Five Common Causes of Relapse

Relapse can occur at any point in time. It is not necessary for an individual to stay sober once he/she has stopped using the substance of abuse. In fact, many people relapse once, twice or even multiple times before completely abandoning the use of drug/alcohol.  Therefore, it is essential for the recovering person to be aware of the common factors that might trigger relapse. Some of the common causes that have been identified over the years by the experts are as mentioned below:

1.      Stress

Stress has been identified as one of the biggest factors that triggers one to reuse the substance of abuse. This is more prominent if the person used to abuse the substance to cope up with his/her stress. To avoid this trigger, it is important to identify what stresses him/her out – whether it is a toxic relationship, a financial debt, or something else. While he/she cannot get completely rid of stress, he/she can certainly minimize its causes.

2.     Lack of planning

Prior to leaving the treatment facility, it is important to have a proper plan in place regarding the environment he/she plans to live in, his/her friend circle, his/her family members who would surround him/her, and others. This is to ensure that he/she does not end up going into the same environment that encouraged him/her to use the substance earlier. If not pre-planned, there are high chances that he/she would relapse and begin reusing the substance.

3.     Not enough support

Having positive people around the recovering person is as important as a positive environment for him/her to stay sober. If he/she is surrounded by the same group of people who encouraged him/her to use drugs/alcohol or accompanied him/her in his/her act, then he/she can never stay sober. Relapse is sure to occur within a few days. Therefore, it is necessary for him/her to make sure to have a positive support from his/her family members and friends so that they may inspire him/her to stay sober and avoid using drugs/alcohol.

4.      Inability to deal with post-recovery challenges

Neither the road to recovery is easy nor the life after recovery. There are multiple challenges that one has to face post recovering from his/her addiction to any substance. Therefore, it is important that a person sets realistic expectations from his/her path to recovery as well as the life after recovery. There will be situations that are likely to shake his/her determination to attain and lead a healthy life post recovery and therefore, he/she must be prepared to deal with them diligently.

5.      Low self-confidence

Having a low level of self-confidence increases one’s chances of relapse. If he/she thinks that he/she cannot succeed in life or get easily tensed in stressful situations, it is possible that he/she would relapse and begin reusing the substance of abuse. Therefore, it is important for him/her to trust his/her abilities and have enough self-confidence that he/she can cope with the challenging situations in life to stay sober.

Seek Professional Help

Recovery is a lifelong process. Therefore, if a recovering addict can learn to recognize the situations/places/events that may slip him/her into reusing the substance of abuse, there are higher chances for him/her to stay sober. Building a positive network and surrounding oneself with people who support him/her in him/her measures to prevent relapse work as a great help. But one must never get demotivated if he/she stumbles while walking on the path to recovery.   

If one thinks that he/she has already relapsed and cannot recover on his/her own, it is necessary for him/her to seek professional help immediately. Athena Behavioral Health is one of the reliable, safest, and secure treatment center for mental health and addiction recovery. Offering its patients, a custom-made treatment plan, our treatment experts ensure that they attain recovery in the minimum time possible and begin leading a healthy life.

Relapse prevention and its treatment is another area of expertise of our experts. They closely monitor each case and plan a proper plan so that one may get rid of addiction to any form of substance easily. If you or someone you know would like to know more about our treatment plans, contact us at 9289086193 or drop us an email at info@athenabhs.com