Nova Vida Recovery Centre | Algarve | Portugal | © 2006 - 2012 - All Rights Reserved
Call Us
(UK) [+44] (0) 208 133 0568
(PT & EU) [+351] 919 357186
(USA) 919 647 9481
(PT & EU) [+351] 919 357186
(USA) 919 647 9481
get back on track. It doesn’t happen too often for ex-Nova Vida patients and we are pleased about that.
But unfortunately addiction, similar to many illnesses, is a relapsing illness. Although many people enjoy uninterrupted sobriety others relapse. There are many reasons for this including difficulties in high risk situations, struggles coping with difficult situations, urges and cravings. But it is important to look at the individual case rather than label everybody the same. For this reason Nova Vida does not blindly put patients who have completed a 12 Step Programme within the previous 12 months back on the same track, to repeat the same work, some of which is probably still fresh in their minds. Each patient is assessed and a treatment plan put together looking at what areas of the programme need to be repeated and where they need to concentrate to avoid any further relapses.
The Nova Vida Relapse Prevention Programme is a purpose written programme for individuals who have relapsed which includes detoxification if necessary, a review of the work done in treatment before the relapse and a series of individual assignments designed to look at the triggers, thoughts, feelings and behaviours behind the relapse and how to do things differently in the future.
For those whose home environment is riddled with triggers and who can commit to a full 32 day treatment episode, Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) Therapy is included in the programme. This therapy has proven to be of immense help for those who struggle to remain clean and sober. This unique therapy is research based and dovetails neatly into the rest of the relapse programme. As far as we are aware, Nova Vida is the only treatment programme in Europe which has a licensed therapist to deliver this therapy. This is not however a magic cure and not everybody will be suitable. It is however a great tool to have when exposure to cues and triggers seem too overwhelming.
The specific Relapse Prevention Programme is integrated within the full group therapy programme in order to obtain the benefit of the ‘talking therapies’ and the psycho-educational lectures and workshops as well as the proven benefits of peer support. Much can be learned from sharing with newcomers who are in treatment for the first time.
Patients who wish to join this programme and who have completed any addiction treatment programme within the last 12 months need to commit for 21 days in order to give themselves the best chance of a positive outcome after treatment or 32 days if ERP is indicated as being a useful additional therapy
during their stay. Those whose previous treatment was over 12 months will usually need to commit
to the full 32 day programme.
They called me a “serial relapser” in AA. I had been hospitalised on a couple of occasions, in rehab three times and I had been a regular at AA. I understood the theory but I couldn’t put it into practise. I was a lost cause – ‘constitutionally incapable’ as AA tells you. My parents gave me one last chance to sober up or ship out. I didn’t want to take their money again but a chap in recovery told me of a place in Portugal he had been to and advised me to get out there.
My first week didn’t go well. I had been there, got the T-shirt and acted that way. I had been able to get away with it in other places but not here and soon found myself within minutes of being thrown out. This couldn’t happen to me – they had no right but I knuckled down and soon discovered that I wasn’t going to be asked to do the same old assignments I had done at least 3 times before. This was different. This concentrated on my relapses and I soon grew in confidence that I could do it this time. I was assessed for a particular therapy they sometimes use at Nova Vida and started this intense therapy in the 2 nd week of treatment. I cannot describe
the effects it had on me except to say that 9 months after leaving treatment I am still sober and still
remember ERP as if it was yesterday.
John, Bahamas 2011
But unfortunately addiction, similar to many illnesses, is a relapsing illness. Although many people enjoy uninterrupted sobriety others relapse. There are many reasons for this including difficulties in high risk situations, struggles coping with difficult situations, urges and cravings. But it is important to look at the individual case rather than label everybody the same. For this reason Nova Vida does not blindly put patients who have completed a 12 Step Programme within the previous 12 months back on the same track, to repeat the same work, some of which is probably still fresh in their minds. Each patient is assessed and a treatment plan put together looking at what areas of the programme need to be repeated and where they need to concentrate to avoid any further relapses.
The Nova Vida Relapse Prevention Programme is a purpose written programme for individuals who have relapsed which includes detoxification if necessary, a review of the work done in treatment before the relapse and a series of individual assignments designed to look at the triggers, thoughts, feelings and behaviours behind the relapse and how to do things differently in the future.
For those whose home environment is riddled with triggers and who can commit to a full 32 day treatment episode, Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) Therapy is included in the programme. This therapy has proven to be of immense help for those who struggle to remain clean and sober. This unique therapy is research based and dovetails neatly into the rest of the relapse programme. As far as we are aware, Nova Vida is the only treatment programme in Europe which has a licensed therapist to deliver this therapy. This is not however a magic cure and not everybody will be suitable. It is however a great tool to have when exposure to cues and triggers seem too overwhelming.
The specific Relapse Prevention Programme is integrated within the full group therapy programme in order to obtain the benefit of the ‘talking therapies’ and the psycho-
Patients who wish to join this programme and who have completed any addiction treatment programme within the last 12 months need to commit for 21 days in order to give themselves the best chance of a positive outcome after treatment or 32 days if ERP is indicated as being a useful additional therapy
during their stay. Those whose previous treatment was over 12 months will usually need to commit
to the full 32 day programme.
They called me a “serial relapser” in AA. I had been hospitalised on a couple of occasions, in rehab three times and I had been a regular at AA. I understood the theory but I couldn’t put it into practise. I was a lost cause – ‘constitutionally incapable’ as AA tells you. My parents gave me one last chance to sober up or ship out. I didn’t want to take their money again but a chap in recovery told me of a place in Portugal he had been to and advised me to get out there.
My first week didn’t go well. I had been there, got the T-
the effects it had on me except to say that 9 months after leaving treatment I am still sober and still
remember ERP as if it was yesterday.
John, Bahamas 2011
Relapse prevention is a vital part of the treatment of addictions. It is often however excluded from the treatment programmes of many facilities as they still refer to a relapse as a ‘failure’ of treatment or a negative outcome. It is often said that teaching patients what to do in times of relapse or just talking about relapse offers an excuse to do just that – relapse. At Nova Vida Recovery Centre we think differently. We believe that our patients are intelligent enough to understand and indications are that if patients know what to do in case of relapse they are able to cut short the using cycle and
