How To Avoid A Relapse: Secret #4 Stay In Therapy & Follow Your Recommended Treatment PlanHow To Avoid A Relapse: Secret #4 Stay In Therapy & Follow Your Recommended Treatment Plan
I Love Being Sober
Tim Westbrook shares secret number four for avoiding relapse, stressing the importance of staying in therapy and following a professional treatment plan. The episode focuses on accountability, support, and sticking with structured care to boost the chances of long-term sobriety.
13:36•31 May 2022
Secret #4: Why Sticking to Your Treatment Plan Keeps You Sober
Episode Overview
- Staying in therapy and connected to treatment for at least a year greatly increases the chances of long-term sobriety.
- Follow the treatment and aftercare plan designed by professionals, even when you disagree or feel better.
- Use sober living, PHP, IOP, and recovery coaching as layers of accountability and support in the first year.
- Engage fully in 12-step fellowship: get a sponsor, work the steps, attend 90 meetings in 90 days, and take service commitments.
- Discuss any changes to your recovery plan with professionals and people in recovery rather than deciding on your own.
“Your best thinking got you where you are today. If you want to change your thinking and change your life, you must be willing to follow the plan as it was laid out for you.”
How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober? This instalment of **I Love Being Sober** focuses on what Tim Westbrook calls "secret number four" for avoiding relapse: staying in therapy and following your recommended treatment plan. Aimed squarely at people in their first year of sobriety, the episode looks at why structure, accountability, and connection matter so much.
Tim highlights striking statistics: more than 90% of people relapse in their first year, yet "67% of those people that make it to a year, make it to five years," and 85% of those who hit five years stay sober for life. The message is clear: make it to one year, and your odds change dramatically.
Tim walks through what a full treatment and aftercare plan can look like: inpatient care, PHP, IOP, sober living, therapy, recovery coaching, and 12-step involvement. You'll hear him stress the importance of doing "90 meetings in 90 days," getting a sponsor, having a home group, and taking a service commitment. His recurring reminder? "Your best thinking got you where you are today," so lean on the professionals and peers who helped build your plan.
He also addresses a common trap: feeling better after a few months and deciding you don't need sober living, therapy, or meetings anymore. Tim explains how early recovery brings a stream of first-time sober experiences—birthdays, holidays, new jobs, breakups—and why you need support in place before you face them.
Any changes to your plan, he suggests, should be discussed with your case manager, therapist, sponsor, and other people in recovery, not just family members who may not fully understand the disease. If you're in your first year or supporting someone who is, this episode offers a practical, straight-talking reminder to stick with the plan, stay connected, and give yourself the best shot at a kick-ass sober life. Are you ready to commit to that full year?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.