When people become addicted to substances, they lose the connection with their basic physical needs and have a hard time translating impulses into appropriate action. Hunger is often a feeling that triggers impulsive action, and when the recovery is too new, healthy habits are not solidly in place yet. When they get hungry, people recovering from drug and alcohol addiction can quickly fall back on old behaviors for satisfying themselves, almost without really thinking about it. Positive feelings are also relapse triggers for people in recovery. Such feelings can include celebratory feelings, passion, and excitement. Granted these feelings are positive, they can easily trigger relapses.

• Those in recovery need to learn that feeling uncomfortable is not a state that needs remediation.
• If you have any other questions about addiction recovery, we encourage you tocontact us at any time.Help is available whenever you need it.
• Medication alone can reduce cravings and withdrawal, but recovering from an addictive disorder requires a rewiring of the brain and medication alone is not enough.
• However, not getting the rest you need can put you at risk of relapse.

She served as a Wellness coordinator at Search for Change, Inc and currently serves as an Independent Practice Coach from 2011 to present. As the Family Nurse Practitioner, Deirdre performs history and physical exams, and works with clients to diagnose and treat dual diagnosis clients.

Negative Feelings Trigger Relapses

Understanding what may function as a trigger for relapse can help an individual to avoid a full-blown return to drug or alcohol abuse. The prefessionals at Kemah Palms Recovery® – Alcohol and Addition Treatment Center are available 24/7 to help you or your loved one. Contact us today to begin your recovery at our premier addiction treatment center. And be especially careful about anniversaries and at special events where the problem substance was a standard part of activities. Have a support system of family, friends, and loved ones who will stand by you when you need help. These kinds of positive influences will decrease your likelihood of relapsing. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will also keep you in a routine and make you less likely to stray into negative habits.

Keep an eye on what you’re eating — a healthier diet can steeply reduce your relapse chances. Someone who is dealing with emotions for the first time in a long time is extremely vulnerable. The impulse to use drugs to cover up feelings is ingrained in anyone who has suffered addiction. When the emotions become too extreme, that impulse to use is likely to kick in.

What Causes Drug Relapse?

Sobriety shouldn’t mean hiding from the world, but it does mean taking active steps to prevent relapse. Along with the abused substances themselves, drug paraphernalia or media related to their drug of choice can remind the recovering addict of their drug or alcohol use and create strong urges to use again. A new job, a new relationship, a new house with a new mortgage to pay—major changes, even positive ones, can trigger anxious feelings as well a mental relapse. A person might worry about whether they’ll be any good at the new job, feel nervous about a relationship they’re just beginning, or second-guess whether they will be able to afford that new house after all. Drugs and alcohol used to save your loved one from these uncomfortable feelings and having to deal with their own emotional responses; relapse can occur when they feel they have no other means of coping. Contrary to popular belief, relapse doesn’t just happen in one moment.

A significant amount of people struggling with substance abuse find it difficult to resist relapse triggers. The negative side effects of relapsing after enrolling in drug and alcohol recovery programs is another concern. In recent experiences, drug and alcohol abuse after practicing abstinence, heightens an individuals chances of overdosing. Similarly, mood swings, increased irritability, and other sudden marked changes in attitude can indicate either a risk of relapse or that they’ve already been in the throes of mental relapse. Even strong positive feelings, if it’s extreme or seems to come out of the blue, can be a sign that they are experiencing the highs of using again.

• The solution to overcoming this relapse trigger is to learn how to channel your positive feelings in a positive way, without the use of substance abuse.
• People who are recovering will need to find a healthy way to cope with these feelings, primarily since drugs and alcohol were usually used to deal with these negative feelings, to begin with.
• It is important for the addict, family members and loved ones to be prepared for this.
• When individuals continue to refer to their using days as “fun,” they continue to downplay the negative consequences of addiction.
• For people in recovery, a relapse means the sudden return to drinking or drug use after a long period of not partaking.

Realize that you are going to encounter triggers and figure out how to deal with them in advance. They all involve being in a situation that triggers you to make an impulsive decision. Most people who have struggled with addiction have one very strong impulse in crisis, and that is to get high.

How To Avoid Relapse Triggers After Drug Addiction

Engaging a supportive family member or friend to help make the transition go smoothly. For instance, seeing that the home has been rid of anything that can be ingested for a high, including items like cold medication, vanilla extract, hidden bottles of alcohol, etc. The work involved to make an effective plan is invaluable and should not be underestimated. Deep reflection, honesty, and cooperation with a counselor can produce a detailed plan to navigate through the people, places, and things that can derail your hard-won sobriety. It often starts with strong emotions that make you neglect your physical and psychological well-being.

