What are Common Reasons for Substance Abuse Relapse?

Dealing with Withdrawal

The majority of people who enter into recovery from an alcohol or drug addiction do have withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms can vary, but may include:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Restlessness
• Nausea
• Hot flashes
• Chills 
• Muscle aches 
• Insomnia 
• Fever

The exact withdrawal symptoms that someone experiences will be dependent on the severity of their addiction, their current health status, previous treatment history, and some other factors, too. 

To help yourself prevent a substance abuse relapse, it is best to work with an addiction treatment center program as you can get help from experienced professionals. You can attend a detox and recovery program, as well. 

Mental Health Reasons

Drug addiction and alcoholism are tough enough to overcome on their own. However, when someone has a mental health condition on top of these issues, substance abuse can be even more difficult to overcome. 

Do you have an addiction to drugs or alcohol and struggle with mental health issues? If so, it would be a good idea to receive proper mental health treatments. You can see a psychiatrist, therapist, or other mental health professionals to get the treatment you need. You can also receive co-occurring disorder treatment (mental health and addiction treatment at the same time) to lower your risk of relapsing.

The People You Are Around 

The people around you when you are trying to overcome an addiction do make a difference. Think about it. What happens if you spend time with someone who is constantly getting high while you are trying to stay clean? You are much more likely to want to use or to even start using again. The same goes for if you start going to bars or parties again and the people around you are consuming alcohol. Don’t you think that is going to make it so much easier to pick up a bottle and start drinking again?

To help prevent a substance abuse relapse, it is best to spend time with other like-minded people. These can be others who are in recovery, a sponsor, or people who support you in being clean and sober. You should avoid spending a lot of time with others who talk about or who are getting drunk or high. This is not to say that you must cut ties with everyone who drinks or does drugs. However, it certainly would be a good idea to limit your contact with these people. 

Being Around Certain Things

You may not have realized it before, but there may be certain things that trigger your desire to use drugs or consume alcohol. For example, if you were a cocaine user having a credit card in your hand may trigger drug use. If you were a heavy drinker, having a glass bottle of soda in your hand could make you want to get drunk. 

In order to best prevent a relapse, it would be good to work with addiction recovery professionals here at ARIA Fl to find out what your triggers are. That way, you can avoid being around certain things for a while in your recovery, until you regain better control over your life. 

Being Overconfident and Prideful 

Having some confidence in yourself during recovery from an addiction is necessary. You must be able to believe in your ability to get and stay sober. However, there is a difference between believing in yourself and being overconfident and prideful. If you believe that you will never drink or use drugs again, so you don’t even try to work your recovery program, you are much more likely to relapse than if you just had confidence in your ability to stay sober while working a program. 

Isolating from Others and Being Bored 

There are two other common reasons for substance abuse relapse, too, – isolating from others and being bored. 

How often do you see other people who are supportive of your recovery from a drug or alcohol addiction? Can these people stay sober or clean around you? If so, it would be a good idea to spend time with them regularly throughout your recovery, especially in the beginning. If you don’t and choose to isolate yourself from others who could benefit your recovery, you will be much more likely to relapse. 

How often are you allowing yourself to get bored? If it is far too often, it is important to be careful with your recovery. Boredom breeds spontaneity and spontaneity can breed rash decisions and impulsivity (drug and alcohol use). 

To help prevent a relapse, you should make a schedule for when you will visit people while you are in recovery, especially in the earlier stages. You should also make a list of meetings you can attend, treatments you have, and other activities you can take part in. By keeping up with routines and fun substance-free activities, you will be much less likely to relapse. 

Dealing with Uncomfortable Emotions and Feelings 

Are you trying to overcome an addiction to alcohol or drugs? If so, one of the common reasons that you might relapse is when you need to deal with uncomfortable emotions and feelings. For example, you might have to deal with grief due to losing someone you love while you are trying to stay sober. If this happens, especially in those early days of your recovery, you will have a much higher risk of relapsing. 

Now that you know this, it would be even more beneficial for you to reach out to our ARIA Fl professionals addiction treatment team. We can teach you more about how to properly handle uncomfortable emotions and feelings in recovery. 

Arguments with Loved Ones

Unfortunately, life doesn’t just freeze while you are trying to overcome an addiction. You still have to deal with the relationships you are in – whether those be with family members, friends, co-workers, or anyone else. You should also be prepared for any arguments that you might have with these people in your life. Arguments are often a breeding ground for relapsing. The reason for this is because the recovering addict often gets overwhelmed and gives up on their recovery.

To help prevent a relapse in these situations, it is best to practice calming and relaxation techniques to help keep your mind and body under control. 

Get Addiction Recovery Help Today

Do you want to overcome an addiction to alcohol or drugs? Are you worried that you will have a substance abuse relapse? If so, don’t hesitate to reach out to our ARIA Fl team today. We can help you get into addiction treatment programs, find you other addiction recovery resources and help to lower your risk of relapsing, as well. 
Contact us today, here at ARIA Fl, to start your journey into recovery.