SUD Relapse Addiction Prevention. Go to any length to fight, relapse.
We provide immediate via Telehealth or ZOOM services so you can receive the support you need from your home. All telehealth services are offered via confidential, HIPAA-compliant video conferencing.
Please remember that relapse is a normal part of addiction recovery, and you should not feel embarrassed or humiliated to admit that you need help to avoid a relapse.
You’re not alone, and there are people who care about you and want to help you through this difficult time.
Reflecting on Relapse
Depending on your emotional response, a lapse makes a person more aware of their triggers.
Relapse does not necessarily mean using.
Relapse is a state of mind, to where your engaging using thoughts and slipping back into an undisciplined mind-set and your past patterns of use but have not used yet. Such as, harboring; (continue to keep in mind an emotion or thought), people, places and things. Ultimately, you're slacking in the promises you made for your conditioning and self-care program.
Relapse helps them develop more effective ways to cope with similar trigger situations in the future, or it can lead them to return to problematic alcohol or drug use.
Relapse Prevention: Warning Signs and Questions.
Drug relapse is a common part of many people’s recoveries, but it can be disheartening to both the recovering person and those who love them and are invested in their sobriety.
What does it mean to relapse?
In terms of drug abuse, a relapse refers to the return to substance use after a period of sobriety. For example, if you have been abstinent from alcohol for several months and then you end up going out and drinking with your friends some might say you have relapsed. On the other hand, some addiction and relapse prevention professionals have distinguished a relapse from a lapse and, in fact, place a lot of emphasis on this distinction. So, if you returned to using your drug of choice one time it would be considered a lapse, but if you returned to repeated use and your previous addictive behaviors, it would be considered a relapse.
For many people who have struggled with addiction, it is impossible to return to their drug of choice just once, which is why staying completely abstinent is most often advocated by addiction treatment professionals and recovery groups.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. To learn how to get support for mental health, drug or alcohol issues, visit FindSupport.gov.
What are some relapse warning signs?
Luckily, as with most conditions or problems, there are some warning signs you can look out for that may be indicators of an impending lapse or relapse:
· You have started isolating yourself and withdrawing from family and friends or your support network. This may include missing your AA or NA meetings.
· You stop taking good care of yourself and notice that you are not sleeping or eating well or are neglecting your personal hygiene.
· You start thinking more and more about using, or that you’ve been sober long enough and can probably handle it this time.
· You are experiencing overwhelming negative emotions such as depression, anger, stress, or loneliness.
· You begin to find yourself feeling triggered more than normal.
Are there things I can do to prevent myself from relapsing?
If you have already been through a treatment program, it is likely that you worked on a relapse prevention plan prior to discharge. If not, the first thing you will want to do is work on developing a strategy to help you stay on track that includes viable actions you can take if you notice you are at risk for relapse.
Good relapse prevention can be summed up by 2 basic steps: awareness and action. In order to take effective action toward preventing relapse, you must be aware that you are at risk. This is likely one of the reasons relapse prevention programs that incorporate mindfulness have been shown to be so effective.1,2,3 Mindfulness is a practice geared towards helping you be more connected to and aware of the present moment. Thus, the more mindful you are, the better you will be about noticing and managing your response to a triggering situation.
While the safest course of action is to stay away from high-risk situations where you’re likely to feel triggered, it isn’t always possible to avoid situations like these. In this case, there are several actions you might consider taking:
Talk to someone about your feelings and/or your urge to use, such as a sponsor or a trusted family member or friend.
Distract yourself with something until the urge passes. For example, you could step outside, engage in your favorite hobby, or exercise.
Engage in an alternative activity that matches what you are trying to achieve from your substance use. For example, if you are feeling like you want to use out of boredom, try to find something else fun that you can do. It might help to make a list of things to do so you are not trying to come up with something in the moment.
Practice any coping skills you have learned, such as relaxation exercises or journaling.
Challenge any beliefs you have that using again will bring positive outcomes.1 For example, is it really true that you can have just one? There is a common tendency to romanticize some parts of past substance use, but if you look more closely you will realize that it wasn’t all fun and games, you experienced numerous negative consequences, and you weren’t able to moderate your use like you thought.
Steven Melmis, a professional who has worked in the field of addiction for 30 years, also offers 5 rules of recovery that you may want to consider:
Change your life: Recovery involves more than just not using—it requires a lifestyle change.
Be completely honest: Lying and denial support addiction, and your secrets keep you sick. Make a commitment to be truthful, at least within your recovery circle (family, doctors, counselors, close friends, 12-step groups).
