Everything you need to know about addiction relapse: Strategies to prevent it from happening

A relapse is when a recurrence of a behavior or substance use happens. This occurs after a period of abstinence. A relapse is not considered a failure on your part.

It doesn’t mean that your treatment was wasted or for nothing. Gallus Detox understands that you might feel like every progress is wiped out. That is not the case.

If you need help or more information about relapse, get it here via the Gallus Detox website. Let’s talk more about relapse in detail and the strategies you need to use to prevent it.

Why does relapse happen?

A relapse can occur for many reasons. This is a complex process that involves numerous factors. One reason is that they might underestimate the challenges of maintaining sobriety.

They might feel that overcoming their addiction or needing to work on their recovery is no longer needed. As a result, they stop attending therapy sessions or support group meetings. They may also forego self-care practices that have helped them maintain their sobriety.

The other factors that may cause relapse can include, but are not limited to:

• Stress
• Social pressure
• Emotional distress
• Boredom or lack of purpose

It’s important to consider what these factors are. Stress is unavoidable. So it’s better to manage it using various coping mechanisms.

You will learn what these are later on. Keep in mind that relapse can occur at any time. It can happen years after your treatment has been completed.

Strategies to prevent relapse

Relapse can be prevented. It starts with the strategies listed below:

Know your triggers and high-risk situations

One effective way to prevent relapse is to identify what the triggers are. It’s also important to know what high-risk situations will cause a relapse. One trigger may be the stress you may be dealing with on a regular basis.

In high-risk situations, you may be in an environment where drugs and alcohol are present. If you are in this environment, it’s best to remove yourself from there. This can lead you to face social pressure from other people to use the substances you’re trying to avoid.

Develop coping skills

It’s important to develop coping skills to help prevent relapses from happening. This can include practicing regular mindfulness exercises. You can spend a few minutes in a quiet space performing breathing exercises to help control your stress.

You may build up awareness to the point where you can be able to identify the factors of your stress. There are other coping mechanisms you can learn. Rest assured, they can help you shake off any kind of cravings and thoughts of relapse.

Another thing you can do is exercise on a regular basis. This includes 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercises five times a week. This can help boost your mood and reduce the risk of relapse.

You’ll see that the better of a mood you’re in, the less likely a relapse can happen. Likewise, bad moods can lead to relapses. Having various coping skills at your disposal will be helpful.

Build a support system

It’s important to build and maintain a support system during and after your treatment. This consists of those who are your friends, family, and peers. These can also include your therapists and other people who are also recovering addicts.

The stronger your support system is, the better your chances of preventing a relapse. You’ll feel that sense of belonging. You’ll feel like you’re part of a community. A support system is one more reason why that when it comes to fighting addiction – you are not alone.

Stay accountable

Accountability is important when it comes to long-term recovery. This includes attending regular therapy sessions and support group meetings. This also includes checking in with people who are your sponsors or accountability partners.

The more you hold yourself accountable, the better. This will help you stay on your recovery goals. This includes preventing relapse.

It is important to be responsible for yourself. If you mess up, you will need to claim responsibility. Let people know that you made a mistake.

Hold yourself accountable for what you need to do. People are counting on you to stick with the plan to maintain sobriety.

Celebrate the milestones

Days will pass since your treatment. There will be special milestones regarding your sobriety. Give yourself a chance to celebrate every single one of them.

Whether it’s 30 days, 90 days, or one year sober – you can celebrate those milestones. You can celebrate with your friends, family, and the people you have met along the way. There’s no better feeling in the world than knowing that your sobriety is still going strong.

Don’t give up

It’s important to remember not to give up. Maintaining your sobriety is a lifelong challenge. That’s why you need to remember that people are rooting for you.

There may be a time when you feel like giving up your sobriety. You might have a bad day. You might feel the need to feel good.

Remember that self-medicating with drugs or alcohol is never the answer. It’s important that you have a support group that is here to help. You have therapists that you can contact whenever you need to talk to someone.

There are a whole lot of resources that you have access to. Take advantage of them if and when you need them most.

Final thoughts

Relapse can be preventable. It’s important that you follow the steps above. This will ensure that you can maintain your sobriety for as long as possible.

If you relapse, please know that there are people who can help. Don’t feel like all of your treatment was for nothing. You may feel like you’ve given up.

But you can reroute yourself and get back on the path to sobriety. You will learn from your mistakes and hold yourself accountable. If you need help at any time, you know exactly who to reach out to in your network.