A relapse prevention plan is a useful tool to help with identifying early warning signs of relapse and reducing the likelihood of a relapse happening. It is also a helpful way to develop strategies to maintain recovery and keep you well. If you're currently getting support with a professional support team, such as an eating disorder team, it may be beneficial to ask for their assistance in creating a relapse prevention plan.
Recovery from an eating disorder is often not a linear process, and can involve setbacks and relapses. A relapse is an episode or period of time when the person regresses back to disordered thoughts, habits and behaviours. It is important to remember that a relapse does not equal failure. One setback does not mean the whole recovery journey is ruined, in fact, they are a common part of the recovery journey. Even though relapses can cause many challenging emotions, they also provide an opportunity to learn and identify difficulties and therefore you can learn to manage them which can make people stronger and more resilient in the fight against their eating disorder.
A relapse prevention plan can be split into three sections green, amber and red.
The green section involves reflecting on what you are like when you are well: for example, when you are feeling free from the eating disorder. While this can be challenging, as it may be a long time since you felt well, it could help to think back before the eating disorder and identify your interests and passions at this time. If you are finding this difficult you could ask a loved one to help you with this.
You will then need to identify things that keep you well. This could be particular people or pets, as well as hobbies, interests, self-care and coping strategies. The last section is reflecting on potential triggers that could cause a relapse into the eating disorder.
The amber section of the plan is identifying your early warning signs that you are becoming unwell. This part can be tricky as the types of signs and characteristics can be subtle. It might help to reflect on the last time you started feeling unwell: can you recall any changes in your behavior, thoughts or feelings? Again, it can be helpful to ask others if they have noticed anything at this stage.
The next part is developing an action plan for when you first identify your warning signs of becoming unwell. For example, think about what you can do to help yourself or who you can reach out to for support. You could think about coping strategies that have helped you in the past or techniques that you think could be helpful for you. These may include techniques such as, self-care, journalling, distraction techniques or telling someone that you are struggling again. It is also important to note that if you have received advice from an eating disorder team, follow this, or get in touch with your eating disorder team if possible/needed. The action plan section is something you can keep going back to and adding and changing.
By using the amber section of your plan and recognising your early warning signs, you can often address challenges before they escalate. However, it’s important to remember that needing to use the red section of your plan is not a failure—it’s a proactive step to ensure you have the support you need during a difficult time. In moments of crisis, it can be hard to think clearly, so having a clear, written plan to refer to can be useful.
The red part of the plan is thinking about the signs and characteristics you may see when you are unwell. Completing this section can feel overwhelming and bring up difficult emotions, therefore it may be helpful to take breaks when needed and ask for the support of a friend, family member or a professional through this. Similar to the amber section, you will need to think about an action plan for when you are feeling unwell. It can be helpful to write down contact numbers of people/helplines/professionals that you can reach out to during crisis, to ensure you aren’t alone. You could also think about in the moment coping strategies you can use at this time, such as grounding techniques, to help regulate your emotions.
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