Top 5 Triggers of Relapse and How to Avoid Them

Without others to bolster their resolve, they may find it difficult to remember their own reasons for wanting to be well and may lose motivation to stay sober and return to rebegin the relapse process. Triggers are internal and external cues that cause a person in recovery to crave drugs and eventually relapse. Patients need to understand the nature of triggers before they can begin proper treatment. Learning how to cope with triggers and thoughts of substances can help the individual successfully reintegrate into society. Just because you’ve relapsed doesn’t mean you’ve completely failed. Developing a relapse prevention plan with your counselor before exiting your drug and alcohol rehab program will help ensure that you know how to respond to relapse situations effectively and productively.

The brain registers these stimuli and processes them in the same areas involved in drug-seeking behavior. Treatment for addiction takes many forms and depends on the needs of the individual. In accordance with the American Society of Addiction Medicine, we offer information on outcome-oriented treatment that adheres to an established continuum of care.

Substance Use Treatment

These treatments act slowly to help prevent drug cravings and have a calming effect on body systems. They can help patients focus on counseling and other psychotherapies related to their drug treatment. Different types of medications may be useful at different stages of treatment to help a patient stop abusing drugs, stay in treatment, and avoid relapse. However, don’t panic if the warning signs above sound all too familiar. Even if your loved one is already in the throes of relapse, there is still hope for recovery—both in the short and long term. The earlier people in recovery can identify and successfully respond to triggers, the greater their chances of prolonged abstinence.

Whether it’s a new and stressful event or a distressing emotional state, substance abuse often turns off feelings of discomfort. In recovery, people don’t have that option and often struggle to accept and process negative feelings. In active addiction, when you were tired you used alcohol or drugs. Nobody wants to experience uncomfortable emotions, but they are a natural and normal part of the human experience. What is not healthy is avoiding such emotions, or even worse, using alcohol or drugs to cover them up and sweep them under the rug. The more we accept uncomfortable emotions and acknowledge that they are trying to teach us something important about our current situation, the better able we are to handle them and cope with them.

Brainstorm lists of movies to watch, music to listen to, books to read, people to call, home improvement projects to tackle, and new hobbies you’d like to try. Keep this list handy so you’re never left wondering how to fill your free time. While many triggers can be negative experiences, it is important to note that positive events can trigger relapsing as well. Keep in mind that while these are popular coping mechanisms, they might not work for everyone.

10. Places and Situations Where Drugs Are Available

Learn to acknowledge uncomfortable emotions and find healthier coping skills when those feelings occur. Today’s addiction recovery specialists understand that relapse is a common part of the recovery process. And while many journeys to lasting sobriety might involve a speed bump or two, one of the best ways you can protect yourself against substance abuse relapse is to learn more about it.

• Our Camino Pathways Program builds a personalized treatment program that will provide you all the tools you need to transform your life.
• A NIDA study maintains that exposure to drug-related objects may influence a former addict’s behavior.
• For many people, their daily routine is so hectic that sleep is the last thing on their minds.
• Being fatigued lowers your immune system and impairs your judgement.

Some common physiological withdrawal symptoms may include nausea, hot and cold sweats, restlessness, vomiting, diarrhea, insomnia, and muscle aches to name a few. Withdrawal from substances such as alcohol and benzodiazepines (Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin, Etizolam, etc.) can even be deadly and/or cause seizures. Relapse is most common in the early stages of sobriety, and this is when relapse prevention is the most important.

Withdrawal Symptoms

If, say, someone is recovering from alcoholism, going to a bar or keeping a full liquor cabinet in the home could be potential triggers for relapse that are too strong to overcome. Former drug or alcohol users are in denial during emotional relapse, but they do not have thoughts of using. They are ashamed of the last time they relapsed and may have developed negative behaviors to cope with their thoughts. This state of mind is dangerous because it encourages bad health practices that can eventually lead to a full-blown relapse. Friends and family may not understand the consequences of negative behaviors toward people in recovery. These behaviors can make the individuals feel alienated and push them toward substance use.

Discovery Institute is dedicated to providing patients with the best treatment in conjunction with medical detox. Without proper relapse prevention, people in recovery can experience relapse triggers that are especially strong, and they are at higher risk of abusing substances again. Addiction often develops because people use drugs or alcohol to feel better about their current situation.

Explain to yourself that you recognize the trigger, you’re taking steps to remove yourself from the situation and you don’t allow the trigger to have any power over you. After a period of poor self-care, someone in recovery will likely experience some of the mental signs of relapse. They may begin to feel discontent with their progress and restless in their disintegrating here’s why you wake up early after a night of drinking routine. Without the proper structure and routine, a person is more likely to start thinking about using again. Relapse is often viewed as the result of a sudden impulse, but there is actually a litany of warning signs that can show when someone is at escalating risk of using drugs or alcohol again. Relapse can be divided into three stages, each with specific signs.

If the relapse does not seem life-threatening, contacting a sponsor, therapist or trusted loved one is the next thing to do. Stopping drug use is just one part of a long and complex recovery process. When people enter treatment, addiction has often caused serious consequences in their lives, possibly disrupting their health and how they function in their family lives, at work, and in the community. For people with addictions to understanding alcohol withdrawal shakes & how to stop them drugs like stimulants or cannabis, no medications are currently available to assist in treatment, so treatment consists of behavioral therapies. Treatment should be tailored to address each patient’s drug use patterns and drug-related medical, mental, and social problems. Understanding your loved one’s particular triggers empowers you to help them avoid these triggers when it’s possible in order to lower the risk of relapse.

Maintain a Support System

For many people, drug and alcohol use began as a way to alleviate boredom or make certain activities feel more fun. Those in recovery often have a hard time finding new ways to have fun, and it may cause them to glamorize or ruminate on their past substance abuse. Recovery is hard work and drug use feels easy, and this can make people feel like their efforts haven’t been worth it.

Seta offers support and material that can be found on their website. Mentalhub.fi is a nationwide web service that has been developed by social- and healthcare professionals. On Mentalhub’s pages you can find tips regarding self care among other things. The service can be used by anyone and you can search for help for yourself or someone close to you.

Managing External Triggers

When an addicted person uses drugs or alcohol for a prolonged period of time, it changes the brain—eventually associating certain stimuli with the desire to drink or do drugs. But you can learn to recognize the warning signs for relapse and identify when it may be time to consider a return to, or a change in, treatment. The transition back to life outside of rehab is fraught with the potential for relapse.

Additionally, relationships (even long-term relationships that existed prior to recovery) can trigger unpleasant and unwanted emotions that a newly sober individual may not know how to cope with. Furhtermore, individuals who are newly sober may never have had sober sex, and therefore sexual experiences in recovery can be very triggering. Due to arguments, uncomfortability, or insecurity possible allergic reaction to beer that relationships can cause, this is an area that needs to be taken with caution by a newly sober individual. As soon as things start getting hard, it’s tempting to turn back to addiction. Instead, learn how to practice relaxation, and how to be relaxed in any and every situation. Addiction relapses are similar in that the individual needs to seek treatment to get back on track.

On average more than 85% of individuals are susceptible to relapse in the following year after drug and alcohol treatment. Relapse triggers are far more extreme for recovering addicts in the early recovery months of addiction treatment. If an individual is not in an intimate relationship when they enter recovery, it is often encouraged to stay out of one for several months or even a year, until they are more stable in their recovery. This is because individuals who are newly sober may try to fill their void with an intimate partner. There are many other reasons it is encouraged not to date in sobriety. For example, dating and intimacy often involves alcohol, and a newly sober individual may not know how to navigate the dating scene without alcohol or drug use.