Above all, remember that a relapse does not signal failure on your part or the part of the treatment center. It signals that drug addiction and alcoholism are indeed cunning, baffling, and powerful.

Behavioral therapies help people in drug addiction treatment modify their attitudes and behaviors related to drug use. As a result, patients are able to handle stressful situations and various triggers that might cause another relapse. Behavioral therapies can also enhance the effectiveness of medications and help people remain in treatment longer.

Looking for a place to start?

This stage can last from six months to five years, depending on the severity of the addiction and the individual’s genes and experience. It takes a small minority of people six months of abstinence https://ecosoberhouse.com/ to reach the point where they don’t go back to their addictive behavior. However, for most people, a commitment of two to five years is necessary to truly break the habit and solidify change.

Recovery doesn’t stop, but it can be deterred quite suddenly by relapse triggers. With the help of a therapist, a professional addiction counselor, or a sponsor, try to analyze your relapse and create a plan to avoid a similar scenario in the future. This should include triggers, coping tactics, and specific people in your support network who you can ask for help. Triggers are stimuli that cause you to crave alcohol or drugs, potentially leading to relapse. They can include anything from being around people who abuse alcohol, places that bring back memories of drinking, stressful situations, or even certain foods.

Is Treatment after Relapse the Only Choice?

An overdose happens when the person uses enough of a drug to produce uncomfortable feelings, life-threatening symptoms, or death. Like other chronic diseases such as heart disease or asthma, treatment for drug addiction usually isn’t a cure. Treatment enables people to counteract addiction’s disruptive effects on their brain and behavior and regain control of their lives. 12 Keys offers group and individual counseling, 12-step meetings, holistic therapies and more to help people recover. There’s plenty of down time for rest and reflection, and if your spouse loves being near nature, our waterfront location is ideal. The Americans with Disabilities Act recognizes addiction as a valid disability, meaning that individuals can’t be fired from their jobs if they are seeking addiction treatment. The individual can choose how much or how little they want to share with their employer, but it’s reassuring to know that the law provides protection for those seeking treatment.

Our helpline is offered at no cost to you and with no obligation to enter into treatment. In other words, if you start using again and take a high dose of the drug, the risk of a fatal overdose increases. This is because tolerance decreases the longer a drug is out of your system. It is normal and necessary to seek medical interventions to treat conditions that negatively affect your quality of life. In this regard, addressing addiction is no different from addressing diabetes, a broken hip, or a traumatic brain injury.

Deciding to Return to Rehab After a Relapse

Your original rehab program might offer this option to you as aftercare, or another, a local treatment center may be able to provide these sessions. If you believe your use of drugs or alcohol is only a slip, it’s still important to contact your sponsor, reach out to a counselor, attend a 12-step meeting, and avoid triggers. Regardless of how you going back to rehab define these terms, a slip increases the risk of a complete relapse. The best way to avoid a relapse is to attend an addiction treatment program. The emotional stage of relapse is less conscious and more behavioral. You might experience denial or bottle up your emotions, and you might struggle with eating or sleeping too much or too little.

While relapse can and does happen, it by no means signals that all is lost. A relapse can reinforce coping skills and strengthen the resolve to find long-term recovery. Can you afford rehab and/or will your health insurance cover treatment? All unique content created by the Addiction Group team is sourced from current scientific research and fact-checked by an addiction counseling expert before publication. However, the information provided by Addiction Group is not a substitute for professional treatment advice. For those seeking addiction treatment for themselves or a loved one, the Addiction Group helpline is a private and convenient solution.

Learn More About Substance Addiction:

As you work to break the addiction, some other conditions may cause you to relapse. During your first stay at a treatment center, you might not have thought about future relapses. You might have been focused on just getting sober and getting out of treatment.