How to Write a Relapse Prevention Plan (Free Template and Examples)

A relapse prevention plan is a one-page written plan for staying on track after you quit drinking, smoking, vaping, gambling, or another habit. It lists your reasons, warning signs, high-risk situations, coping steps, support people, and what to do if you slip. Write yours on a calm day with the template and examples below.

Safety first. If you drink heavily or every day, get medical advice before you stop: the NHS says stopping suddenly can be very dangerous if your body depends on alcohol. Withdrawal can cause sweating and shaking. Severe shaking, confusion, hallucinations, or a seizure need emergency care.

Why a written relapse prevention plan helps

In Alan Marlatt’s relapse prevention model, a risky moment doesn’t decide a slip. Your response does. People who can use a coping strategy, like leaving, are less likely to relapse.

A craving is a bad time to invent a plan. Writing it down turns intentions into if-then steps: “If it’s payday, then I go straight home.” A 2020 meta-analysis of 21 trials, mostly in students and the general public, found that such plans cut drinking and smoking a little.

A plan works best alongside other support. For smoking, a 2019 Cochrane review found that coping-skills programs did little to prevent relapse after quitting with treatment, but a longer course of the medicine varenicline helped. Ask a doctor or pharmacist whether medicine suits you.

The 3 stages of relapse: emotional, mental, physical

A 2015 clinical paper describes relapse as a gradual process that can begin weeks or months before the first drink or drug use, in three stages:

Stage	What it looks like	Plan section to use
Emotional	Bottled-up feelings, pulling away, poor sleep and meals	Warning signs
Mental	Cravings, bargaining, glamorizing the past, lying	Reasons, coping, support
Physical	Using again	If I slip

Brief thoughts of using are normal in early recovery, the paper notes. The warning sign is when they come more often or feel more insistent. Some researchers split physical relapse into a lapse (the first drink or use) and a relapse (a return to uncontrolled use).

How to write a relapse prevention plan in 6 sections

1. My reasons

Write three specific reasons in your own words: “I want to remember bedtime stories” beats “health.” When a craving says “just one,” your reasons answer it: quick relief now versus what it costs you tomorrow.

2. My relapse warning signs

Warning signs are small changes that come before a slip. Terence Gorski’s widely used model lists 37 of them. In a study of 122 people starting treatment for alcohol problems, those who reported more of these signs were more likely to drink again, or drink heavily, in the following months.

Pick three to five, such as:

Sleeping badly or skipping meals
Snapping at people, or keeping feelings to yourself
Skipping meetings, calls, or check-ins
Missing the old days, or thinking “I can handle one”
Keeping small secrets

3. My high-risk situations

List the people, places, times, and feelings that make a slip more likely. In Marlatt’s research, negative feelings and conflict with others set off more than half of relapse episodes, and social pressure more than 20%. Watch for choices that set you up, too, like buying a bottle “just in case guests stop by.”

Start with how to spot your triggers with a one-week log, then see why weekends, evenings, and paydays are often hardest.

4. My coping actions

Write your coping skills as if-then steps: “If I want a drink after work, then I set a 10-minute timer.” List several relapse prevention strategies. In a study of 61 people quitting smoking, using more coping strategies predicted resisting the urge, and no one strategy beat the others.

Wait it out. Knowing how long cravings last makes the wait easier.
Do a HALT check. Are you hungry, angry, lonely, or tired? Fix that first.
Move. A brisk walk can help; see how exercise helps with cravings.
Leave. Have an exit line and a ride home.
Reach out. Text someone from section 5.

5. My support people and helplines

List two or three people you can call or text, with numbers. Add a doctor, counselor, sponsor, or a group such as AA, SMART Recovery, or Gamblers Anonymous.

Save a ready message: “Having a hard night. Can you talk for 10 minutes?” Add a helpline from the Get help now list below.

6. If I slip

In Marlatt’s approach, written steps for a slip work like an “emergency preparedness” kit. Yours might be:

Stop, and get somewhere safe.
Remove access: pour it out, throw out the vape, log out of the betting app.
Tell one person from section 5.
Eat, drink water, and sleep. No big decisions tonight.
Tomorrow, look back without blame and update this plan.

If a slip has turned into days of heavy drinking, get medical advice before you stop again. Get emergency help for the signs in the safety note above.

Overdose risk. NIDA warns that after time away from some drugs, using your old amount can easily cause an overdose. For opioids, the WHO says naloxone can prevent death if given in time.

A slip is one event, not the end of your progress. See what to do in the first 24 hours after a lapse. NIDA also says a relapse is a sign to talk with your doctor about restarting or changing treatment.

