Once treatment has been initiated the individual advances to the second phase of recovery that is early abstinence. At this stage outcomes of the treatment program start to show, which can be extremely difficult and troubling for the recoveree. Since it is still a relatively early phase of treatment there are bound to be withdrawal symptoms, overwhelming feelings, and difficulties dealing with triggers at this stage which make it harder to cope.
Therefore, during the second phase, the therapist mainly emphasizes establishing healthier coping strategies and focuses on immediate action plans, such as avoiding triggers to prevent relapse. The root causes are identified and dealt with in the next phase.
