Florida rehab facilities are set up with one main goal in mind. It is to help you recover and equip you with a relapse prevention plan. But addiction treatment, recovery, and sobriety maintenance are not foolproof. Staying sober depends heavily on how you respond to substance use triggers in your home, work, and social environment.
Statistically, a person is more likely to relapse even with the most comprehensive treatment and robust relapse prevention plan. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 40 to 60 percent of people who undergo addiction treatment will relapse at least once. That’s an average of about 50 percent!
If you experienced a relapse, you may be feeling guilty, ashamed, or ready to give up. But you’re not alone. There are many people like you looking for a second, even a third, chance to bounce back.
4 Common Reasons Why People Relapse During Addiction Recovery
Relapse means returning to drug or alcohol abuse. Some people relapse multiple times before achieving long-term sobriety. The reasons for relapse are based on mental, emotional, and environmental triggers, but they all lead back to how addiction chronically affects the brain.
1. Brain Changes
Drug and alcohol addiction, also known as substance abuse disorder, affects millions of men and women in the US. Many of them are between the ages of 18-30. They are considered addicted because they lack the ability to control their use of the addictive substance.
Repeated drug or alcohol use causes chemical changes in the brain that makes it crave consistently for the addictive substance. Eventually, the brain’s drug receptors stay “on” and there is no switch to simply turn it “off.”
2. Co-occurring mental health issues
A comprehensive addiction treatment plan has a physical and mental component. First, detoxification is done to rid the body of the addictive substance. Psychotherapy then follows to treat the client for any underlying mental health issue related to substance abuse.
Once you leave rehab, the onus is on you to continue taking any medication prescribed for treatment and implement the relapse prevention tools given during therapy. They typically include attending 12-step meetings and creating a supportive network. Otherwise, falling back into substance abuse becomes inevitable.
3. Poor support system
A person recovering from addiction is as strong as their support system. Your support network may include family, friends, therapist, counselor, and recovering peers from groups such as Alcohol Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous.
These are people you should turn to when you experience mental, emotional, or environmental triggers that push you to seek the addictive substance. They are the ones who are expected to deter you and keep you in check in moments of temptation. When this support system is weak or lacking, it may only be a matter of time before you fall off the wagon.
4. Ignoring the warning signs or triggers
Hanging with people who will encourage you to take “just one” drink, smoke, or sniff or withdrawing from your support system can trigger substance abuse and relapse. Other warning signs or triggers are as follows. You may be unaware of them or may notice them but are unable to resist the temptation to “use.”
• Strong cravings
• sudden changes in mood
• unusual behaviors
• stress
• relationship problems
• loneliness
• anxiety or depression
Does Going Back to Drugs or Alcohol Mean I’m Weak?
Relapsing doesn’t mean you’re weak. Because addiction is a chronic disease, there is always an overhanging risk of relapse. While treatment is designed to reduce this risk, you may still find yourself within the 40 to 60% group that will fall back into substance abuse.
Your strength lies in your desire to kick the addiction and stay sober which is why you may be reading this right now. You know you backslid, but you want to fix it. You refuse to settle or be controlled by drugs or alcohol.
How a Florida Rehab Center Can Help
Relapse doesn’t mean it’s your fault or treatment failed. It means full recovery is a gradual process which could include one or more relapses before achieving long-term sobriety. Rehab centers are aware of this and have treatment plans specifically designed for people re-entering their recovery programs.
If you live in South West Florida, there are centers that offer both inpatient and outpatient programs to help you get back on the road to recovery. Once you’re admitted, a treatment plan will be tailored based on your addiction history and current recovery needs.
It can include family therapy to help loved ones understand their critical role in helping you stay off drugs or alcohol. Any co-occurring mental health problem can also be diagnosed and treated to improve your chances of remaining drug-free. Call us today for more information at 844-639-8371.