Relapse Is a Part of Recovery for Most Patients
Relapse is a genuine fear and a real concern for thousands of people who enter rehabilitation programs for drug or alcohol addictions. For most people, relapse will occur more than once before a steady state of recovery is reached, and many become discouraged. For therapists, doctors and family members, it may be helpful to encourage patients that relapse is a normal part of the cycle of recovery and isn’t permanent, if the person remains committed to recovery.
Sometimes relapse occurs when the patient tries to tackle a recovery program too quickly. Addiction involves psychological, physical and social factors, and each of these elements calls for adequate time during the healing process. Emerging back into outside environments where temptations and stressors can be strong requires a recovery that is long enough to create the skills for battling tough addictions.
Preventing relapse also requires serious life adjustments, ranging from social environments, the workplace, home life and the person’s attitudes. Follow-up care is also an essential element, even if it means one visit per week to an inpatient or outpatient therapy center. The goal of follow-up care should be to stay in close contact with the resources that enable recovery to continue.
A complement to follow-up care may be found in group support, such as 12 Step programs. Nearly every possible addiction has a support group, based on the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions originally created for Alcoholics Anonymous. Group members generally run the discussion, many of whom have battled back from relapse and can share their experiences and advice.
Relapse prevention can be just as hard as committing to recovery, and remains a lifelong battle for many people who have stopped abusing drugs or alcohol. Many experts recommend that a plan be put in place for preventing relapse, even while recovery is being achieved. The plan would include ways the person can stay away from tempting situations and how to address emotions that can build up.
Therapists and family members can guide recovering addicts toward the understanding that a relapse does not necessarily signal a failure, nor is the person failing at recovery. Instead, a relapse can mean the person’s recovery program needs a closer look and a new way to get back on the recovery path needs to be identified. Addicts can also be encouraged to learn from relapses and to remember that for most people, they are part of the natural cycle.
Activities like exercise, art or community education classes have been helpful to some recovering addicts in preventing relapse. In addition, most find that they must surround themselves with people who do not use drugs or alcohol. Aftercare programs that are comprehensive in nature, such as combining group sessions and individual sessions, may be effective in keeping relapse at bay.
