Should I Go Back To Rehab After A Drug Or Alcohol Relapse?

When someone relapses, their addiction is often worse than before. The feelings of shame and guilt further drive the substance abusing behavior in an effort to numb any uncomfortable emotions. Each day the person continues using makes recovery going back to rehab more difficult. Relapse must be taken seriously, as a return to drug or alcohol abuse can have dangerous — and even deadly — consequences. For some patients, life can become overwhelming and even frightening when leaving rehab.

Should You Go Back to Rehab After a Relapse?

Come up with a plan about how you can best deal with these feelings. Some tactics that people use to counter feelings of depression and anxiety are exercise, journaling, music, and art. Keep in mind that once you leave rehab, you can’t fix all your problems alone, and it can’t all be done in a single week. In order to head down a steady path of recovery don’t try to take on too much at once.

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For some, it might be seeing people with whom they previously used. For others, it might be a negative life event or stressor that seems too difficult to handle (such as divorce or loss of a loved one). Being aware of your triggers is the first step in understanding how to prevent relapse in the future. It can help you have insight so you’ll know how to best cope when things feel like they’re too much to handle. Being aware of the red flags that may signal an impending relapse is crucial so that you can take precautionary measures.

• Treatment plans may involve a combination of medications and therapy.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a mode of therapy commonly used to treat addictions.
• Maybe they made progress in treatment and got to the root of their addiction, but they need more support developing life skills consistent with life in recovery.
• Joining a support group might help you feel less alone in your quest for sobriety and provide you with a network of people who understand what you’re going through.

Why Does Addiction Relapse Happen?

Self-care feels like a chore, and as a result, your emotional, psychological, and physical health might suffer. Without intervention, the emotional stage can quickly progress into the mental stage. Reducing relapse to a moral failure does a disservice to yourself and your recovery community. Relapse can be complex, and it is imperative to view your first treatment cycle as the beginning of your journey with addiction. Every treatment cycle after that is a continuation toward recovery. It just means you need to adjust your treatment plan or relapse prevention plan.

What are the Stages of Relapse?

According to American Addiction Centers, the steps leading to relapse occur in three stages². Ven the most successful rehab programs aren’t right for everyone. The best treatment center graduates plenty of people who eventually relapse.

• The services provided, as well as the therapeutic approaches, may not work as effectively for some people compared to others.
• To keep your recovery on solid footing, you need a positive mental outlook, a strong plan of recovery, and a commitment to keeping your program fresh and vital, one day at a time.
• There’s a huge world out there for you to explore after returning home after rehab.
• Enter your phone number below to receive a free and confidential call from a treatment provider.

Take Our Substance Use Self-Assessment

• This means being clear on your recovery needs and new priorities.
• Following a relapse, returning to treatment isn’t necessary for everyone.
• Your mind gives you the green light to stop going to group sessions or therapy, withdraw from friends and family, and stop taking care of yourself.
• In addition, some rehabilitation centers provide booster sessions, which may be helpful for those who have reverted after receiving care.
• With commitment and dedication, you can create a rich, rewarding, and sustainable recovery.

CBT is very useful when it comes to identifying how a person responds to certain triggers — or people, places and things that fuel their desire to use drugs or alcohol. Learning how to respond differently to these triggers, or how to avoid them in the first place, is something that can be worked on during a return visit to rehab. JourneyPure Emerald Coast is committed to helping clients and their families restore broken bonds and find a common ground for healing.

Common Fears of Going to Rehab — and How to Overcome Them

• Take our free, 5-minute substance use self-assessment below if you think you or someone you love might be struggling with substance use.
• Aftercare may also focus on developing life skills, such as creating healthy routines, managing finances, mending relationships, or exploring educational or vocational goals.
• Having specific and scheduled hobbies is a great way to relieve stress and build confidence.
• A positive transition requires an understanding of the expected challenges, a healthy and well-balanced daily lifestyle, establishing support and continuing to make a commitment to your sobriety.
• If you feel as if your coping skills are lacking and you aren’t meeting your normal obligations, it might be time to reach out for help.
• If you determine that you have experienced a true relapse, reentering rehab may be your best option.
• Instead, your emotions and behaviors are beginning to set you up for a relapse down the road.

Lack of commitment to sobriety can also be a major factor in relapse. Here, we provide a thumbnail view of four stages of recovery used in many treatment programs, including, pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, and action. Simply defined, relapse is the return to a previous situation regarding drug or alcohol use. Regardless of how long someone’s been sober, a return to substance use is a relapse. As long as someone that expensing a relapse recognizes the lapse, taking action, returning to rehab, and adjusting their recovery plan is key and can lead to long-term sobriety. This is where finding new hobbies, shared experiences, and making new friends comes into play.

Romance in Recovery

Once you’ve identified the who, what, where, and why of your relapse, it’s a good idea to consider alternative actions you could have taken instead. Instead of blanket promises that you’ll never do A or B thing again, it’s better to come up with contingencies in the (very real) likelihood that you won’t always have a willpower of steel. Use this to create a relapse prevention plan for the future and share it with your support system.