Decisions, apparently irrelevant

Many drug relapses begin with such decisions, when a client seeks an apparently irrelevant social situation or starts an apparently irrelevant quarrel. Many times the client cannot link the beginning of the behavior chain with the potentially risky outcome. Even if others can see the potential for risk, sometimes the client cannot, so it is important for counselors and therapists to teach about these decisions and help clients identify when they are making them and what to do to stop the behavior chain. 

Apparently irrelevant decisions. Decisions that clients make that may place them in high-risk situations without their being aware of the risk. 

Relapse roadmaps also can be used to increase awareness about apparendy irrelevant decisions. Using the roadmap, you can walk the client down the path she or he has planned for her- or himself so that the long-term consequences of choosing this path become illuminated. The client may not be aware of how the first turn on the map is risky, but when you start asking the client about each subsequent decision about where she or he goes next, then the risk of the chosen path may become more apparent. The relapse roadmap can be quite a useful method for understanding both past and future relapse chains of events. 

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