What Happens When Someone Has a Relapse?
When someone who is undergoing treatment for substance abuse has a relapse, they return to the substance they previously abused. In some cases, they turn to a different substance, but their aim is still the same: they want to medicate or solve problems using a substance that can be harmful to them considering their problems with addiction.
This is something to watch out for because the patient may not return to abusing something illegal. Instead they may turn to any of the following: sugar, caffeine, nicotine, sex, work, gambling, or shopping.
At first, the person may just think about using drugs or alcohol. If someone you know with a substance abuse problem starts talking about returning to drugs or alcohol, please take this very seriously. The thought is just a few steps away from the action.
Or the person may take another course and withdraw from former confidants to hide their desire to abuse substances or cover the fact that they have already returned to previous habits. This withdrawal may be accompanied by denial. The patient may be telling his or herself that they have got everything under control and they don’t need to confide in others. If this seems like the behavior of an addict, it is. As someone spirals out of addiction, they may behave in some of the same ways they did when they were becoming addicted.
Other triggers for a relapse are depression and isolation. While using substances, the patient may have acquired a new set of friends. Leaving drugs alcohol may also mean leaving those friends behind. It can be hard for a former addict to cope with the loss of friends, even if those friends were not looking out for that person’s best interests.
Patients who don’t start out craving an addictive substance sometimes turn to substance abuse because of the symptoms of withdrawal. These can include: problems with memory, insomnia, and overreacting to everyday stress. Someone going through this after attempting to do the right thing may become overwhelmed and slide back into old habits out of a need for comfort.
This is why it takes a lot of patience to help someone through a relapse and the subsequent recovery.
