Relapse refers to the process of going back to the use of alcohol, drug, and other substance abuse during the recovery process. Usually, you get exposed to the triggers and additional risks factors that influence you to slip back to substance abuse. The results are worsening in your health status after a progressive temporary improvement.
Types of Relapse
- Emotional relapse- this involves idle thinking that can always take you back to start thinking of your past encounters and feel the urge of going back to your old ways.
- Mental relapse- here, your struggle to fight with part of you telling you to use while the other part says you do not. You will also be thinking about the adverse effects you had as a victim and how much you want to recover from all that.
- Physical relapse- this comes after mental relapse. It is usually the hardest stage to overcome because, during this stage, you start going back to your old ways saying to yourself that you will be able to control the use. The situation is untrue, for example, taking a bottle of alcohol a day will always lead you to the urge of taking more bottles within days hence making a recovery impossible.
Signs of Relapse
The following symptoms accompany the three stages of relapse.
- Staying in isolation- this leads you to be on your thoughts
- The urge to being in a relationship and having sex- this is detrimental when things do not work out well.
- Developing emotional discomforts-this involves feeling hunger, angry, lonely, and tiredness.
- Flash backing on your past life experience while using.
- You are experiencing the need for visiting places where you used to buy drugs or get drunk.
- Feeling the need of associating with the old friends you would abuse drugs in their company.
- Having poor personal self-care, for instance, poor stress management, poor eating habits, among others.
- Not being able to manage post-acute withdrawal symptoms- this includes handling your anxiety, being irritable for no reason, having mood swings, among others.
- Giving up on withdrawal symptoms- this involves experiencing frequent nausea, physical weakness, and anxiety, among others.
- Being proud and overconfidence-you tend to think that you are now fully recovered and trying to put your negative experience behind quickly.
- Being pretentious-you tend to lie and being dishonest when you are with people, but when left alone, you still go back to your old habits.
- You have addictive thinking.
- You are losing control so quickly.
- Having compulsive behavior-you are forced to behave in a particular manner before people who know you are under recovery to avoid shame.
- Being quarrelsome for no apparent reason.
- Getting yourself in high-risk situations, for instance, watching people abuse near you when you had been doing that.
Relapse Prevention
It refers to the different ways to help overcome or manage the symptoms that you experience during relapse. They include:
- Getting yourself entertained- you can spend time watching to help you stay away from harmful distraction.
- Be reading- reading helps to expand your mindset, your brain becomes occupied hence avoiding negative thoughts.
- Doing volunteer jobs- you can always offer yourself to help others in recovery; hence, you will also help yourself recover.
- Always share your feelings with those around you; they can be of help.
- You are taking your recovery process step by step.
- Challenge your thoughts when you start to feel like going back.
- Be attending meetings or forums to get more encouragement from others.
- Talk about your urges to people who can help you.
- When you start experiencing the urge, try to stay for 30 minutes because the cravings usually last between 15-30 minutes, then it disappears.
- Always ask for any help that you need.
- Be changing your scenery.
- Be going for walks to help you get occupied.
- Accept that you are in emotional relapse.
- Doing exercise- this helps in minimizing endorphins in your body and allows you to feel healthy.
- Get involved in some games as a safe activity to help you stay away from negative thoughts.
- Be doing a household course like cooking, cleaning. You will feel empowered.
- Do arts if you like one since they can help in challenging your mind to start thinking in new creative ways.
- Do crafts to act as self-expressive habits that make you happy.
In conclusion, relapse is a gradual process that never happens overnight. When you begin to experience some of the symptoms mentioned above, consider practicing the preventive ways mentioned. Do not give relapse a chance to come in your recovery process since it will worsen your health status after a progressive improvement you have achieved during recovery.