Relapse prevention plan examples: alcohol, vaping, and sports betting

These examples are made up.

Alcohol: a sobriety plan for after-work drinking

Reasons: Better sleep. No more hiding bottles. Being present with my kids.
Warning signs: Skipping dinner, snapping at my partner, “one won’t hurt.”
High-risk: Friday evenings, work drinks, arguments.
Coping: If it’s Friday at 5, then I go to the gym.
Support: My sister, my doctor, a SMART Recovery meeting.
If I slip: Pour it out, text my sister, eat, and review tomorrow.

Vaping: the same template works as a quit smoking plan

Reasons: Saving money. Not waking up craving. Feeling in control.
Warning signs: “Just one pod” thoughts, feeling on edge.
High-risk: Work breaks, the drive home, stressful days.
Coping: If it’s break time, then I walk the block.
Support: A friend who quit, and a pharmacist for nicotine replacement advice.
If I slip: Throw it out, don’t buy more, and tell my friend.

If you used to smoke, NHS Inform warns that quitting vaping can tempt you back to cigarettes, and advises quitting only when you’re confident you can stay smoke-free.

Sports betting: gambling relapse prevention

Unsure it’s a problem? Try this sports betting self-check.

Reasons: Paying off my card. Enjoying games again. No more lying about money.
Warning signs: Checking odds “just to look,” reinstalling an app, wanting to win back losses.
High-risk: Big games, payday, being bored and alone.
Coping: If I check odds, then I text my partner. Plus barriers the NHS suggests: self-exclusion (GamStop in the UK), a bank gambling block, and paying bills on payday.
Support: My partner, and a Gamblers Anonymous meeting.
If I slip: Log out, tell my partner, and don’t chase losses.

Relapse prevention plan template and how often to review it

Copy this relapse prevention worksheet (a one-page recovery plan template) into your notes app, or print it:

My reasons: 1. __ 2. __ 3. __
My warning signs: 1. __ 2. __ 3. __
My high-risk situations (people, places, times, feelings): __
My coping actions: If __, then I will __. If __, then I will __.
My support people: __ (number: __), __ (number: __)
My helpline: __
If I slip, I will: __. Then I’ll tell myself: __

A simple rhythm for reviewing it:

Read it every morning for the first few weeks.
Update it weekly for the first month, then monthly.
Review it after a slip, a big change like a move, and before holidays.

In Guardian Angel, you can keep your reasons in a check-in note (up to 1,000 characters with Premium). After a few weeks, Insights may flag a Hardest weekday for section 3.

Frequently asked questions

What should be included in a relapse prevention plan?

Six parts: your reasons, warning signs, high-risk situations, if-then coping steps, support people and helplines, and what to do if you slip. Keep it to one page. Share it with a doctor, counselor, or group, and get professional help if low mood, anxiety, or hopelessness come up.

What are the 3 stages of relapse?

Emotional, mental, and physical. In emotional relapse, self-care slips, though you aren’t planning to use. In mental relapse, part of you wants to use. Physical relapse is using again; act early so a first slip (a lapse) doesn’t become a full relapse.

What are the most common relapse warning signs?

Common ones include poor sleep, skipped meals, pulling away from people, irritability, missing past use, and small lies. Signs differ by person, so list the few that show up first for you.

Can I use a relapse prevention plan for gambling or vaping?

Yes. The same plan works; only the details change. For gambling, add barriers such as self-exclusion and a bank gambling block. For vaping or smoking, ask a doctor or pharmacist whether nicotine replacement or another medicine could help.

If you’d like a daily moment to notice warning signs early, Guardian Angel gives you a Good day or Difficult day check-in with a short note, for alcohol and any other habit. It’s free to download, and your journal stays on your phone.

Get help now

In an emergency: call 911 (US) or 999 (UK and Ireland) if you’re in danger or feel physically unwell, or if confusion, hallucinations or seizures start after you cut down or stop drinking or using.
If you’re thinking about suicide or feel overwhelmed: call or text 988 (US), or call Samaritans on 116 123 (UK and Ireland). Both are free, confidential and open 24/7.
For alcohol or drugs: SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357 (US, free, 24/7); Drinkline, 0300 123 1110 (England); FRANK, 0300 123 6600 (UK, 24/7).
For smoking: 1-800-QUIT-NOW, 1-800-784-8669 (US, free); Smokefree National Helpline, 0300 123 1044 (England).
For gambling: 1-800-MY-RESET, 1-800-697-3738 (US); 0808 8020 133 (England and Scotland) or 0808 281 9265 (Wales). All free, 24/7.
Somewhere else? Find a Helpline lists free, confidential helplines by country.