5 Common Reasons for Addiction Relapse

It’s quite typical for individuals grappling with addictions to experience at least one relapse during their recovery journey. Some may even encounter multiple setbacks before achieving sustained sobriety. Despite the existence of FDA-approved treatments for substance dependencies like nicotine, alcohol, and opioids, over two-thirds of people will unfortunately experience a relapse after commencing treatment. Recognizing potential relapse triggers and devising a proactive strategy to deal with them are crucial initial steps toward prevention. Here are five key triggers that you should contemplate and discuss with your therapist or counselor.

Withdrawal

A significant number of individuals relapse within the first week of discontinuing their substance use to circumvent withdrawal symptoms or later due to post-acute withdrawal symptoms that could persist anywhere from six to 18 months. Those suffering from drug or alcohol addiction face different withdrawal symptoms when they cease the intake of their chosen substance.

These symptoms vary greatly from person to person. They’re influenced by the type of substance used, the amount and regularity of use, the length of use, and other considerations. Some typical physical withdrawal symptoms might include:

● Restlessness

● Vomiting

● Nausea

● Muscle discomfort

● Alternating hot and cold sweats

● Diarrhea

● Sleeplessness

Withdrawal from substances like alcohol and benzodiazepines can even prove fatal and/or induce seizures. In light of these potential dangers, it is strongly advised that those intending to quit drugs or alcohol seek medical detox programs. This enables them to safely and more comfortably withdraw from the substances under professional medical supervision, aided by medically assisted treatments like Suboxone or Valium.

Stress

Stress stands as the principal factor leading to relapse. Many individuals battling addiction resort to their preferred substance or activity as an unhealthy method of dealing with stress. Studies have shown that the desire for the drug, alcohol, or addictive activity intensifies during periods of stress, particularly if the substance or activity serves as the individual’s main way of coping.

To anticipate this trigger, assessing your experienced stress is crucial. Despite the impossibility of eradicating every stressor from your life, it is possible to steer clear of circumstances that induce extreme stress. Consequently, it could be beneficial to catalog all the individuals, locations, and factors that trigger excessive stress in you.

Self Isolation

While rekindling harmful relationships can act as a trigger, fostering healthy interpersonal relationships is crucial to circumvent another significant trigger and indicator of mental relapse – solitude. Excessive alone time can ensnare your loved one in their own thoughts.

Without encouragement from others, it might become challenging for them to recall their personal reasons for wanting wellness, possibly leading to a loss of motivation to maintain sobriety and initiating the relapse process anew.

Mental Health Conditions That Are Left Untreated

Numerous addictions are often linked with pre-existing mental health issues like depression. These problems can lead to adverse emotions, self-worth challenges, and emotional turmoil, all of which are typical triggers for the onset of addiction.

A growing number of treatment centers have started considering recovery with a dual-diagnosis approach. This involves viewing addiction through a lens that acknowledges mental health disorders as either a root cause or an outcome of the substance abuse issue. If conditions like depression are not detected and addressed concurrently with the addiction, they persist as a probable, and even expected, catalyst for a relapse.

Relationships

When a person enters recovery while not in a romantic relationship, it’s often recommended that they avoid entering one for several months or perhaps a year until they’ve established a more stable footing in their recovery. This advice is given because newly sober individuals may attempt to fill their emptiness with a romantic partner.

There are numerous other reasons why dating during sobriety is generally discouraged. For instance, socializing and intimacy often involve alcohol, and someone fresh to sobriety might struggle to navigate the dating world without resorting to alcohol or drug use.

Relationships (including long-standing ones that predate recovery) can also spark unwelcome and distressing emotions that a newly sober person may not be equipped to handle. Additionally, those who are newly sober might not have had any experiences with sober sex, making sexual encounters during recovery potentially triggering. The potential for arguments, discomfort, or insecurity that relationships might induce means this area should be approached cautiously by those new to sobriety.

Endnote

Mastering the identification of triggers, seeking assistance from a therapist, and establishing a support group are all crucial strategies in averting a relapse. Make every effort to safeguard yourself, but refrain from self-condemnation if you happen to stumble. A relapse does not indicate a failure in your recovery journey. You’re traversing an uncharted and novel route.