What You Need to Know About Relapse and Recovery
What you need to know about relapse and recovery
Relapse is common among people recovering from substance use disorder. Relapse rates range from 40 to 60 percent. It is possible for an…
Published May 3, 2018 · Reviewed by Sergey Litvinov, MD · ~565 words
Relapse is common among people recovering from substance use disorder. Relapse rates range from 40 to 60 percent. Addiction is a chronic condition that has to be managed, and people do recover from it. After a relapse you may ask yourself why it happened and what it means for the rest of your recovery.
Relapse doesn’t mean you failed at recovery
A relapse means you have slipped back to where you were before treatment. That happens to a lot of people in recovery.
It means going back to the treatment that worked before, or trying something different. Look hard at what happened in the days leading up to it, so you can catch it earlier next time.
Reasons a person with addiction relapses
A high-risk situation makes you more vulnerable to drug-seeking behavior. A relapse is rarely one decision. Small events stack up until one of them tips the rest over.
You can be in a high-risk situation and be certain you have it under control, and then find yourself denying you ever had a problem at all. That is why you build in preventative measures before you leave treatment.
What to expect before relapse
Relapses usually happen gradually. You can begin relapsing well before you take a drug again. Knowing the signs early helps you stop it. Warning signs fall into three categories: emotional, mental and physical.
- Emotional relapse: You are in denial. You are not thinking about using drugs, but you are putting yourself where it could happen. Denial makes a high-risk situation feel fine. You pull away from people. You stop eating and sleeping properly and you stop taking care of yourself.
- Mental relapse: You are fighting with yourself. Part of you wants to use again and part of you is holding the line. You start being dishonest, the cravings come, and you begin bargaining with yourself.
- Physical relapse: This is the last stage and the hardest to come back from. You have returned to drug use. It breaks down into lapse and relapse.
- Lapse: Using the drug for the first time.
- Relapse: Returning to uncontrolled use of drugs.
In a physical relapse you either use “just once” or go back to uncontrolled use.
Explore our Relapse Prevention Tips to Keep Your Recovery on Track.
When you return to drug use
If you relapse, ask for help. It does not mean you failed. It is part of the recovery process. Catching the signs early and telling someone is what gets you back.
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