Ask for help: Don’t wait or try to do it all on your own. Use support groups that are available to you (such as AA or SMART Recovery).
Practice self-care: Do what you can to relax, set healthy boundaries, and treat yourself with care and respect.
Don’t bend the rules: Don’t ignore the advice that professionals have been giving you or try to find loopholes in the strategy for recovery.
Understanding Relapse
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), relapse occurs when a person returns to substance use after an attempt to stop. Some researchers define a lapse as the initial resumption of substance use, while relapse is the ongoing substance use that occurs after a lapse. Researchers view relapse as a gradual process that begins with certain warning signs that can occur weeks or months before the actual lapse takes place; it usually occurs in a series of stages.
Like other chronic diseases such as diabetes or asthma, relapse is part of recovery. In fact, the NIDA explains that relapse rates for addiction range between 40–60%, compared with 50–70% for both hypertension and asthma. Studies have indicated that around 50% of people relapse within the first 12 weeks of leaving detox. Research also shows that around 60% of people who receive substance abuse treatment eventually enter sustained recovery, but many of these people first undergo a cycle of multiple relapses and return to treatment in the process.
Relapse is different for everyone; it can take place immediately or even after a person has been in recovery for many years. A relapse can happen once and be over, occur a few times, or could result in a return to a full-blown addiction. Relapse prevention strategies may help you reduce the risk of relapse.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. To learn how to get support for mental health, drug or alcohol issues, visit FindSupport.gov.
Why Relapse Occurs
The relapse prevention model of Marlatt and Gordon suggests that relapse can be influenced by many factors. This can include factors like being in high-risk situations or having poor coping skills, or a life imbalance between perceived external demands (things you feel you have to do) and internally fulfilling activities (things you like to do).
Brain changes also play a role in relapse. Addiction results in persistent brain changes that reduce a person’s ability to control their substance use, and these changes do not go away overnight. Treating chronic diseases like addiction means working on deeply rooted behaviors that can be influenced by these changes for long after a person has been sober.
There are different causes of relapse, but there is not typically just one reason it occurs; it usually involves an event and a combination of factors that can compound over time.
Everyone’s experience with recovery and relapse is unique, but some causes of relapse might include poor self-care, not going to self-help meetings, feeling embarrassed about having cravings, frustration with having to work on recovery after a period of abstinence, feeling like you should be able to control your behavior, and feelings of personal failure after a lapse.
Relapse triggers are internal or external cues associated with previous substance use that can instigate strong cravings to resume substance use; exposure to triggers is a risk factor for relapse. Relapse triggers can be unique to your situation as well as universal, meaning factors that might trigger anyone in recovery. Some common triggers include:
Stress and tension.
Negative thinking.
Interpersonal conflict.
Being around substance-related stimuli (such as pipes or bongs).
Being around places where you used substances.
Associating with people who use drugs or alcohol.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. To learn how to get support for mental health, drug or alcohol issues, visit FindSupport.gov.
What do I do if I relapsed?
If you slipped up and used just once, remind yourself that you have had a lapse, not a relapse, and that the earlier you take action, the better. Judging yourself is not going to help, so try acknowledging that you are not perfect and you made a mistake—what’s important now is that you take whatever action is necessary to prevent yourself from fully relapsing. That might include calling your sponsor, going to meetings, making an appointment with your counselor, and talking to family and friends.
If you feel your existing support structure is not enough, and especially if you’ve begun using in a compulsive manner again, consider returning to a treatment program.
Do I need to return to treatment if I have relapsed?
Returning to treatment might be a necessary course of action for you.
Remember that the longer you wait to reach out for help after a relapse, the harder it is going to be to stop.
If you realize what led to your relapse, know what actions to take, and feel you can follow your relapse action plan, then you may find success in attending regular meetings and counseling appointments.
However, be honest about where you are and know that it is okay to go back to a full treatment program if you need to. If you are unsure, talk with your counselor or sponsor or do a consultation with a treatment center to help you decide what is best for you at this time.
Again, a relapse is not a failure—it is only one part of your journey to a life free from addiction. With that said, don’t wait to ask for help if you think you might relapse or if you have already done so. You don’t have to be ashamed—it is better to be honest and address the problem right away than try to keep it a secret and allow yourself to slip back into the unrelenting grip of addiction.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. To learn how to get support for mental health, drug or alcohol issues, visit FindSupport.gov.