Relapse prevention plan template
A one-page plan you can print, fold and keep in your wallet. Based on Marlatt's CBT model — the standard used in UK addiction treatment.
RELAPSE PREVENTION PLAN — [your name] Substance: alcohol 1. MY REASONS My daughter. My job. My health. The version of me I like being. 2. HIGH-RISK PEOPLE Old drinking friends, my ex, anyone who drinks at lunch 3. HIGH-RISK PLACES The pub next to work, the corner shop that sold me at 8am, weddings 4. HIGH-RISK EMOTIONS Loneliness after 9pm. Boredom on Sundays. Any argument with Mum. Shame after payday. 5. EARLY WARNING SIGNS Skipping the gym twice in a row. Not answering my sponsor. Romanticising 'just one'. Sleeping badly. 6. COPING TOOLS (IN THE MOMENT) Walk for 20 minutes. Cold shower. Call sponsor. Eat something. Get out of the house. 7. COPING TOOLS (THIS WEEK) AA/SMART meeting. Text a sober friend. Journal 3 lines. Book a therapy session. 8. MY SUPPORT NETWORK Sponsor: [name / number] Therapist: [name / number] GP: [name / number] AA/SMART meeting: [time / link] 9. EMERGENCY PLAN If I have used, or I'm about to: (1) get out of where I am, (2) call [name] on the way, (3) tell my sponsor tonight, (4) go to a meeting tomorrow. Do not go silent.
Common questions
What is a relapse prevention plan?▾
A one-page document you write with (or after) treatment that names your personal triggers, early warning signs, coping tools and support contacts. It's the standard tool used in UK CBT-based addiction treatment (Marlatt's model).
When should I use it?▾
The highest-risk window is the first 90 days after detox or rehab. Read your plan daily in the first month, then weekly. Update it after any close call.
Do UK rehabs give you one?▾
Any CQC-regulated UK rehab should send you home with a written aftercare and relapse prevention plan. If yours didn't, use this template — and ask your keyworker why.
Related
This template is not a substitute for professional aftercare. If you're in crisis, call Samaritans on 116 123 (free, 24/7).