Relapse and what to do next…
In basic terms, relapse is a return to using drugs or alcohol having been ‘clean’ for a period of time. A lapse is a single episode or a once-off; someone might have a night when they have a few drinks or take a dose of pills.
What is relapse?
In basic terms, relapse is a return to using drugs or alcohol having been ‘clean’ for a period of time. A lapse is a single episode or a once-off; someone might have a night when they have a few drinks or take a dose of pills. Approximately 50% of people in treatment lapse at some point in time during their recovery. ‘Relapse’ describes the situation when someone returns to using their drug of choice repeatedly. Approximately 20-30% of those who complete formal care will have relapsed in the prior year.
When a person relapses it can be a very painful and emotional time for them. They may feel that they have failed not only themselves but also their friends and family, and their peers if they are in treatment. However, many health professionals working in the field of addiction believe that one or two periods of relapse are, in fact, an intrinsic part of the recovery process.
What can bring someone to relapse?
People can relapse at any time during treatment but often the highest risk of a relapse is posed when a client begins the ‘integration phase’ of their treatment, when they step back into the wider world and out of the highly structured supports of their rehabilitation programme. Once triggered, the motivation to seek a drug can feel overpowering and sometimes leads to a person making a bad decision, against their own deeper wishes and better judgement.
Often, it’s the same emotional or life events that brought someone to using drugs or alcohol – to ‘escape’ or ‘feel better’ – in the first place, that causes them to relapse after a period of being drug and alcohol free. Emotionally charged life-changing events can be causes of relapse, such as the death of a family member or friend, a relationship breakdown, or things simply taking a turn for the worse. Good things in your life can also bring about a relapse. Events such as getting a new job or your own accommodation can bring about the urge to ‘celebrate’.
Social factors can pose risks. Renewing an acquaintance with friends who drink or take drugs, or visiting places where they used to use or drink, are two common factors that can bring about a relapse.
One lapse could kill
People in treatment need to be aware of this. This may sound overly dramatic but it’s true. If their body has been clean for some time, taking a dose of any substance – even one that they consider ‘normal’ i.e. that is similar to the amount they used to take before detox – could bring about a fatal overdose. If they do consider taking a substance again, no matter what it is, try to get them to remember one word: MODERATION. It might save their life.