Relapse and Recovery: How to bounce back

Addiction is a chronic disease. It is not something that develops overnight. Similarly, it is also not something that can be cured in an instant.

Addiction recovery is a process; it takes a certain level of commitment, time and resilience. Recovery does not look the same for everyone, and it rarely maps out into a linear timeline. In fact, drug and alcohol addictions are, to some extent, defined as being ‘relapsing disorders.’ Whilst relapsing isn’t inevitable, it is highly likely that you will encounter some obstacles during recovery from drugs or alcoholism. But this does not need to undermine your progress. Instead, it can add fuel to the fire, providing you with further determination to continue towards a life without substances. But how do you prevent relapsing from rocking your mental health further? How do you create a personalised and realistic relapse prevention plan?

Understanding relapse

What is it?

Australia’s Alcohol and Drug Foundation states that

‘A relapse happens when a person stops maintaining his or her goal or reducing or avoiding use or alcohol or other drugs and returns to previous levels of use.’

Relapse, then, can look different for different people. It could mean:

• Starting to drink or use drugs after being sober/clean
• Increasing drinking or drug use after previously reducing it

The key thing with a relapse is that it marks the return to substance use after previous cessation.  This does not mean that you are no longer in active recovery from alcoholism. What it does mean is that you have hit a roadblock. Relapse does not mean failure. Being sober for eight months and then drinking a beer at a friend’s birthday party does not mean that the last eight months have been for nothing. Rather, it means that you have reached a stage in your recovery where you may benefit from an increased set of support or addiction help.

Why does it happen?

Addictions (especially chemical ones, such as alcohol and drug addictions) are complicated phenomena. By nature, substance use disorders are not something that goes away overnight. Going to addiction rehab builds a foundation for long-term recovery. However, the underlying factors and contributing stresses that may have led to the development of an addiction do not necessarily go away completely. They can sometimes remain under the surface. And when life becomes difficult, it can bring these back out of the shadows. When personal challenges arise, it can reawaken these ties between stress and substances – leading, therefore, to a relapse.

A relapse trigger can look different for each person. Generally, though, you may be at risk of relapse if you experience:

• a period of depression or increased stress
• a bereavement or loss
• a relationship breakdown
• financial issues
• social isolation
• health issues
• exposure to temptation

Dealing with guilt and shame

The difficulty with relapsing is that it often brings with it a range of ‘secondary emotions’ like guilt and shame. You may feel angry with yourself for relapsing or even feel embarrassed. But these kinds of emotions can only exacerbate conflict, heightening the distress that you are feeling. This can lead you to feel that you have failed and are not good enough. But these thought patterns can be insidious, snaking into your mind and deepening depression. This makes it more likely that your relapse will not be a one-off incident but will lead you to continue to use it as a way of coping with these difficult feelings.

One way to combat this is to try and combat emotions like guilt and shame. You can do this by:

• reminding yourself of the progress you have made
• making new, realistic goals
• being honest
• reflecting on the situation
• reviewing your relapse prevention plan

The relapse process

Relapse might seem like it happens in the heat of the moment, but that isn’t exactly true. Relapse is more of a ‘gradual process,’ even something that ‘begins weeks and sometimes months before an individual picks up drink or a drug.’

The three key stages of relapse are:

1. emotional relapse
2. mental relapse
3. physical relapse

In the emotional relapse stage, you may start to neglect yourself psychologically. You may stop engaging in self-care and addiction support, and may start to feel very low, depressed or anxious.

Mental relapse happens when you begin to think about substances again. This may include starting to crave or become preoccupied with the thought of drinking, or planning ways to obtain substances undetected.

Physical relapse is when you actually engage with your addictive substance.

Addiction specialists have identified that the ‘common denominator’ leading towards this is a lack of self-care and reduced distress tolerance.

Relapse prevention

The best way to tackle relapse is to have a serious think about what it may look like for you. You can then manage potential relapse as best as possible. You can create a relapse prevention plan by answering the following questions:

• What has led me to drink / use drugs in the past?
• What emotions do I feel when I turn to drink / drugs?
• What people, places and situations may tempt me to drink / use drugs?
• What are my warning signs that I am starting to struggle with my mental health?
• What long-term support do I have in place?
• If I am starting to struggle, what will make me feel safer?
• If I am starting to struggle, who will I contact?

Seeking support

Whether you are struggling to bounce back after a relapse or are just starting on your recovery journey, we are here to help. At Primrose Hill, we offer a range of specialist support options to help you tackle relapse and work toward long-term recovery.