Addiction Relapse is a common problem affecting addicts during their recovery process. According to the studies by the National Institute on Drug Abuse 40% to 60% of addicts treated for alcoholism and addiction relapse within the year of treatment (Grant, 757). The first year of recovery is associated with a high level of relapse. However, individuals with several years of sobriety also tend to recommence their previous self-destructive alcohol and drug use with nearly half of them being affected with some experiencing a mild slip. The high number of relapses is due to the short duration of treatment which is usually 30 days. According to the studies, the first 90 days of recovery are associated with the highest relapse risks. Contrary, individuals who undergo longer treatment periods are said to show the highest success rates. Mental illness is the main cause of relapse with an individual who have schizophrenia recording the highest relapse rate.
Reasons why addicts relapse during the early stages of recovery
Change and acceptance
Addiction treatment and recovery are not all about attending talks and meeting with other people but it also involves making major steps of change for the process to be successful. However, recovering addicts tends to forget so during the early stages of their cycle. In other instances, some fail to accept their addiction and use it as an excuse or a reason to use the drugs. An individual can be extremely susceptible to relapse if they fail to accept or only partially accept they are addicted.
Downplay and Priority
Some addicts tend to downplay the necessities in surpassing the early recovery. Failure to take the process serious may end up making them relapse back into their alcoholism or addiction (DiClemente, Carlo and Michele 266). Addiction should be taken seriously in all cases be it during the early or final recovery stages. Individuals who do not take their recovery seriously are likely to return back to drug abuse and alcoholism. If an individual focuses much of their time in attending to other things in life and fails to focus on their addiction relapse is likely to occur. Feelings and Low Self Esteem
While most of the addictions begun as a result of an individual having a bad feeling. If by any chance such people are not able to correct or manage those feelings, they are likely to have them even during their relapse as well as early recovery. In addition, an individual who had low self-esteem during their addiction is highly likely to relapse. People who do not feel good about themselves and have an addiction are likely to participate in harmful and other illegal activities. More so addicts at the early stage of recovery can still experience low self-esteem making them feel like they do not deserve to be sober or clean.
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Relationships
If by any chance a recovering addict happens to meet a new person or another addict at his/her early stages of recovery and starts a relationship. Such people are likely to focus much more on their relationship than on their recovery. In other instances, they may end up becoming lazy and start skipping some meetings and training. They tend to forget on the need for self-care first and staying sober and clean.
There have been several cases where an encounter between recovering addicts and patients’ brokers are reportedly leading to relapse. The brokers are currently working together with some rehabs whereby they get a share of the insurance money. They then use some of the money to offer perks to the recovering addicts where they meet them in places like group meetings, Facebook support groups among others. The perks can be in form of cash thus luring them to fall back in the same cycle. In most cases, the patients leave the rehab with the drugs and the cash they obtained from the brokers and eventually relapses. The cycle is then repeated over time and again without success as the person never gets any better (Lurie, Chang. Personal Interview. 19 March 2019). However, relapse is perilous especially for individuals affected by mental illness as they often result in personal distress, cognitive impairment incarceration, resistance to treatment as well as hospitalization or even death.
Common reasons why people experience addiction relapse after several years of sobriety
Many people relapse in their addiction because of detoxing only their bodies and failing to detox their entire life. Medical detoxification only cleanses the body from toxins and chemicals attached to the system, internal organs as well as the brain (DeVerteuil et al., 103). This is, however, the easiest step of detoxification as changing the habits and dangerous behaviours remain the hardest part of the cycle. Detoxification of such habits is the most significant part in preventing addiction relapse.
Addiction triggers such as environmental, emotional and social situations often bring back flashback to former addicts about their past substance and alcohol use. Triggers increase the likely hood of someone using drugs. Long term drug consumption creates brain connection between drug experiences and daily routines. Individuals may, therefore, experience uncontrollable alcohol and drugs cravings if exposed to certain cues. Extreme cravings act as a reflex to internal or external triggers with such responses having the ability to affect people who had abstained from substance use for years.
