June 8, 2010 | British Columbia

Drug and alcohol addicts often relapse during the recovery process

Surrey, BC - June 8, 2010 - "Addiction is not a crime, it's a treatable illness. Addicted people are not criminals who need to be punished; they're sick people who need to get well," articulated eloquently by Terence T. Gorski, creator of the CENAPS treatment model and a leading expert in addictions relapse prevention.

Like Gorski, many experts agree that an addiction to alcohol, drugs and gambling is very much a disease.  With any long lasting illness, relapse is a common occurrence. According to the Caron Foundation, 50-90% of addicts will relapse after a period of sobriety.

Addiction workers and substance abuse counsellors must understand that relapse is a part of overall recovery and can even provide valuable learning opportunities for individuals who want to permanently free themselves from the hold addiction has on their lives.

 As part of CDI College's Addictions and Community Services Worker diploma program, students will learn how to support clients through relapse and to get them back onto their road to recovery. In this area, students will learn valuable techniques outlined by Gorski's CENAPS (Center for Applied Sciences) model. These include helping clients identify lifestyle, past experiences and personality factors that could lead to relapse, helping them identify events that triggered past relapses, helping them recognize warning signs that could lead to relapse, and help them develop a long-term recovery plan.

In British Columbia alone, one in ten (or 400,000) people suffer from addiction. Help individuals through initial treatment, relapse and final recovery by becoming an Addictions and Community Services Worker. Apply today!