Sobriety takes lifelong commitment, especially since every phase of the recovery journey comes with its own set of challenges. One of the biggest challenges is the risk of relapse which can happen at any point of SUD recovery. Studies have shown that 40-60% of people receiving treatment for SUDs will relapse with 85% of them relapsing within one year of treatment. These numbers highlight the importance of recognizing the warning signs so you can take appropriate actions to prevent a full-blown relapse.
Relapse is deemed a normal part of recovery. After all, it would take time for the brain to repair itself after being rewired due to chronic substance misuse. Relapse is commonly thought to be the moment a person in recovery once again drinks alcohol or uses other substances. Picking up a substance and reverting to the previous levels of use is actually just the final act.
Relapse does not happen overnight- it is a process so to speak. Since it’s essentially a series of events, you can minimize the risk of relapse by understanding the warning signs. Learning to identify the signs and take necessary steps to address them early on.
There are three stages of relapse: emotional, mental, and physical. Different warning signs can manifest during each stage. Early detection of these signs could save you from straying from your recovery goals and going back to your old habits of substance misuse.
During the first stage, you won’t be actively thinking about using substances. At this point, there could be certain triggers that bring out negative emotional responses. People tend to brush off these emotions even when these very emotions have driven them to substance use in the past. Early warning signs at this stage include:
You may disconnect from those around you, both physically and emotionally. This may start by not answering phone calls, declining invitations, and just overall disengaging. Isolation would most likely breed loneliness, both of which are known risk factors for relapse.
A more dangerous level of isolating yourself is cutting off professional help or peer support that helps you stay true to your recovery goals. You may continue attending meetings or therapy sessions but won’t really engage. You may also stop going altogether.
Decline in self-care is a common early warning sign of relapse, but it’s also often ignored. This can include poor hygiene, unhealthy eating habits, irregular sleep patterns, physical inactivity, and more. Remember that self-care boosts positive emotions and fosters resolve to resist the use of substances.
As you shut others out, you also tend to hold in your thoughts and emotions. This could mean ignoring what you feel, avoiding problems, and the like. You may not see it, but this shows how you’re slipping up on using the coping mechanisms you’ve established as part of your recovery.
Another tell-tale sign during the initial relapse phase is when mental health issues surface. This includes mood swings or general feelings of irritability, anxiety, and depression. These could be due to triggers like stress or may be caused by neglecting therapies or medications. Struggling with mental health conditions makes you at higher risk for relapse.
When you fail to address the emotions that arise during the first stage, they can trigger thoughts that may lead to mental relapse. Warning signs for this relapse stage include:
You will likely start reminiscing about the old days when you were tangled deep in substance misuse. The thing is, you’ll be focusing on how fun it was, how great it felt, and all that. You’ll conveniently forget about the bad experiences and consequences that you had to battle though.
You may also start bargaining as you try to convince yourself that you can stop after one drink or one hit. This false confidence is very dangerous since you’ll tend to minimize the consequences of that one slip. This can lead to relapse or even worse like overdosage.
As you think more and more about your past habits, there’s a risk of activating their associations with your brain’s reward center. As you intentionally think about and even seek out your known triggers, you can awaken the urges and cravings that you’ve worked so hard to suppress.
All the aforementioned signs in this stage can ultimately lead to an actual plan to relapse. In your mind, you will continue to justify your actions. This is even as you start to have concrete details of how and when you’ll have that one drink or one hit.
Most people consider this final stage as the end of the battle mainly because it is often associated with actual drinking or using again. But you should not give up hope, there are still warning signs you can watch out for. More importantly, there are still steps you can take even after you’ve had that initial drink or hit.
This is an early warning sign, often considered the beginning of the end. This is a concrete sign that you will actually push through with the relapse you’ve been planning during the second stage.
Along with reconnecting with old substance use buddies, going to past hangouts or other places where you can access substances starts as a sign of mental relapse. Both also serve as early warning signs of physical relapse.
This is the ultimate sign of relapse. In some instances, this could simply be a slip triggered by stress or other events. This slip can unfortunately lead you back to your previous levels of use. Whether it’s a one-time slip or a planned act, partaking in the substance could lead to a full-blown relapse.
Minimizing the risk of relapse starts by understanding and learning to identify the warning signs. Of course, it doesn’t stop there. While you can deal with each warning sign as they arise, you can also proactively do things to reduce the risk of relapse. Here’s what you can do:
A relapse prevention plan involves identifying triggers that can lead a person back into substance use. It also includes establishing coping strategies for managing the said triggers. This helps a person in recovery to more successfully navigate the whole process – from treatment to transitioning back to their daily lives.
Relapse can happen at any point during recovery, even years after your last substance intake. The risk of relapse is higher during the first few weeks after stopping substance use, especially when withdrawal symptoms are at their peak. Relapse is also more likely to occur after finishing a treatment program.
No. While relapse is considered a normal part of the recovery process, that doesn’t mean that everyone will experience it. Everyone will, of course, be at risk. Knowing how to identify warning signs and taking immediate action can considerably reduce that risk.
Sobriety calls for a lifetime commitment to maintain your recovery goals. The risk of relapse will always be there but that doesn’t mean that you have to succumb to it. Establish a solid recovery plan as early as possible with the help of trusted substance recovery specialists.
Positive Sobriety can provide the help and support you need throughout your entire recovery process. Our team of licensed professionals will come up with a personalized treatment plan including a relapse prevention plan. Get high-quality care at our facilities in Chicago, book your FREE consultation today!
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