Common Signs of a Relapse

If you are struggling with a substance use disorder, staying sober is an everyday challenge. Even if you have enjoyed a successful rehab and are in recovery, the potential for relapse is always there. Knowing the signs of relapse can help you be proactive and get back on track before you fall into a full-blown addiction again. Here are some common signs of relapse:

1. You start to feel like you can handle using again.
2. You begin to rationalize your drug or alcohol use.
3. You start to distance yourself from your support system.
4. You begin to experience more stress and anxiety.
5. You start to feel like you are not worthy of recovery.

If you notice any of these signs, it is crucial to reach out for help right away. The team at Greater Boston Addiction Center can provide you with the tools and resources you need to get back on track and avoid a relapse. We can also help you create a customized relapse prevention plan that will address your unique needs and help you stay sober for the long term. Knowing the most common signs of a relapse can literally save your life or the life of someone you love, as can enrolling in an aftercare program.

If you would like to learn more about how a relapse prevention program at Greater Boston Addiction Centers can be one more tool in your staying sober toolbox, contact us online or call 877.920.6583 today.

Identifying the Common Signs of Relapse

One of the highlights of a professional aftercare program like the one at Greater Boston Addiction Centers is that we will teach you how to identify and properly react to the common signs of relapse. Because relapse rates have been historically high, it has allowed for an abundance of studies on patients who have relapsed in the past. What was discovered is that the common signs of relapse and the behaviors exhibited by those who eventually did relapse are extremely similar. The benefit for you today is that staying sober will be that much easier, especially with the help of an aftercare program. The common signs of relapse include:

• Social and peer pressure
• Internal conflict
• A negative emotional state

The coping skills taught and therapy available in a Greater Boston Addiction Center aftercare program will help you stay sober by providing you with the essential tools needed to overcome these high-risk situations and avoid relapse.

The Common Stages of a Relapse

The reintroduction of harmful substances is the obvious outcome of a relapse, but a relapse begins long before the drugs or alcohol reenter your body. When someone who has been staying sober reaches out for drugs or alcohol again, it is likely because they have already been suffering through the common early stages of a relapse, which include:

Emotional Relapse

Whether the emotions ever reach the surface or are internalized entirely, there has been a trigger in this early stage of relapse that has or is about to negatively impact your life. Maybe it was a break-up, the death of a friend, or the loss of a job — something emotional has triggered a potential relapse. Other emotional factors could begin a person’s slide toward a relapse, including:

• Stress
• Anxiety
• Cravings

In this precarious moment, you may get defensive and push away the signs of an oncoming relapse.

Mental Relapse

The emotional battles you have fought during the very first stage of relapse are now about to manifest themselves in your mind. You could start romanticizing your prior drug use and think about reconnecting with some of the so-called friends you once spent time with during the unhealthier periods of your life. At this stage of relapse, your behavior will begin to change. The stress you have been feeling becomes palatable and noticeable to those around you, and you start to cede control over life. You may begin to miss work, skip school, and not show up for other obligations. You had structure during recovery and were staying sober, but now you are relapsing. The help of an aftercare program can help to prevent the feeling that you are alone in this struggle.

Losing Control and Physically Relapsing

Without the tools, skills, and coping mechanisms that can and should be learned during an aftercare program, you may arrive at a dangerous point in your recovery. It is so easy to lose the ability to make safe and sound judgments and begin to physically relapse by taking drugs or using alcohol again. The following types of programs can be essential in helping people avoid relapsing:

• Employee assistance program
• PTSD treatment
• Substance abuse treatment
• Partial hospitalization program

Learn More at Greater Boston Addiction Centers

You do not have to go through your recovery alone. Learn how an aftercare program at Greater Boston Addiction Center can help you stay sober and see the signs of relapse before it is too late. Contact us using our secure online form or call us confidentially at 877.920.6583 today.