Addiction recovery is a lifelong process of managing the chronic condition of alcohol use disorder, and that means that it doesn’t always move forward in a straight path toward a finish line. Sometimes, a person who used to drink will experience an alcoholic relapse even years after completing alcohol treatment in Los Angeles.
It’s important to understand the factors that can make relapse much more likely, as well as to know how coping skills and other strategies to address cravings and stress can help you or your loved one avoid the temptations of drinking.j
At Muse Treatment, relapse prevention is a significant component of our overall alcohol rehab program. With therapy and skills training, we help our patients identify flawed or unhealthy ways of dealing with the world around them and replace these thought patterns with healthier, more productive behaviors and responses.
We also provide training on skills and strategies they can rely on to get through cravings or urges to drink again, especially during challenging times or periods of stress or loneliness. Relapse is a common part of the recovery journey for many people, but it doesn’t have to happen, and even if a relapse does occur, it doesn’t need to be a permanent failure to remain sober.
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What Causes Alcoholic Relapse?
Often, there isn’t one particular thing that causes a relapse. Instead, it’s more of a combination of effects that can build up over a long period. In general, people are especially at risk of relapsing during times of major stress or drastic life changes—the loss of a loved one, for example, or problems at work or home.
Stress is a normal part of life, but during these moments, your brain can try to convince you that a drink or two would take the edge off and make things better, or at least more tolerable. It’s a lie, but a powerfully convincing one if you don’t know how to avoid the temptation and let these thoughts pass without acting on them.
Many people continue to experience cravings for alcohol even a long time after they quit drinking. While these cravings will pass on their own eventually, if they strike at a weak moment, they can lead to a relapse. Another possible cause of alcoholic relapse is being exposed to people, places, or things that are strongly associated with your past drinking habits.
Finding yourself at your old favorite bar with some of your past drinking buddies can trigger intense cravings and bring up memories of the past that can be hard to shake off. Even something as simple as seeing a bottle of your old favorite beer or liquor can prompt strong cravings that need to be resisted.
How Can You Identify the Warning Signs of an Alcoholic Relapse?
Unfortunately, relapse is an all-too-common part of the recovery process after addiction to drugs or alcohol. Some estimates claim that 90% of people in recovery will suffer at least one relapse on their way to long-lasting sobriety.
Certain substances are much more likely to cause a relapse, such as the highly addictive methamphetamine or opioids. Alcohol relapse is also quite common.
There are many potential warning signs of a possible relapse to look out for, including:
- Attitude changes, such as no longer feeling that participating in a recovery program is important.
- Increased stress, whether it’s from a significant life change or even little things that build up after you’ve completed an addiction rehab program.
- Denying that stress or mood swings are affecting you or putting you at risk of relapse.
- The return of withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, depression, insomnia, or memory loss.
- Changes to the new daily routines that you established while in addiction treatment.
- Withdrawing or isolating from friends or family members, or pulling back from support group meetings or supportive friends.
- Loss of control in decision-making or impulse control.
- Starting to experiment with social or short-term use of alcohol or drugs again, but finding that it quickly gets out of control.
For many people, the contributing factors that lead up to a relapse can start weeks or months before they pick up alcohol again. If these warning signs are popping up in your life or if your loved one in recovery is displaying these red flags, it’s time to reach out for help before relapse happens.
What Should You Do Immediately After Experiencing a Relapse?
If you experience an alcoholic relapse, you might quickly succumb to shame over your slip-up or guilt over letting a craving or moment of stress break down your defenses. While it’s understandable to feel this way, it’s also crucial to remember that relapse is a very common setback in addiction recovery, and a temporary mistake doesn’t have to ruin all of your hard work of starting your new life in recovery.
Right after a relapse, reach out to your support circle, such as a close friend, loved one, or support group. They can help you see what led to your relapse and learn from these mistakes to avoid them in the future.
Additionally, it’s important to immediately contact your addiction treatment professionals or healthcare providers so they can analyze what led to your relapse and make adjustments to your treatment plan that can deal with these problems before you drink again.
You might need to change your treatment or get treatment more frequently. Think of your relapse as a warning sign that things need to change, and you can make those changes to prevent it from happening again. It doesn’t have to dictate the rest of your life, and recovery is still achievable for you even after relapse.
Is Relapse a Normal Part of the Recovery Process?
While receiving addiction treatment from a top provider like Muse Treatment’s alcohol rehab in Los Angeles, you’ll get therapy and training to learn tips to prevent relapse after rehab that can help you handle cravings and stress in the future. Relapse can happen even with all the support and skills available to you.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse says an estimated 40% to 60% of people with substance use disorder will relapse at least once during their recovery, which means relapse can be considered to be a normal part of the recovery process.
However, this relapse rate is similar to other chronic illnesses besides addiction, such as hypertension or asthma, which each have a relapse rate of 50% to 70%. The important thing is to know what to do if you do experience a relapse—to immediately reach out for help and to get back on the path to your long-lasting recovery rather than letting this one slip-up undermine all the hard work you’ve done already.
Avoid Alcoholic Relapses with Help from Muse Treatment
If you or a loved one has suffered from an alcoholic relapse, help is available, and you can learn from this temporary mistake rather than let it undo the progress you’ve made so far. At Muse Treatment’s Los Angeles alcohol rehab, relapse prevention is a core training program of your addiction treatment.
By learning the factors that can lead to relapse and developing strategies to get through stressful, challenging situations or strong cravings to drink, you can be much more prepared to deal with the causes of relapse and avoid the temptation of drinking again.
Even if you do relapse, Muse Treatment can help you get back to recovery and learn from your mistake. Don’t let it go unchecked or try to deny the problem. Instead, call us at 800-426-1818 today, and let’s work together to get you back to the healthier life you deserve, one that doesn’t involve alcohol and addiction.
External Sources
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism – Understanding Relapse
- WebMD – Alcohol Use Disorder: What to Know About Relapse
- National Institute on Drug Abuse – Treatment and Recovery
- Verywell Mind – Alcohol or Drug Relapse Signs and Symptoms
