Addiction is often described as a chronic relapsing and remitting disorder in which patients fluctuate between periods of heavier and more problematic substance use and periods of more controlled substance use, including abstinence for some. The challenges of preventing and/or managing relapse are therefore a core component of the long-term treatment approach needed for substance use disorders.
This presentation will explore the concept of a lapse versus a relapse and suggest some simple approaches that may help both the clinician and the patient respond constructively to maintain motivation, promote learning and nurture lasting change.
About the Presenter
Dr Julian Keats MBBS FAChAM is a specialist in addiction medicine and a Fellow of the Australasian Chapter of Addiction Medicine within the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
He has over 10 years’ experience working in public sector drug and alcohol services in Hobart, Tasmania, and Newcastle, NSW, and since 2018 he has been working in the non-government sector providing bulk-billed private addiction medicine specialist services for community outpatients at Drug & Alcohol Health Services in Muswellbrook and residential rehabilitation inpatients at WHOS (We Help Our Selves) Hunter Valley therapeutic community in Cessnock.
Dr Keats has also produced a short podcast series titled ‘Addiction in Simple Terms’ that helps patients, families and healthcare providers alike to better understand some of the fundamental issues in addiction.
