Addiction relapse – how to protect yourself effectively against it
How to prevent relapse?
Addiction not only destroys the life of the addict but also the life of those around him. If the sick person doesn’t get over it, he may lead to his death as a result of overdose or in an accident he causes while intoxicated. Fortunately, many people want to free themselves from this disease that has taken over their entire lives and are taking treatment. Only how to prevent relapse after treatment?
What is a relapse?
Addiction is a chronic disease, it can be compared to asthma or cancer. The chronicity of this ailment is the reason for its frequent relapses. In order to define this term it is first necessary to explain what the process of sobriety is all about. Sobriety is a change of the whole life of an addict, that is, changing the way of thinking, establishing and maintaining healthy relations with others, recognizing one’s own weaknesses and working on oneself. The mere fact of maintaining abstinence, even for a long period of time, does not mean sobriety. „A relapse occurs when a person has made a conscious decision to change and there has been a period of significant improvement in their functioning, i.e., they have their passions, have healthy relationships with other people, and have learned to respond appropriately to stress. In a word – such a person comes back to life” – tells a specialist from addiction treatment center Sobriety.
Dangerous symptoms that precede relapse
Relapse does not happen suddenly, it is a whole process. It is preceded by distressing symptoms, such as the sober person feeling bored or recalling memories from the drinking or drug-taking days, which the patient finds very exciting compared to what is happening now. Often the reason for relapse is negative emotional state, such person experiences depression, sense of meaninglessness and hopelessness. A common symptom of relapse is increased irritability, unjustified resentment towards other people and feeling angry for no reason. Persevering in sobriety Despite all the unpleasant symptoms, it takes a great deal of determination and strong willpower, and unfortunately it is common for sufferers to fall back into harmful habits in such situations.
How to effectively prevent relapse?
The best solution to successfully prevent relapse is for the addict to participate in group therapy, where he will have contact and the opportunity to talk to other people who are in the same situation as him. The most important element in prevention of relapse is knowing how to spot the first warning signs. The therapist teaches how to notice compulsive thoughts that arise and how to deal with them. It is very important to learn to think and cope with stress in a non-stressful way.
