Stages of Relapse
There are three stages of relapse. These three stages include emotional
relapse, mental relapse, and physical relapse.
Emotional Relapse
Emotional relapse is the first relapse stage. During this stage of relapse,
people start behaving in ways that will make them more likely to relapse.
For example, people in this stage of relapse may start to romanticize
past experiences in which they used substances. They may also start to
do things like mischaracterize their past substance use habits or even
socialize with other substance users again.
Mental Relapse
Mental relapse is the second stage of relapse. During this stage of relapse,
people will actively think about using substances again. They may even
start to make preparations to use substances again.
Physical Relapse
Physical relapse is the third and final stage of relapse. In this stage
of relapse, people are actually using substances again. Thus, people in
this stage of relapse need to attend rehab again.
Signs of Relapse
There are many signs of relapse. Some of the top warning signs of relapse include:
1. Poor Physical Appearance
When people suffer from addiction, they often start to no longer take care
of themselves. This is because they start to only care about getting more
substances. As a result, you’ll often notice changes in people’s
appearance when they relapse from addiction.
2. Irritability
People that suffer from addiction often exhibit anger and irritability
issues. Thus, if a former drug addict is suddenly more irritable, he or
she may have relapsed.
3. Mood Swings
Not only do individuals who suffer from addiction often exhibit anger issues,
but they also often exhibit mood swings. As a result, individuals that
suffer from addiction will often go back and forth between having sudden
bouts of energy and happiness to suddenly being angry and irritable.
4. Not Keeping Up With Work or School Responsibilities
One clear warning sign that a person may be suffering from an alcohol or
drug problem is if he or she is starting to not keep up with his or her
responsibilities at work or school. This is especially a sign of addiction
or relapse if that person is normally very responsible.
5. Denial or Defensiveness
When individuals relapse from addiction they’ll often get defensive
if you ask them about their addiction recovery journeys or about substance
use at all. Thus, if someone that is supposed to be in addiction recovery
starts to get defensive and irritable whenever you mention anything about
substance use or addiction recovery, it may be because they’ve relapsed.
Individuals who relapse from substance addiction are also often in denial
about their condition. As a result, even if they are open to discussing
their addiction recovery journeys, they may just deny that they have a
problem. That’s why it’s important to be aware of all of the
warning signs of relapse. That way you can decipher whether or not a person
is using substances again or not.
If you for sure know that a loved one has definitely relapsed and he or
she is still in denial about it, you may have to stage an intervention.
When staging an intervention for substance addiction, just make sure to
enlist the help of an intervention specialist.
6. Changes in Sleeping and Eating Habits
One early sign of relapse is a change in sleeping and eating habits. This
is partly due to the fact that individuals that suffer from addiction
start to stay up late using substances. Using substances can also affect
a person’s appetite. Therefore, a person who is supposed to be in
addiction recovery suddenly exhibiting these signs along with a few of
the other common signs of addiction is likely experiencing a relapse.
7. Depression, Anxiety, or Other Forms of Mental Illness
Mental illness and addiction are often connected with one another. This
is partly due to the fact that mental illness is often the catalyst to
addiction. Thus, many people initially start abusing substances to cope
with mental illnesses such as depression.
On the other hand, addiction can also act as a catalyst for mental illness.
This is because the chemical changes that chronic substance use causes
to the brain can cause a person to experience symptoms of many mental
illnesses such as depression or anxiety. Therefore, a common warning sign
of relapse from addiction is depression or feelings of guilt and/or hopelessness.
8. Romanticizing Past Substance Use
When people who are in recovery begin to romanticize their past
alcohol or drug use, this is either a sign that they are relapsing or are in the
initial stages of relapsing. Thus, it’s imperative that such individuals
attend support groups and
addiction therapy sessions to help them get back on track.
9. Spending Time With Other Substance Users
Part of the process of recovering from addiction is no longer socializing
with other substance users. If a former substance user is starting to
socialize again with other substance users, that is a clear warning sign
of relapse.
10. Lying and Stealing
People who suffer from addiction will often do anything to get more substances.
This includes lying and stealing. So, if former substance users start
to steal money from those close to them or lie about their whereabouts,
this is a clear sign of relapse.
Achieve and Maintain Sobriety At Grace Land Recovery
At
Grace Land Recovery, we understand that part of the addiction recovery journey is relapse
prevention. That’s why we offer aftercare services to those who
complete addiction treatment at our facility!
Grace Land Recovery is a dual diagnosis treatment center that’s located
in the Memphis, Tennessee area. Here at Grace Land Recovery, we aim to
get to the root of our patients’ addictions.
In an effort to achieve this goal, we offer a wide variety of unique addiction
therapies and treatment modalities. Some of these include cognitive-behavioral
therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, experiential therapy, and rational
emotive therapy. We even offer services such as case management, medication
management, nutrition groups, and emotion regulation groups.
To learn more about Grace Land Recovery and the various services that we
offer that can ultimately help you avoid relapse,
contact us today! We would love to help you achieve and maintain freedom from addiction.