Internal Triggers
Internal triggers are difficult to manage as they include emotions, thoughts as well as feelings formerly associated with drug and substance abuse. Rise of internal triggers can result in questionable behaviour that hinders the recovery journey. Individuals are highly likely to crave for substance and drug use following their exposures to such cues. Internal triggers associates such cues to substances that stimulate them by acting in reverse. However, most individuals who abuse drugs have a record of mental illness.
Mental health or emotional issues: Mental disturbing events are the strongest and the most common triggers to addiction .negative emotions such as anger, depression, and anxiety are linked with relapse (Koob and Nora 760). People affected by mental health issues like bipolar disorder and depression have the toughest time withdrawing from substance abuse. Most of such individuals find themselves following back into the trap especially when encounter difficulties in life despite having gone through several years of sobriety. Alcohol and drugs fling individuals in oblivion where they are able to escape painful realities in life. Former addicts may shift back into drugs once they are faced with such difficult moments during their recovery process.
In addition, individuals affected by schizophrenia records the highest relapse rate between 5o to 92 per cent. It’s so unfortunate that this happens despite them being enrolled in well-institutionalized rehab facilities. Most schizophrenia relapse cases are as a result of psychotic symptoms deteriorating. The highest risk of relapse which is uncontrolled or unmanaged is the mental health problem.
Stress: individuals with stress are likely to experience relapse as stress makes them more susceptible to substance use.
External Triggers
The external trigger includes places, people, objects and activities that constantly stimulate cravings or thoughts related to the substance use. According to NIDA’s reports, cocaine-related images subconsciously provoked the emotional centres of the former addict brains (Grant, 762). Such primary stimuli and signals results to a swift activation of the path linked with drugs cravings. According to the research, such subconscious ques are disastrous as they strengthen the patient’s urge to resuming using drugs without even their knowledge.
People: People in an individual social circle may set off cravings which can eventually result in a relapse. This kind of influence is known as social pressure. Being around drugs-consuming friends and family is dangerous to both former addicts and those at recovering stages. It is also perilous being around peers who are abstaining from illicit drugs. Friends are likely to tease someone of not using the substances or even direct them to do so. Other people who can influence cravings include formers drugs dealers and coworkers. Giving drugs to a former addict may generate feelings urging the individual to use drugs. In some instances, family and friends may fail to comprehend the results of negative attitude towards addicts in their recovery process thus triggering their urge and feeling of using the substances and alcohol.
Places: high-risk places such as bars and clubs, concerts, schools, neighbourhoods, and worksites reminds former drug users of the times they engaged in drugs and substance use(DeVerteuil et al., 108). Driving and walking around places where a recovering drug user used to binge drink or consume other substances frequently spark memories associated with alcohol and drug use. Such people are therefore likely to get tempted and stop by which can eventually make them fall into their old habits.
Things: The presence of old objects in a person life can induce lots of cravings. Such objects may include furniture, empty pill bottles, credit card, magazines movies, ATMS, spoons as well as sim cards. Cues like spoons can elicit memories of heroin use to former heroin user even without their knowledge. Former drug addicts are likely to relapse if they fail to detox their phone numbers by detoxing their contacts texts emails and stored numbers as the still have the drugs in their fingertips.
Situations: Stressful situations are likely to push former and recovering addicts into relapse. Most of the special events which are viewed as positive activities are often linked to other substance or alcohol use. Such events may include graduations, weddings and sporting events (Vidrine et al., 824). The misconception that a single deviant from treatment plan cannot be harmful makes family and friends to temp individuals in the recovery process to consume alcohol and other substances. Such events play a significant role in addiction relapse. Also, a conflict involving situations may leave those recovering feeling distressed and anxious which can eventually result in a relapse
Conclusion
Triggers are common and known to results in addiction relapse. Mental illness is, however, the major cause of relapse and therefore, the entire society should work together in controlling drug dealing activities as well as distribution as the only effective way to manage addiction relapse. In addition, society should ensure that former drug addicts are properly institutionalized and assisted accordingly in getting over addiction completely.