CRC Relapse Prevention Strategies 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the purpose of identifying 'seemingly irrelevant decisions' (SIDs) in relapse prevention?
- To help clients recognize how small choices can gradually lead toward high-risk situations (Correct answer)
- To track medication compliance throughout the recovery process
- To document behavioral patterns for insurance billing purposes
- To identify which substances a client most prefers to use
Correct answer: To help clients recognize how small choices can gradually lead toward high-risk situations
SIDs are minor decisions that appear unrelated to substance use but collectively move a person closer to a high-risk situation, and recognizing them early enables course correction.
Question 2: What role does self-efficacy play in relapse prevention?
- It determines the appropriate medication dosage for the client
- It refers to a person's confidence in their ability to cope with high-risk situations (Correct answer)
- It measures the severity of withdrawal symptoms during detox
- It establishes the legal framework for treatment consent
Correct answer: It refers to a person's confidence in their ability to cope with high-risk situations
Self-efficacy — one's belief in their ability to handle high-risk situations without using substances — is one of the strongest predictors of successful relapse prevention.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes a 'trigger' in relapse prevention?
- A legal consequence resulting from past substance use
- A medical emergency requiring immediate clinical intervention
- Any internal or external cue that activates craving or the urge to use (Correct answer)
- A standardized test used to measure addiction severity
Correct answer: Any internal or external cue that activates craving or the urge to use
A trigger is any internal (emotional, cognitive, physical) or external (people, places, objects) cue that activates cravings or the urge to use substances.
Question 4: What is the recommended response when a client experiences a lapse during recovery?
- Immediately discharge the client from the recovery program
- Use the lapse as a learning opportunity to strengthen the relapse prevention plan (Correct answer)
- Increase medication dosage to suppress future cravings
- Require the client to restart the entire treatment program from the beginning
Correct answer: Use the lapse as a learning opportunity to strengthen the relapse prevention plan
A lapse should be treated as a learning opportunity to identify what went wrong and strengthen coping strategies, not as grounds for punishment or discharge.
Question 5: Which of the following is a key component of a written relapse prevention plan?
- A comprehensive list of all substances the client has ever used
- Court-ordered mandates for participation in treatment
- Identification of personal warning signs and specific coping strategies (Correct answer)
- Medical records from all previous hospitalizations
Correct answer: Identification of personal warning signs and specific coping strategies
A relapse prevention plan centers on identifying personal warning signs, high-risk situations, and specific coping strategies to address them before a relapse occurs.
Question 6: What does 'lifestyle balance' refer to in Marlatt's relapse prevention model?
- Maintaining equal hours divided between work and leisure activities
- Balancing obligations ('shoulds') with personal pleasures ('wants') to reduce chronic stress (Correct answer)
- Dividing treatment time equally between group and individual therapy sessions
- Ensuring balanced nutrition and regular exercise throughout recovery
Correct answer: Balancing obligations ('shoulds') with personal pleasures ('wants') to reduce chronic stress
Marlatt emphasized that chronic lifestyle imbalance — too many obligations and too few personal rewards — creates stress and deprivation that significantly elevates relapse risk.
Question 7: In Gorski's CENAPS model, what is 'post-acute withdrawal syndrome' (PAWS)?
- Acute physical withdrawal symptoms that occur immediately after stopping substance use
- Protracted neurological and psychological symptoms that persist weeks to months after abstinence (Correct answer)
- Emotional symptoms experienced only during medically managed detoxification
- A legal defense framework used in drug court proceedings
Correct answer: Protracted neurological and psychological symptoms that persist weeks to months after abstinence
PAWS refers to protracted neurological and psychological symptoms — such as cognitive difficulties, emotional instability, and sleep disturbances — that persist long after acute withdrawal and significantly increase relapse risk.
CRC Relapse Prevention Strategies 2
What is the purpose of identifying 'seemingly irrelevant decisions' (SIDs) in relapse prevention?