Should I Have a Crisis Plan?

If you are in recovery, it is a great idea to develop a crisis plan. Although you do not want to anticipate that you will have a crisis or relapse, having a recovery plan is an integral part of the recovery process. A crisis recovery plan is a detailed plan that outlines how you will manage your sobriety and the steps you would like to have in place if a crisis arises.

Creating a plan provides you with a sense of control over your well-being. It helps you create realistic and attainable goals that support your sobriety. In addition, detailing plans on how you will approach recovery will reinforce the coping skills and techniques you learned while in treatment. 

The goal of creating a crisis plan is to motivate you to maintain long-term sobriety, help to prevent relapse, and detail the steps you would like in the case of a relapse or crisis.

Your recovery plan should be designed to include the following information that will help you maintain motivation to manage your sobriety and inform others of your wishes in the event of a crisis. 

In recovery, it is essential that you set specific recovery goals that you want to accomplish. Identify your recovery goals and write them down. Make sure your goals are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic/Relevant, and Time-based. 

You can create both short-term and long-term goals. Setting goals will help you focus on what you want to achieve and provide you with a sense of purpose in your daily activities.

Creating a recovery plan provides you with your own individual blueprint of activities and resources to help you keep track of the steps you need to obtain your goals.

Your action plan should include the triggers (people, environments, situations, behaviors) that may lead you to use substances. The plan should address specific strategies to help you avoid or manage each trigger. 

As you accomplish steps to meet your goals, keep track of them in your plan. Make a note of your milestones. Were you successful at avoiding a trigger? Write that down, too. 

Keeping track of your accomplishments will keep you motivated to continue to do better. On those days when you are not feeling your best, you can look back at all you have accomplished and see how far you have come. 

Your plan should clearly state your wishes for treatment in case of a crisis. It should list your emergency contacts, medications that should and should not be used, preferences for hospitals or treatment centers, and health care professionals. 

Creating a crisis plan is personal, so think about how creating a plan works best for you. Do you like to write things down in a notebook? Would you prefer to type it out and save it on your computer?

You will want to create a written crisis plan. Writing the plan allows you to formalize your goals for yourself. In addition, a written plan will enable you to share it with others, informing them of the treatment you wish to receive in case of a crisis. 

You can write as formally or informally as you like. Do you like writing paragraphs? Do bullet points or numbers work better? Customize this plan to your needs and the way you want to express yourself. 

When creating your plan, it must be clear and organized. It also needs to provide clear steps, details, and resources for each segment of your plan. 

Share your crisis plan with trusted people, such as friends, family, and peer support group community. This plan will inform them of how to offer you the support you need in times of crisis. 

If you are writing your plan in a notebook, make copies to share with the people you have identified in your support community. If you have typed your notes and saved them on your computer, you can email your plan to others. 

Be sure to remember that writing a personal recovery plan should not seem like a daunting task. The goal is for you to use this plan as a working document to help you manage your sobriety. Feel free to update your document as needed. If your plans on how you would like your treatment to be handled in a crisis change, be sure to update those in your support community, as well. 

In recovery, you must have a personal crisis plan that details how you will maintain your sobriety. In addition, the plan should clearly state the treatment you would like to receive in the event of a crisis or relapse. Your crisis plan should fit your needs and your personality. When creating your plan, be sure to cover the subjects of your short-term and long-term goals, objectives, and triggers. You should also include sections to track your progress concerning your goals. Most importantly, detail your wishes for crisis management in your plan, and be sure to share your plan with the trusted people in your community support group. If you would like more information on why you should have a personal recovery or crisis plan or how to create and implement one, give Hawaii Island Recovery a call at any time at (866) 390-5070. We believe that lifelong recovery and sobriety are available to everybody!