What to Do When You Relapse & How to Recover After a Drug or Alcohol Relapse

This could include a brief slip into substance abuse as a reaction to things like a job loss, death of a loved one, or being blindsided by a trigger. Unfortunately relapse rates for individuals who enter recovery from a drug or alcohol addiction are quite high. Studies reflect that about 40-60% of individuals relapse within 30 days of leaving an inpatient drug and alcohol treatment center, and up to 85% relapse within the first year. Through an understanding of common risks for addiction relapse, individuals can be better equipped and better able to maintain their recovery. Here are a list of 10 common triggers that contribute to addiction relapse.

Why do mental disorders relapse?

Rather, a mental health relapse is more about experiencing a worsening of mental health symptoms. Sometimes this is due to outside life events, like a life transition or a family emergency. Other times, this could be due to a change in behaviors, like stopping going to the gym or losing access to one's support network.

Instead of getting stuck on feeling bad, reach out, and take the necessary actions to prevent it from happening again. Two of the most prevalent causes of relapse are traumatic events and the belief that your addiction is no longer a problem. The latter is a matter of complacency, although that’s still not to say you’ve done anything wrong. You must respond to your relapse, as soon as you can. Delays in doing so can compound the problem, and even prolong the relapse. While you may not have all the answers right now, retaining a strong desire to move past this is vitally important to your recovery.

What is Relapse?

No matter how diligently you pursue your recovery or how committed you are to lifelong sobriety, there is a chance you will relapse at some point. Remind yourself of what you do have, and what you are grateful for. Think about realistic goals what to do after a relapse you can work toward and how you can use this experience to learn and grow in recovery. I won’t support you financially while you’re in active addiction. This could include not paying for phone bills, rent, car payments, gas, or groceries.

What are the five rules of recovery?

Teaching clients these simple rules helps them understand that recovery is not complicated or beyond their control. It is based on a few simple rules that are easy to remember: 1) change your life; 2) be completely honest; 3) ask for help; 4) practice self-care; and 5) don't bend the rules.

In most cases, relapse starts as an emotional change. Life might be messy or busy, and you start neglecting things like self-care and expressing your feelings. Or, you might end up skipping recovery meet-ups or not sharing as much as you used to. At this point, getting a family member or close friend to help could get you back on track.

Five Tips for Bouncing Back After a Relapse

This is when you start thinking of using again, contacting the people who encouraged your addiction, or going back to your habits while using. Often, this stage accompanies cravings and intrusive thoughts that convince you the bad effects of the substance you abused weren’t that bad.

what to do after a relapse

Ultimately, the early warning signs of relapse are largely behavioral and emotional. You’ll start to notice subtle https://ecosoberhouse.com/ changes in the person that are reminiscent of their personality while they struggled with addiction.

What Is a Relapse?

It is important to focus on a relapse as a bump in the road, not the end of your journey. In addition to some obvious factors, like stress or divorce, there are also plenty of little factors in our lives that may easily contribute to a relapse. To avoid relapsing, sometimes it’s as simple as taking a route home from work that doesn’t include the bar.

Addiction recoveries do not all follow the same clinical pattern, as a person’s circumstances, history, genetics, and so on, are always different. Recovering from substance use disorder can be challenging, but hearing how others made it through the process can be inspiring and motivating.