Relapse is a part of many recovery stories. It’s the moment in your sobriety when you use the substance that you previously abused, leading you back into addictive patterns. Chances of relapse among formerly drug and alcohol-addicted people are high, but that doesn’t mean that you or your loved one will relapse. 

It also doesn’t mean that relapse is the end of recovery. Relapsing simply indicates that you need to speak with friends, family, or trusted healthcare professionals to tweak your recovery plan and potentially return to treatment.  

What Are The Dangers of Relapsing After Recovery?

There are two main physical and psychological repercussions of relapse. On the physical front—which is the most dangerous of the two—people risk a higher probability of overdosing. In the thralls of addiction, the body can build a remarkable tolerance for the substance of choice. This is what allows alcoholics to drink 30+ beers a day or multiple liters of vodka and still stand or remain conscious. 

The same can be seen in opioid addictions, with people consuming lethal amounts of heroin and surviving. However, if you’ve taken the time and effort to withdraw from a highly addictive substance, your body’s tolerance toward that drug decreases drastically. This low tolerance means you cannot handle pre-recovery doses of a substance. In fact, such a dose can kill you. We saw soaring rates of overdoses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and opioid overdoses are the leading cause of accidental deaths in the state of Pennsylvania. 

The second repercussion is psychological in nature, although relapse can also trigger legal, emotional, and financial consequences. After working hard to gain sobriety, the realization that you’ve relapsed can be incredibly disappointing, enraging, devastating, and disorienting. It can balloon into self-doubt and self-loathing. It can also destabilize the relationships you’ve been rebuilding with family, friends, and employers. 

Why Relapse Prevention Services Matter

Relapse is the fork in the road in your recovery journey. Will you continue to indulge in substance use, or will you recommit to your sobriety? Our team at St. Joseph Institute works hard to give you the tools you need to make the right decision if relapse occurs. We do this with relapse prevention education in both our inpatient and outpatient services. We keep the four main areas of relapse prevention at the forefront of our approach:

1. Relapse is gradual and involves known stages leading up to the point of using again. This is why we help clients develop mindfulness and self-awareness techniques in therapy sessions.
2. Recovery is made up of developmental milestones, with each milestone prompting unique relapse triggers. This is where our peer and group therapy sessions come in handy, along with our alumni program. They provide support and guidance when cravings surface.
3. The most effective tools are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and relaxation to help clients develop self-awareness and coping skills.  
4. Education is crucial, and we teach our clients how to meaningfully change their lives, stay honest and transparent, ask for help when it’s needed, prioritize wellness, and stick firmly to their own rules and boundaries.   

What Are the Top Relapse Triggers For Newly Sober People?

The most common triggers can be boiled down to five concrete examples:

• Feeling hungry, angry, lonely, or tired (HALT) for extended periods
• Feeling highly stressed for extended periods in the workplace, at home, or generally
• The presence of chronic pain, a chronic illness, or a deteriorating mental health disorder
• Indulging in overconfidence, arrogance, or denial of a substance abuse disorder 
• Social or emotional isolation from family, friends, or loved ones

All of these triggers can be avoided or managed with transparency,  therapy, support groups, and other resources. However, it’s natural and inevitable that you will encounter a number of these triggers for short periods over the span of your life. If you feel you’ve been stuck in any one area for too long, contact us. We exist to help you stay sober. 

Prevent Relapse With St. Joseph Institute For Addiction in Port Matilda, PA

Whether you’re concerned about insurance, outpatient vs. inpatient treatment, relapse prevention, or our therapeutic approaches to sobriety, St. Joseph Institute admissions counselors can answer your questions and set your mind at ease. Feel free to get in touch with us at any point in time, especially if you detect that a relapse is imminent.