You can work on strengthening your coping skills to move past a mental relapse. Working with a therapist can be helpful during a period of mental relapse. When we think about a relapse, we tend to think about it as sudden, unexpected, and all at once. In reality, it’s likely a gradual progression for most people, and there are typically three stages of relapse. Relapse is a process that can begin weeks or months before someone drinks. A person who misuses alcohol will feel like they are not able to function in their daily life without the use of alcohol.
After all, you are trying to learn healthy ways of living without alcohol or drug use during treatment. In this stage, you continue to follow your recovery plan. You are attending alcoholics anonymous and other 12-step meetings regularly. You stay away from drugs and alcohol and avoid triggering situations.
Alcohol has a slowing effect (also called a sedating effect or depressant effect) on the brain. In a heavy, long-term drinker, the brain is almost continually exposed to the depressant effect of alcohol. Over time, the brain adjusts its own chemistry to compensate for the effect of the alcohol.
Predicting the Likelihood of a Relapse
This could be considered an issue of semantics, but it’s important to distinguish between a slip and relapse. In fact, according to Alcohol.org, 40-60% of us will relapse at some point in our recovery. The acronym HALT—Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired—serves as a reminder to address basic human needs that, if unmet, can heighten vulnerability to relapse. Individuals must check in with themselves to ensure these emotional states are handled proactively. Another immediate need you should fulfill following a relapse is a safe living environment.
You might have been sober after treatment for three months before a relapse. Or maybe you have been sober for years before relapsing. After a relapse, you know what works and what does not work in recovery. Now, you have a better sense of your triggers, know who you can go to, and what you can do. Addiction recovery means that you take things one day at a time.
What to do in the short to medium term
Don’t be afraid to talk to family, friends, and support workers about what’s happened. A relapse isn’t something to feel guilty or ashamed about, and discussing it with someone you trust is an important step in your recovery. If you’ve begun using drugs and alcohol again and you want to stop, it’s best to get help from a medical professional rather than stopping suddenly on your own. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a standard treatment for drug addiction. It helps you identify thoughts and behaviors that led to relapse and then change them to prevent relapse from happening again.
The Importance of Emotional Validation in Mental Health Treatment
You may use AA, SMART Recovery, or other support groups to help you in this process. Alternatively, you may start to look into more formal treatment. A critical step in overcoming this stage of relapse is to practice self-care in its physical, psychological, and emotional aspects. This means making time for eating, sleeping, and having fun, as well as behaving kind enough toward yourself that you permit yourself these necessities. The term harm reduction is becoming more accepted in the world of recovery. Harm reduction usually implies that you still desire sobriety; however, you seek it in a different fashion.
You’re visiting your former drinking spots and hanging with old drinking buddies again.
For whatever reason, you’re acting like you don’t deserve positive people in your life right now, and that’s something you need to work through. Whether you realize it or not, distancing yourself from the people who are most supportive of your sobriety and wellness is freeing yourself up to go back to the bad habits and people of your previous life. You don’t respond in a timely manner to your mom when she reaches out, and you’ve set your phone to Do Not Disturb so that Anthony from boot camp can’t reach you when it’s time for class. In fact, you’ve already started ignoring a lot of these people and are spending more time alone. It could also be that you think you’ve got this “problem” beat and can start drinking moderately.
“Feeling thankful for the freedom that comes with breaking addictions and dependency on substance,” he added. “Sobriety, clarity, and spiritual connectedness feels real good.” The Fight Club star spent years struggling with alcohol before Cooper helped him get sober. “I got sober because of this guy,” he told the relapsing on alcohol audience at the 2020 National Board of Review Annual Awards after Cooper presented him with a trophy.
It can lead to people experiencing cravings, which is the most common reason for relapse. If you or someone you know is experiencing cravings, it’s essential to learn about the causes of relapse. A person can learn how to prevent relapse and get the benefits of support from one of the treatment programs at BlueCrest Recovery Center. Contact us today to learn more about our treatment programs and the treatment plan that will work the best for you. Early detection and intervention are critical in preventing relapse and ensuring sustained recovery. Accessible resources such as SAMHSA’s National Helpline provide invaluable support and guidance in this ongoing process.
Warning Signs of Alcoholic Relapse
- In this stage, you continue to follow your recovery plan.
- A relapse can be a one-off event or even a short-term situation, but it is a part of your recovery.
- Withdrawal symptoms from substance or alcohol abuse can vary.
- If you find yourself rejecting your friends and family, it can be a sign that you’re preparing to relapse.
A 2006 study published in the journal Addiction found that 62 percent of people treated for alcoholism through alcohol rehab or Alcoholics Anonymous maintained recovery after three years. About 43 percent of people who did not receive any form of treatment maintained sobriety. Friends and family see the noticeable benefits of quitting alcohol when their loved one stops drinking and chooses to pursue a healthy life. They often say that the person seems like his or her old self. If you need help or feel like you could be on the cusp of a relapse, remember that addiction is a chronic disease.
“I got to the point where I knew it was something I couldn’t do on my own,” Gilbert said. “Pissed me off to no end and embarrassed me. I’m a pretty strong-willed person but that was the one thing in my life that I couldn’t get to stick.” With the dual releases of her fourth studio album No Shame and memoir My Thoughts Exactly, the singer spent much of 2018 getting brutally honest about the height of her addition problems. After publicly celebrating six years of sobriety on tour in 2018, the singer stunned fans later that same year with the release of the confessional single “Sober,” which revealed that she had relapsed.
Treatment and support for alcohol relapse
Sure, the first few puffs on a cigarette and sips of a drink feel AWESOME. We often start fantasizing about our drinking days when our current life is lacking the satisfaction we want out of it. You need to reach out to your support systems, check in with friends and family who support your recovery, and get to the bottom of what has you stalking your old stomping ground like some creepy ex. Figure out what is turning you off of your recovery plan and commit to handling it. There is no rule that you can’t update your recovery plan or support systems throughout your life, but you cannot abandon them altogether, either.
How to Develop a Personalized Self-Care Plan in Recovery
Alcohol treatment programs are important because they improve your chances of successfully staying off of alcohol. Only about 20% of people with alcohol use disorder are able to abstain from alcohol permanently without the help of formal treatment or self-help programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Of people who attend AA, 44% of those who remain free of alcohol for one year probably will remain abstinent for another year. This figure increases to 91% for those who have remained abstinent and have attended AA for five years or more. If left untreated, addiction can become life-threatening. As such, it’s vital to be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of addiction in those we love.