Alcohol and Drug Counselor Relapse Prevention Flashcards

In relapse prevention, triggers are most accurately described as:

Answer: Both internal and external stimuli — including people, places, emotions, and thoughts — that increase craving and relapse risk

Triggers can be internal (emotions, thoughts, physical sensations) or external (people, places, objects), and identifying both types is essential to a thorough relapse prevention plan.

The primary goal of mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) is to:

Answer: Increase awareness of triggers and cravings so clients can respond without automatic reactivity

MBRP, developed by Witkiewitz and Marlatt, combines mindfulness with cognitive-behavioral strategies to help clients observe triggers and cravings without automatically reacting to them.

Peer support groups such as 12-step programs contribute to relapse prevention primarily by:

Answer: Offering accountability, fellowship, and role models for long-term recovery

Peer support groups reduce isolation — a major relapse risk factor — while offering social accountability, lived recovery modeling, and practical coping strategies.

When using a 'decision matrix' tool in relapse prevention, the counselor helps the client:

Answer: Compare the immediate and long-term consequences of using versus not using substances

The decision matrix helps clients systematically weigh short-term and long-term costs and benefits of using versus not using, reinforcing their intrinsic motivation for abstinence.

A client reports recurring dreams about using substances. In relapse prevention, the clinically appropriate response is to:

Answer: Explore the dreams as a potential early warning sign and incorporate findings into the relapse prevention plan

Substance-related dreams can be an early warning sign indicating unconscious preoccupation with using, warranting exploration in counseling and possible revision of the relapse prevention plan.

According to harm reduction principles, when a client experiences a relapse, the counselor should:

Answer: Re-engage the client in treatment and use the relapse as a learning opportunity to strengthen the recovery plan

Harm reduction approaches view relapse as part of the recovery process rather than treatment failure, emphasizing re-engagement and learning from setbacks to reduce future risk.

In Marlatt's relapse prevention model, a 'high-risk situation' is most precisely defined as:

Answer: Any situation that challenges the client's perceived sense of control over their substance use

Marlatt defined high-risk situations as any circumstance that threatens the individual's sense of self-control and increases the probability of relapse.