Recovering from alcohol or other substances is a human development process with developmental milestones. Relapse is possible at any level of recovery. Relapse is not inevitable, although it does occur frequently even after seemingly successful Durham drug and alcohol addiction therapy. For thorough alcoholism treatment in Durham, contact The Recovery Center of the Carolinas!
Here, we’ll focus on relapse. Understanding particular relapse reasons and statistics may help you be more prepared when this stage of recovery arrives.
What Exactly Is Relapse?
Recovering from an alcohol or drug addiction takes time. Dealing with the consequences of withdrawal and overcoming the urge to use again requires time to recover. Relapse refers to restarting use (or rather abuse) after a period of abstinence. When you’re attempting to rehabilitate, it’s a constant threat. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 40 to 60 percent of those who were formerly addicted to drugs will relapse.
What Causes Relapse After Alcoholism Treatment In Durham?
Several possible triggers might lead you back to drug addiction. When you are not in excellent mental health, you place yourself in high-risk circumstances for mental relapse and relapse into old patterns.
Some of the most frequent relapse triggers include the following:
- Boredom
- Anger and stress
- Financial issues
- Relationship problems
10 Relapse Prevention Strategies
People who wish to stay in recovery should practice relapse prevention tactics regularly and be aware of their specific triggers. If you want to avoid relapsing on drugs or alcohol, consider the following strategies:
- Distract yourself
- Identify your triggers
- Deep breathing exercises
- Engage in Self-care
- HALT
- Meditate and practice mindfulness exercises.
- Grounding Techniques
- Think of consequences
- Ask for help
Distract Yourself
It’s natural for your mind to gravitate to consuming drugs or alcohol. Gently lead it away from unhealthy activities. Go for a run outside, stroll your dog, or meet up with friends for supper. Alternatively, you may remain in and watch one of your favorite movies. Most appetites are very temporary. You can get through it if you can endure it for 15 to 30 minutes.
Identify Your Triggers
In addiction treatment, avoiding triggers or developing appropriate coping mechanisms for managing them is crucial for preventing relapse. Relapse triggers might differ from one individual to the next.
Typical causes include:
- Drugs are accessible
- Troubles at home, job, or school
- Relationship issues
- Job loss
Identifying your triggers on your own or with the help of a counselor can help you prepare for triggers in treatment, when and if they occur.
Deep Breathing Exercises
Deep breathing is an excellent way to avoid relapse. Deep breathing causes your brain to release feel-good chemicals, resulting in relaxation, contentment, and pain relief.
Try 4-7-8 breathing; you should notice an improvement!
- Close your eyes
- Inhale for 4 seconds via your nose
- 7 seconds of holding your breath
- Exhale for 8 seconds via your mouth
- Rep this step at least four times
Engage In Self-Care
When appearing effortless, participating in fundamental acts of self-care may be highly beneficial to one’s rehabilitation while battling a drug use disease.
This can take the following forms:
- Consuming plenty of water
- Eating a good, balanced diet
- Eating a good, balanced diet
- Exercising
- Receiving a massage
HALT (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired)
Hunger, anger, loneliness, and exhaustion are the most prevalent and repeating triggers for many healing drinkers and addicts. By keeping an eye on HALT regularly, one can assist reduce the danger of emotional relapse.
Meditate And Practice Mindfulness Exercises
The idea of mindfulness meditation encourages people to develop greater self-awareness. Our ability to handle possible relapse triggers improves when we have a greater sense of self-awareness.
A simple mindfulness meditation technique devised by Spirit Rock co-founder Jack Kornfield is to repeat this mantra three times while softly and deliberately concentrating on your breath:
- May I be filled with loving compassion
- May I be well
- May I be quiet and at ease
- May I be content
The core idea of mindfulness is to pay attention, be aware, or focus on what you’re doing, who you are, who you’re with, and so on.
Grounding Techniques
The grounding technique is also known as the “5-4-3-2-1 method” and is a helpful relapse prevention skill. It guides you through the 5 senses to help you focus on the present situation and prevent thoughts of drinking or taking other substances.
The first of the five stages is to breathe deeply, accompanied by the following:
- Identify 5 objects you see
- Identify 4 objects you can feel
- Identify 3 things you can hear
- Identify 2 things you can smell
- Identify 1 thing you can taste
Think Of The Consequences
If you’re considering whether to drink or go high, imagine what will follow in your head. Consider the immediate and long-term effects of drinking or giving in to your drug desires. Consider how far you’ve come and how dissatisfied you and your support system will be.
Give Yourself A Treat
It’s not simple to recover. Give yourself credit for each minor victory you achieve – one week sober, one-month drug-free, etc. Reward yourself for each objective you complete as an encouragement to keep going. For example, treat yourself to a nice massage or purchase something you’ve had your eye on.
Ask For Help
Do not attempt to recover on your own. Obtaining assistance will make the procedure much more manageable. Treatments for withdrawal symptoms are available from your doctor or an addiction treatment center. A therapist or counselor can give you coping strategies to deal with unpleasant thoughts or urges that may be causing you to relapse. When you’re feeling down, your family and friends can lend a sympathetic ear.
Seek Durham Drug And Alcohol Addiction Therapy Now!
Even if a person relapses after Durham drug and alcohol addiction therapy, it does not indicate a failure. Relapsed individuals have the option to restart their recovery process and get back on track if they so desire. Living a happy, healthy life free from drugs or alcohol is tremendously worthwhile, but recovery via alcoholism treatment in Durham requires a lot of hard work.
One thing is for sure: you’ll get the help you need, here, at the Recovery Center of the Carolinas!
