The addiction treatment program in Washington does not get over merely when the person has completed the detox treatment and is discharged for home.

This is because the possibilities of a relapse still persist. It has been found on researching the substance abuse resources in Washington that a person can have as many as ten to twelve relapses after addiction treatment. Each time a relapse occurs, the whole treatment becomes meaningless and the person has to go through the entire program again. In order to make the addiction treatment in Washington more substantial, the treatment centers make sure that they look into the possibility of relapse and its avoidance right from the beginning.

When a detox treatment in Washington is over, the patient will be asked to attend an aftercare therapy. This is almost a mandatory part of the treatment program of the state. The aftercare therapy could be in an outpatient setting or in a residential setting.

The following strategies are employed:

1. The patient is made aware of the possibility of a relapse. The same awareness is creating in the families of the patients and they are told that the treatment is not over till the remotest possibility of a relapse remains.
2. The patient is taught various techniques and methods that can help avert a relapse. These include breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, meditation, Yoga, etc.
3. The patient is put into a social readjustment program where his or her social life is revived.
4. The family members of the patient are coached in identifying the risk factors of an impending relapse and told what they must do if such a situation happens.