Chronic Pain Management Needs a Relapse Prevention Component

Anyone in recovery from an addictive disorder is at risk for a potential relapse episode but people who are also living with chronic pain are at a much higher danger of relapse. These people need a different type primary treatment and relapse prevention treatment. That is why I have developed the Addiction-Free Pain Management® System—a system that addresses people living with chronic pain and coexisting psychological disorders including addiction.

I’ve worked with people living with chronic pain and coexisting psychological disorders including addition for over 26 years. In that time I have seen many people using and abusing their pain medication in some very self-destructive—and even lethal—ways.  The good news is that people don’t have to relapse if they have a plan. It’s important to remember that those who fail to plan – plan to fail!

I’ve been certified since 1991 in advanced relapse prevention therapy and teaching this to other addiction professionals through the Gorski-CENAPS® Corporation as well as working with thousands of patients with chronic relapse episodes. In addition to an addictive disorder, most of these people were also living with chronic pain as well as other coexisting psychological disorders. Paying attention to both conditions is crucial.

There continues to be confusion and misunderstanding about what relapse is and how it happens. In my work with patients and when I’m teaching other professionals I clarify my definition of relapse, how it happens and most important how to prevent people from entering the relapse cycle.

When a person is trying to move into recovery they need to learn new tools to move from an addiction centered life-style to a recovery-centered one. In the same way, when someone is trying to remain in recovery they need to learn all they can about the sobriety-based symptoms of an addictive disorder and to develop new tools.

One way to develop a new tool kit is through education. I believe that a recovering chronic pain person would greatly benefit from—as well as increase their chances to avoid relapse—is my, Addiction-Free Pain Management Recovery Guide: A Guide to Managing Pain and Medication in Recovery that you can review on our Publications Page. This book describes the information that people need in order to develop a relapse prevention plan that addresses both the chronic pain condition as well as the addictive disorder. Below you can also learn about the workbook that accompanies this Recovery Guide.

Like many other things in recovery, relapse prevention is simple—but not easy. And although relapse prevention is an inside job, that does not mean you have to do it alone. Help is out there for those who want it. Please remember, Knowledge is Power, the more you know the more you grow.

To learn more about the role of relapse prevention you can read my article Relaspe Prevention and Chronic Pain Management that you can download for free on our Ariticles page.

To learn about two skill trainings coming up in Sacramento California designed to teach treatment strategies for people living with chronic pain and coexisting disorders including disorders including addiction please Click Here.

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You can learn more about the Addiction-Free Pain Management® System at our website www.addiction-free.com. If you are living with chronic pain, especially if you’re in recovery or believe you may have a medication or other mental health problem and want to develop an effective relapse prevention plan for both addiction and pain management, please go to our Publications page and check out my book the Addiction-Free Pain Management® Relapse Prevention Counseling Workbook. To purchase this book please Click Here.

To read the latest issue of Chronic Pain Solutions Newsletter please Click here. If you want to sign up for the newsletter, please Click here and input your name and email address. You will then recieve an autoresponse email that you need to reply to in order to finalize enrollment.

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