For many people attempting to recover from a drinking problem, relapse is an unfortunate part of the recovery process. Starting relapse prevention therapy can help you or a loved one prepare for the possibility of relapse, reduce your risk, and maintain your sobriety for years to come.
Starting treatment with Promises can provide you with actionable strategies to avoid this setback and keep moving forward on your path to recovery. Call our team today by dialing 844.875.5609 to find out how our comprehensive addiction treatment options can help you.
Understanding the Relapse Process for Drinking Problems
When most people think of a relapse, they think of the single act of the first drink. Yet, according to leading addiction researchers, relapse is often considered a process that happens in stages, which can be identified and prepared for in order for people to address their challenges before they return to active substance use.
One way of conceptualizing this process is by looking at relapse in three distinct stages:
- The emotional relapse
- The mental relapse
- The physical relapse
Emotional relapse is when people may start feeling anxious, stop sharing their emotions with others, and begin to isolate themselves from others or stop attending recovery support groups. During this first stage, people may not be thinking about taking another drink at all, but they have often unknowingly started the path to drinking.
A mental relapse refers to when people start to consider drinking again. They may experience intense cravings, start wondering whether they truly had a drinking problem to begin with, or even start planning their next drink. When people reach this stage, the likelihood that they will return to drinking is dangerously high.
The third and final stage is physical relapse when drinking actually occurs. This could be an intentional or planned event, or it may be driven by circumstance. When people experience this lapse, they still have the opportunity to return to a life of sobriety afterward, or they may return to full-blown addiction.
Signs of an Impending Relapse
Understanding the stages and signs of a relapse can help you nip the process in the bud. The best time to intervene is when people have entered the emotional relapse stage and have started to experience a shift in mood and isolation from others.
Spotting an emotional relapse can sometimes be difficult. The key signs to look out for include:
- Stepping away from recovery-oriented behaviors
- A sudden shift to a more negative or cynical mood
- Not enjoying their sobriety
- Focusing on other people’s problems rather than their own
All of these can be signs of a relapse about to occur. If you notice these signs in yourself or a loved one, recommitting yourself to recovery can help stop the cycle in its tracks.
Signs a Relapse Has Occurred
Determining if a loved one has relapsed can be tricky. People with alcohol use disorder can often go to great lengths to hide their substance use and may deny their return to drinking if asked directly. Some of the key signs of a relapse to look out for include:
- Sudden changes in behavior and mood
- The smell of alcohol
- No longer engaging in recovery activities
- Avoiding discussions about alcohol use
- Isolating themselves from friends or professionals who support their recovery
A relapse does not mean that recovery has to be over. If you or a loved one has returned to drinking, finding treatment can help them reverse course and start back on the work of recovery.
Start Relapse Prevention Therapy at Promises Today
At Promises, we understand that relapse is often a part of the recovery process. As such, we incorporate relapse prevention programs into each of our alcohol treatment options to help mitigate this risk and prepare people to maintain their recovery.
Have you or a loved one relapsed? Are you worried about a relapse in the near future? If so, call our team at 844.875.5609 or use our online contact form to get the evidence-based treatment you need to support you on your sobriety journey.