Relapse is a common part of the addiction recovery process for most people. By understanding what can cause someone to use drugs or alcohol again, you’ll be better equipped for long-term sobriety.
Here are the four common reasons for addiction relapse.
1. Stress
Stress is a leading cause of drug and alcohol relapse. Whether it’s financial stress, a toxic relationship, or work, stress can easily cause someone to begin using again if they don’t know how to deal with the stress in a healthy way.
Life is full of experiences and events that are out of our control. And while we can’t remove difficult situations from our lives completely, we can learn specific ways to address these situations when they do arise that serve us in the best way possible. But if a person doesn’t know how to address stress, the result can be a continued pattern of using drugs or alcohol to “escape.”
2. Mental Health
If someone is experiencing underlying mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression (among many others), this can cause them to relapse as a way of coping. There are many mental health issues that a person can experience throughout their life, due to a variety of reasons. Without the right emotional tools in place, it’s easy for someone to develop a drug or alcohol addiction in order to feel like they can function.
3. Celebrations
Birthday parties, work events, and significant milestones in someone’s life all call for celebrations. And while these events can be fun, they can also involve recreational drug use and/or alcohol. For someone who is recovering from drug addiction, this can be extremely challenging and lead to relapse.
It’s normal to want to celebrate in the same way everyone else is behaving, but the key is learning new ways to attend certain events while not reverting back to old patterns. One helpful option is to bring a friend to these events who is also sober. This can help create a feeling of support in an environment that has the potential to feel isolating and result in relapse. When it comes to finding fun events and activities that are not focused on drinking alcohol or using substances, there are many options to explore.
4. Withdrawal Symptoms
It’s common for someone with a drug or alcohol addiction to try and quit independently. But depending on the length of time they’ve been using, the withdrawal symptoms could become unpleasant or even severe. Symptoms of withdrawal can range from headache, irritability, and anxiety to nausea, vomiting, dizziness, or even more severe symptoms.
If a person is trying to quit independently and cold turkey, and then experiences the symptoms mentioned above for several days, this can cause them to relapse.
How To Avoid Relapse
If you are struggling with substance use disorder, professional addiction treatment at a rehab facility is the solution. By receiving the help of medical professionals, you’ll be able to give yourself the best chance of success at long-term sobriety. At Luxe Treatment Center, our rehab facility will be able to help you:
Receive Medical Detox
Medical detox will help you to safely withdraw from drugs or alcohol while being monitored by our compassionate staff. We’re also able to provide medication if needed to diminish the effects of withdrawal symptoms.
Address Any Mental Health Conditions
Dual diagnosis treatment can help you address not only your drug addiction but also any co-occurring disorders such as depression, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, PTSD, anxiety disorders, and many others. When you’re aware of these conditions, you can better understand them and your reasons for wanting to use drugs in the first place. Dual diagnosis is an extremely important part of the addiction recovery process and relapse prevention.
Identify Relapse Triggers
Understanding what specifically triggers you to use drugs or alcohol is an important part of recovery and relapse prevention, especially during early recovery from addiction. Our licensed therapists will work with you one-on-one to help you identify any triggers you have and provide you with healthy ways to cope with those triggers in day-to-day life.
Receive 24/7 Support
Residential treatment provides clients with around-the-clock support. By incorporating humanistic therapies into treatment, our clients receive a customized rehab plan with a wide variety of tools for addiction recovery and highly-effective relapse prevention strategies.
Start Your Addiction Recovery Today at Luxe Treatment Center
At Luxe Treatment Center, we focus on utilizing evidence-based humanistic therapies and treatment plans that take a whole-person approach with our clients, rather than simply treating people with addictions. If you’re ready to take the next step toward drug and alcohol addiction recovery, our team is here to help you begin healing.
