Table of Contents
Introduction
Have you decided to quit substance abuse?
Are you worried about addiction relapse?
When you are trying to get a healthier and addiction-free life, combating addiction relapses is one of the toughest challenges. No matter what, you can not let addiction win over you at any cost. This is why opting for a rehabilitation or detox treatment is essential.
If you are looking for a recovery center, you can consider visiting https://www.oceanrecovery.com/.
They will not only help you in quitting any sort of substance abuse, but they will also guide you with some effective tools and tactics to combat addiction relapse. Let’s start with a basic idea about addiction relapse.
What Is Addiction Relapse?
After you attempt to quit substance abuse or go through a period of absenteeism, the resumption of substance is addressed as a relapse in addiction treatment. For example, a person who goes back to drug use after several months in rehabilitation is experiencing a relapse.
Major Reasons Of Addiction Relapse
In order to fight against relapses, you have to develop a proper understanding and knowledge about the trigger points or the reasons for addiction relapse. For your reference, we are mentioning some of the major reasons here.
So, let’s check them out now.
1. Withdrawal
Within the first week of stopping substance abuse, many patients relapse. Withdrawal symptoms are the main reason behind it. In order to deal with physical and mental issues as a part of the withdrawal symptoms, a lot of individuals go back to their old addiction.
Withdrawal symptoms are for real, and if not handled properly, it even can be fatal. Here are the symptoms.
- Cold sweats.
- Muscle aches.
2. Poor Self-care
When you are going through an addiction recovery process, you have to pay attention to the self-care part. Improved self-care will always make you feel much better about yourself and also send you a message to yourself that you are indeed taking good care of yourself.
At the same time, poor self-care will deliver messages like you do not care about your well-being and will accelerate relapses. Poor diet plan, eating more junk, and sugar along with low nutrients will result in poor neurological and physiological health and can lead to low mood, and eventually cause drug or alcohol cravings.
3. Pride And Overconfidence
Sometimes, individuals who are going through the recovery procedure get determined that they will not ever step into any sort of substance abuse. In most cases, they have some bad memories associated with their substance abuse that triggers their will to quit the addiction.
This confidence is pretty great. But at the same time, one should remember that everyone is eligible for relapsing. All it needs is a millisecond in the wrong place, wrong time, and wrong people to get into substance abuse again. So, do not take too much pride in yourself or be overconfident.
4. Uncomfortable Emotions
In active addiction, when you get angry, you use substance abuse; when you are tired, you do the same. It continuously repeats when you get any sort of complicated or uncomfortable emotions like feeling sad, agitated, angry, or even frustrated.
During your initial recovery days or after completing the treatment, when you start leading life on your own, you will encounter all these emotions. These are some immense parts of our life, our human nature. So, you have to ensure that you are taking experts’ help in order to go back to your substance abuse habit again.
5. Boredom And Isolation
We can say that boredom and isolation are some of the top reasons for relapsing, especially in the early recovery. In those initial days, when you are recovering, you get plenty of time for yourself. Those free times world here as the devil.
When you are in rehabilitation, you are already away from your family and friends. Plus, those free times end up feeling boring, and eventually, you might experience a relapse without even understanding it. This is why experts always advise you to keep yourself busy.
6. Being Around Addictive Substances
In most cases, substance abuse victims do the addictive activities in a group. They usually prefer to develop a group separated from their family and normal friends; with them, they practice substance abuse.
During or after the treatment, you have to cut those people out of your life. No matter who they are and what they have done for you, if they are still into substance abuse, you can not simply be around them.
7. Social Pressure
As we have mentioned earlier, uncomfortable emotions actually lead to addiction relapse. Those uncomfortable emotions often are the result of social pressure. These social pressures lead to mental pressure, and for a quick escape, individuals turn towards substance abuse.
Social pressure for one’s education, good grades in college, a well-established career, and several other things are some culprits here. So, being in society, we have to behave accordingly for the betterment of an individual here.
8. Unrealistic Expectations
Expectations make us do some evil things. Substance abuse is one of them. It is also a part of our human lives, but if we want, we can control them. Whenever we expect something and that does not happen, we mostly can not handle the push.
As a result, we end up with addiction or substance abuse. However, you should always set your expectations high, but at the same time, you also need to live in reality. So, in case something does not occur as per your plan, you will be able to handle it.
9. Surrounding Environment
The places, things, and people play a huge role in triggering relapses. So when you are out of the recovery center, you should avoid those places, people, and also things, which might trigger your quitted addiction.
In case you are into alcohol addiction, you should avoid those casual meetings in the pubs, stop spending time with people who are into substance abuse. Changing your surroundings will help you develop healthier life and habits.
10. Untreated Mental Issues
Mental health is equally important as physical health. In case you are not feeling mentally healthy or fine for a considerable amount of time, it is best to consult with an expert. If you are feeling depressed, or frustrated, or anxious, consult with a psychologist immediately.
In order to cope up with mental issues, many opt for substance abuse. So, after recovery or during the treatment, if you are feeling off even just a little, without waiting time, or opting for any kind of substance abuse, go consult with a professional.
