Alcohol and Drug Relapse
If you have suffered from a drug or alcohol relapse Recovery Connection can help. Call 800-993-3869, 24/7 and speak with a specially trained addiction treatment coordinator. Our staff, many of whom are in recovery, understand addiction and relapse. Getting the right treatment for your needs is paramount. Call now and rest assured, all calls are confidential.
Did You Relapse?
A relapse occurs when you return to using mood- and mind-altering substances after being clean and sober for a period of time. Initially, you may feel like you can manage using different substances because you have been sober. But experience shows that after you are addicted, it is highly unlikely that you can return to being a social user.
Relapse begins with a simple thought: “Hey, this can’t hurt. I have a lot of time sober. I can handle this. I’m cured.” The disease of addiction lies dormant and plants little thoughts that grow if you give them power. Relapse has two stages: Mental, then physical. The idea of being able to control use is how addicts relapse mentally before a physical relapse.
Warning Signs of Relapse
Generally, there are warning signs that an alcoholic or a person addicted to drugs is in danger of a relapse. The warning signs are sometimes blatant and other times subtle. Some changes you will not notice but others in your life may point them out. It is important to be aware that your mind will relapse before you physically use drugs or alcohol.
Some relapse warning signs include:
- A negative shift in perspectives
- A halt in engagement in healthy activities
- Personal interaction with others is progressively more limited
- Attendance at support groups stops or decreases
- Sharing personal feelings and thoughts with others ceases
- Obsessive thinking relating to alcohol or drug use increases
- Resisting communication about problems
- Discontinuing prescribed medication on one's own
- Starting to hang out with old friends
- Starting to hang out at old places
- Discontinuing the aftercare plan designed for you in treatment
- Dishonesty surfaces
If you are struggling with relapse and would like to enter treatment today, call us at 800-993-3869. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for your convenience. Don’t stay out one day longer, get your sobriety back today!
Are There Different Types of Relapses?
A drug or alcohol relapse can be a “slip,” where you use a substance for a short period of time and then get right back on track with recovery. Alternatively, a relapse can be a full return to the use of drugs or alcohol with all the associated consequences and mental health issues.
The longer a relapse goes unchecked, the more difficult it is and the longer it takes to re-enter full recovery. As you use drugs and alcohol, profound changes occur within the body and brain. The longer you use substances, the more time the brain has to enter an abnormal physiological state and the more time it will take to recover. The brain of drug addicts and alcoholics carries a type of “memory” of substance dependence. Even a short relapse can lead to a rapid and devastating return to abnormal brain receptor function, tolerance for the substance and subsequent withdrawal. This entire process can occur rapidly, over a period of days to weeks rather than years. In addition, stress produces hormonal changes that can lead to emotional and/or behavioral changes.
You can combat these changes and maintain sobriety with a strong recovery plan and support group. A relapse is best handled by prevention. However, if a relapse occurs, a full recovery can still be achieved.
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