What is Relapse?

Anyone who tries to recover from addiction can relapse. People new to addiction recovery may ask, “What is relapse and how dangerous is it?” If you or a loved one is preparing for or already in addiction treatment, you should learn about relapse and it’s dangers. The more you know, the easier it will be to prevent or combat relapse.

There are many factors that can lead to relapse, including emotional stress, social pressure, boredom, and environmental triggers. However, there are steps you can take to prevent relapse or deal with it if it does occur. To learn more about relapse prevention program, call us at 866.605.0532 today.

What Is Relapse?

Relapse is a return to drug use or drinking after a period of abstinence. It can occur after a few days or weeks of sobriety, or after months or years of recovery. Relapse is dangerous because it can quickly lead to full-blown addiction again.

People relapse for different reasons. Some people experience major life events and return to substance abuse in order to cope. Other people are triggered by outside stimuli and start using in order to deal with sudden cravings. And other people simply restart their substance abuse because they didn’t learn how to live without drugs or alcohol during treatment.

No matter what reason people have, relapse is fairly common. Around 40% to 60% of people who go through addiction treatment relapse during the first year of sobriety. Even after that first year, people do still relapse.

What Are the Risks of Relapse?

The risks of relapse change depending on the substance involved.

The most immediate risk is an overdose. When people abuse a substance, they become more tolerant of it over time. When they stop their substance abuse, tolerance for it will decrease. People who relapse can overdose if they return to the same dosage they were taking prior to treatment, which can be harmful, even life-threatening.

Those who don’t overdose can still experience other problems. People who relapse usually become addicted again. Their addiction will bring back withdrawal symptoms, life issues, and health problems. Those who don’t relapse may still experience adverse symptoms related to their re-introduced substance abuse habits.

How Can You Prevent Relapse?

If you are in addiction recovery, here are five tips for avoiding relapse:

• Stay connected to your support system. This includes friends, family, and your addiction treatment team.
• Keep a positive outlook and stay motivated. It’s easy to get discouraged during addiction recovery, but it’s important to stay focused on your goals.
• Avoid temptation and triggers. Stay away from people, places, and things that remind you of your addiction.
• Practice self-care. Make time for activities that make you happy and help you relax.
• Stay completely sober at all times. It’s important to remember that relapse is always a risk, so be vigilant about not using drugs or alcohol.

What Is a Relapse Prevention Plan?

When people enter addiction treatment, they may be able to enter relapse prevention programs. In these programs, people learn how to properly cope with triggers and cravings during and after recovery. This will help them prevent relapse in the future.

People who ask “What is relapse?” may be too afraid of relapsing to enter treatment. If you’re one of those, know that there are people who want to help you stay sober. At Beaches Recovery, we want everyone to live full, addiction-free lives once they leave our facility. We offer a number of addiction treatment programs that help our clients stay sober, and some of those programs are:

• Group therapy
• Behavioral therapy
• Family therapy
• Mindfulness-based treatment
• Art therapy
• Hiking
• Trauma therapy

Don’t let the risk of relapse keep you from a sober life. Life-long sobriety is always possible. Call Beaches Recovery at 866.605.0532 and start your journey to sobriety today.