What Causes People to Relapse?

Addiction is a disease that’s not easy to fight. Many people check themselves into rehab and make it through the program, but a lot of them end up relapsing. In fact, recent statistics show that over 85% of people end up relapsing within the first year following treatment; 66% relapse just weeks or months after completing treatment. 

The question is, what causes people to relapse? If experts understand the factors that lead to relapse, they can help prevent it.  

The article will look at why people relapse and how it can be prevented. 

What Does Relapse Mean? 

Relapse is defined as a deterioration in someone’s health following a state of improvement. For example, if someone has cancer and is symptom-free for a particular time but becomes sick again, that would be considered a relapse. 

When we talk about relapse in terms of addiction, we refer to a person who overcomes dependency issues and gets clean but then starts using again. 

Why Do People Relapse?

Relapse most commonly occurs at two points during the recovery phase. The first is detox. 

Detox involves a person ridding their bodies of illicit substances. During this stage, the body must get used to not having the drug in its system. It responds by producing flu-like symptoms. 

The person knows that the only way to get rid of these symptoms is to start using again. Therefore, they return to doing drugs before a complete adjustment to sobriety occurs.

The other stage where relapse is likely to occur is after a patient gets out of rehab.  

Once they go back to ‘everyday life,’ they find themselves dealing with the stressors that led them to use in the first place. They may also see the people they used to use with and the places they used at. This makes it tempting for them to go back to doing drugs. 

How to Prevent Relapse

Fortunately, there are many ways to prevent relapse, and most can be achieved with the help of a rehab facility. 

The first is assisted detox. Once a patient checks in, they undergo an assisted detox process that involves the medical staff supervising them and keeping them as comfortable as possible. Rehab professionals provide a relaxing environment and use medications to reduce withdrawal symptoms. They oversee the patient to ensure relapse doesn’t occur. 

Therapy also helps prevent relapse. During treatment, patients are treated with a type of therapy that’s best suited for them. Treatment aims to address issues that caused the addiction and find healthier ways to deal with negative stimuli. It gives patients the tools to self-manage their symptoms without turning to drugs and alcohol.

After patients check out of rehab, they are provided with aftercare treatment. The facility continues to provide therapy to ensure the patient makes a healthy adjustment to sobriety. 

They may also have patients check into a sober living facility to provide them with skills so they can get a good job once they are fully integrated into everyday life. A job will help them feel like a useful member of society and keep them from doing drugs. 

How Prevail Recovery Can Help

There are many facilities that offer care targeted to prevent relapse, but Prevail Recovery takes an approach that sets us apart. 

We start by providing an assisted detox program. We supervise patients and keep them as comfortable as possible during this difficult phase of recovery. 

Detox is followed by dual diagnosis therapy that simultaneously treats addiction and its underlying causes. In doing so, we give patients the tools they need to correct negative thought processes and deal with mental health issues in a more positive manner. 

Patients can choose from a variety of outpatient plans, including partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient treatments. This allows them to recover while continuing to go about their everyday lives. It makes for a gradual adjustment to sobriety that reduces the chances of relapse. 

Outpatient care can be ongoing, ensuring patients get the help they need to prevent relapse. Prevail Recovery understands what causes patients to relapse, and we focus on preventing it from occurring every step of the way. Call us to find out how you can get clean, stay clean and enjoy a higher quality of life.