Relapse and Intervention Strategies in the Recovery Process of Drug Dependents

Abstract

Transitioning from addiction into sober living is an immense challenge among drug dependents. After leaving rehab’s safety net, they need to manage more obligations at home, such as placing new coping strategies into practice and encountering the possibility of relapse. Recent studies on relapse and recovery in the Philippines delved more into predictors and re-investigation of their recovery journey, and the role of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic in preserving sobriety is necessary. Using the convergent parallel design, 23 drug dependents who completed the 6-month drug rehabilitation and treatment program in Negros Island participated in the study. The DAST-10 was utilized to measure the degree of drug abuse-related problems, and the relapse tendency was differentiated using relapse and lapse. Results revealed that there were no significant differences between the participants’ degree of drug abuse-related problem ( =1.96) and relapse tendency ( =1.78) when grouped according to sex ( =1.22), chronological age ( =32.35), civil status ( =1.57), educational attainment ( =3.13), employment status ( =2.26), and types of illicit drug used ( =3.13). Five participants were purposively selected for the episodic narrative interview. The themes revealed in relation to the purpose of the study are transitioning out of rehab, encounters during drug abstinence and relapse, driving force for change, ways of managing relapse, and pandemic’s impact on life and sobriety. The findings of the study have implications for the program implementer of R.A. 9165 and provide evidence for the benefit of sectors offering facility-based drug rehabilitation and treatment programs, including the implementation and sustaining of the “Strengthened-Individualized Aftercare Drug Relapse Prevention Intervention.”