Studies show that there are some common elements to incidents of addiction recovery relapse. Understanding and watching for these most common relapse triggers can help anyone reduce their chances of relapse, especially during the first year when recovery is still very fragile. Triggers are situations, people, sights or emotions that cause our brains to prompt us to use drugs or alcohol again. To combat emotional relapse, you have to take charge of your emotions. Of course, such a simple task is one of the most monumental — but these situations are exactly what you spent your time in treatment preparing for. Managing your feelings with healthy coping skills is one of the most important things you can do to prevent relapse from continuing along its destructive path.

• When recovering individuals do not develop healthy life skills, the consequence is that they also may be unhappy in life, but that can lead to relapse.
• Substance use disorders and drug use change the way the brain works.
• Get the help you need to first recognize your triggers so you know what they are and can be prepared when you face the unavoidable.
• It is in these moments when you are most vulnerable and may think about turning to drugs or alcohol for comfort.

These are 10 of the most common triggers in addiction recovery, along with quick tips on how to avoid them. Some people experience a whirlwind of emotions when seeing old friends and loved ones, which can trigger the desire to have a drink. Other people may become so stressed out by the push to perform at school or work that they are tempted by the feelings produced by stimulants. Expecting triggers and planning to cope with them effectively is the best way to defend against addiction relapse.

Addiction Treatment For Drug And Alcohol Cravings

Throughout his recovery, James has used his personal story to help make a difference in the lives of others. Over the years he grew into becoming an advocate for people in recovery or seeking https://ecosoberhouse.com/ recovery from substance use disorders. James is a CCAR Recovery Coach and believes in developing meaningful relationships, and providing highly individualized therapy and client care.

External triggers are factors outside of yourself that make you want to use drugs. These triggers may involve people who influence cravings, such as drug dealers, coworkers, friends, spouses, partners and employers. Even people who are incredibly close to you may act as relapse triggers. That’s one reason that it’s so important for your loved ones to be on board with your recovery.

If you’re battling depression, anxiety, or another mental health condition, you’re at risk of self-medicating with drugs or alcohol. Most people who decide to quit using drugs or drinking try and fail numerous times before achieving full recovery from their addiction. Some estimates claim as 90% of all recovering alcoholics and drug addicts will experience at least one relapse. As discouraging as these numbers may seem, it’s important to remember that that a relapse does not indicate failure.

How To Avoid These Triggers

Also, you can think of them as tools to protect yourself if you do start to slip. Pick up a new hobby, take a walk, write in your journal, watch a movie, etc. Also, anger management or working with a therapist helps manage your emotional states.

It’s key to remember that these are not failures and shouldn’t be termed as such. Obstacles in recovery are often caused by insufficient coping skills or an inability to plan effectively. These issues can be fixed, and people should learn to challenge their outlook by giving equal attention to past successes. Staying off this slippery slope is the only way to prevent over-confidence from resulting in relapse. Researchers deduced that the amygdala played an important role in producing focused and exclusive desire, similar to drug addiction.

Implementing the techniques you learned in your substance abuse therapies during treatment into your regular life can help you overcome these drug and alcohol relapse triggers or mitigate their effects. Drug and alcohol addiction actually has a similar relapse rate to other chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension. Relapse does not indicate a failure in treatment, but it is certainly a milestone that most people in recovery want to avoid.

API is a private, physician-owned behavioral health system offering inpatient and outpatient psychiatric and substance use disorder services. We are dedicated to the wellness of individuals, their families, and our community through prevention, intervention, and treatment in a safe and culturally sensitive environment. Sticking with therapy or a 12-step program is key to avoiding relapse. If your program is no longer effective in helping you manage your sobriety, find one that works for you. Having a structured support system in place gives you the tools you need to weather difficult times. As the Medical Director, Mark works with the staff to coordinate the appropriate level of care for each individual client. He works directly with the clients on management of medical issues both related to and separate from their addiction, ensuring comprehensive health care plans that ensure our clients’ chances at recovery.

Whenever you are doubting yourself or feel like you have too much on your plate, therapy can help you cope with your negative emotions. When people don’t understand relapse prevention, they think it involves saying no just before they are about to use.

There are approximately 23.5 million Americans in recovery from addiction, yet each one of them feels alone and isolated at some point. No matter how many people are involved, addiction recovery is a very personal struggle. People in recovery can feel isolated from their former lives while they are struggling to build new ones. Feeling that lack of connectedness has been known to trigger a relapse. Although everyone’s drug and alcohol addiction recovery journey is different, there are some universal truths.

Regardless of how dependence begins, once it has developed, it is considered a disease that must be medically types of relapse triggers treated. A private and convenient solution when you are seeking addiction help for yourself or a loved one.