Sadly, relapse rates for individuals trying to quit using drugs are very high. If you or your loved one is on the journey to recovery, it’s important to understand that the risk of relapse is very high and take measures to reduce it. It’s also good to understand some of the relapse triggers and avoid them. Below are the most common causes of relapse.
1. Expectations
After making the decision to quit taking drugs, you may have some expectations. Unfortunately, you may not attain them, especially if you set them too high. For example, a person may expect that treatment and recovery will be easy and fast. They may also expect that they will get support along the way only to realize that they are on their own. That leads to stress and feeling like a failure. To avoid that, set realistic expectations and understand that things don’t always happen as expected.
2. Mental Health
Most of the time, alcoholism and substance dependence are caused by underlying mental health issues. Additionally, the dependence may result in a person developing these health issues. If not addressed properly, mental health issues such as depression and anxiety may make a person relapse. Fortunately, with proper guidance from places like Denver residential rehab, a person can get a solution for their issues and reduce the risk of relapse.
3. Uncomfortable Emotions
Addiction makes one develop unhealthy coping mechanisms whenever one experiences uncomfortable emotions. For example, they may indulge in drugs or alcohol whenever they feel sad or afraid. After they gain sobriety, dealing with these negative emotions becomes a great challenge, which increases the risk of relapse. Acknowledging these emotions and finding other coping mechanisms such as talking with friends or relatives can reduce the negative effects they cause.
4. People And Places
If you are still in connection with people who facilitated your addiction, your chances of relapse are very high. They may encourage you to continue using the drugs, and it’s so easy to fall into their traps. Visiting places that bring up memories of your addiction can also trigger a relapse.
The best thing is to always prepare for such situations ahead of time. For example, you can come up with a response to give whenever your friends ask you to drink or take drugs. You can also avoid visiting places that bring memories of your past.
5. Boredom
Boredom is one of the most common causes of relapse. When a person is new to sobriety, they have a lot of free time in their hands, which leads to boredom. It even gets worse if their friends are into drugs and they can no longer hang out with them. To avoid boredom, engage in activities that keep you busy. You can also hang out with other people, as long as they encourage you in your new life journey. Relapsing is always the easy option when you’re trying to quit drug usage, and you need to be wary of any trigger and avoid it.
Many people relapse at some point in their recovery journey. Others even do that several times before they recover fully. Others, sadly, give up on sobriety. It’s good to identify the triggers of relapse and avoid them to achieve your dream of sobriety.