30 seconds to 3 minutes, and the client gets to choose which skills are most effective for them.