Addiction Relapse: Risk Factors, Coping & Treatment Options

People can move on from the relapse with a stronger commitment to avoiding future relapses by avoiding or managing triggers before they occur. Relapse prevention therapy (RPT) was developed over 40 years ago by G. This approach helps people in recovery anticipate the factors that might cause them to engage in their addictive behavior again—and to plan ahead for these situations. Accepting that relapse is a normal part of the process of recovery is a more helpful way of looking at relapse.

  • Individuals who cut back on support group meetings, stop practicing coping behaviors and begin to think they can control their drinking or drug use increase their chances of relapse.
  • Addiction is so incredibly complex, and so are you as a human being.
  • Addiction is still considered a highly treatable disease, though, and recovery is clearly attainable.
  • Accepting that addiction is a chronic disease and not a character flaw can help you move on from a relapse.
  • It takes consistency and determination to find the right recovery program for you, and oftentimes that requires outside help.

Since relapses are so common in recovering addicts, there is much that has been done to look into how these people can get back on the path to recovery after a relapse has happened. This could be due to various mental health issues, or it could also mean that the person’s brain is finding it hard to focus without the coping mechanism of alcohol or a drug. It typically starts with emotions, and intense negative feelings.

Overly Positive Moods

Choose to get help, even though shame often deters people from doing so. If you are at a gathering where provocation arises because alcohol https://ecosoberhouse.com/ or other substances are available, leave. Cravings can intensify in settings where the substance is available and use is possible.

To do so, you need to identify what could cause a relapse for you. It will start out as a minor relapse, just one drink, or one incident of taking a drug. Part of you may wish to remain sober, and will see the benefits. However, there will also be another part which is finding it increasingly difficult to battle your cravings, and may be secretly considering a relapse.

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Identify Your Triggers

This may occur when a person thinks about a previous experience of using substances. You may also stop attending meetings or showing up for recovery commitments. You can become concerned with other people’s problems or start to socially isolate yourself. Rates of relapse are similar to any other chronic illness, like asthma, diabetes, or heart disease. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the rates of relapse for people with substance use disorder are 40 to 60 percent.

what to do after a relapse

Engaging in self-care may sound like an indulgence, but it is crucial to recovery. For one, it bolsters self-respect, which usually comes under siege after a relapse but helps motivate and sustain recovery and the belief that one is worthy of good things. Too, maintaining healthy practices, especially getting abundant sleep, fortifies the ability to ride out cravings and summon coping skills in crisis situations, when they are needed most.

Relapse Treatments

It can stir up painful emotions and uncomfortable physical symptoms. As your body detoxes after a traumatic relapse, you may begin to feel new levels of guilt and shame. It’s likely that your relapse has impacted your loved ones, including your friends, family and spouse.

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy is a well-established therapeutic approach that focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns and behaviors.
  • Tim enjoys writing about addiction and recovery, this topic has personally affected him, fuelling his desire to help others.
  • Anticipate the next steps you need to take and don’t delay in taking them.
  • Changing bad habits of any kind takes time, and thinking about success and failure as all-or-nothing is counterproductive.

This is because chronic abuse of alcohol (or drugs) can result in alterations of the mind which persist beyond when being sober first occurred. Some people find it helpful to try a somewhat what to do after a relapse different approach to their recovery after experiencing a relapse. Spend some time talking to a therapist and to those closest to you to develop a new plan you can use to move forward.

Take Care of Yourself

One of the last, but by no means the least, important steps is to build up a strong social support system. Feeling alone or like you’re struggling by yourself can be extremely discouraging. By creating a network of friends, family members, and other people in recovery, you can source the support and encouragement you need to stay sober even when it’s hard. For a lot of people, going through a relapse feels like a failure or something beyond their control, but that’s not true.

What defines your future is how you react and respond to your relapse. It’s imperative that you take immediate action to prevent your substance use from escalating back to where it was before you found recovery. With severe depression or a crippling addiction, though, positive thinking can sometimes make matters worse.

Substance Abuse Treatment Programs

Thinking about and romanticizing past drug use, hanging out with old friends, lying, and thoughts about relapse are danger signs. Individuals may be bargaining with themselves about when to use, imagining that they can do so in a controlled way. Coping skills can keep thoughts from escalating into substance use. Relapse is most likely in the first 90 days after embarking on recovery, but in general it typically happens within the first year. Once you’re aware of these stages, you may be able to prevent the physical relapse by identifying the early warning signs. At this stage, people in recovery are at an increased risk of relapse.

Like any other step in substance abuse recovery, relapsing is possible, but it’s not the end of your journey. Many different philosophies about recovery and relapse exist, often with opposing tenets, which can leave you confused about which is correct. For some, relapse is viewed in a negative light and indicates weakness. But this view is considered harmful since it fosters feelings of guilt and shame that can hinder your ability to recover from a setback.

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