When a close loved one, such as a parent, spouse, or sibling, relapses after receiving treatment for alcohol addiction, it can feel terrible. Maybe you feel guilty for not helping them enough, or perhaps you feel angry, scared, or disappointed. But despite these emotions, it’s important to remember that relapse happens quite often during alcohol rehab. It’s estimated that between 40 and 60 percent of people with alcohol use disorder will relapse. If your loved one has relapsed, it doesn’t mean that their chances of recovery are down to zero.
For someone who hasn’t struggled with addiction, the idea of staying sober may seem easy, but it can be very challenging for people with a history of drug abuse. In fact, relapse is a common part of recovery that it’s covered in support groups and treatment programs at rehabs. To make sure you’re prepared to support your loved one, here’s what to know when they experience addiction relapse.
What is a Drug or Alcohol Relapse?
A relapse is when someone being treated for alcohol addiction starts drinking after a period of sobriety, when they had stopped consuming alcohol. Similarly, it’s possible to relapse when you’re receiving treatment for drug addiction, like cocaine or heroin addiction. Because alcohol addiction is a chronic condition, symptoms can resurface if the condition is left unmanaged or untreated. The relapse can be emotional, mental, or physical, while causes can include a mix of factors like poor mental health and excessive stress.
A common misconception is that relapses occur suddenly and all at once. The truth is that it’s a gradual progression that experts divide into 3 stages. It can even start in as little as a day after treatment begins, before your loved one starts drinking.
Emotional Relapse
At this stage, a person isn’t thinking about drinking again, but their emotions and behaviors have the potential to cause a relapse in the future. Some signs of emotional relapse include isolating oneself, avoiding their emotions, and a disturbance in eating and sleeping habits. If you or a family member is experiencing an emotional relapse, try focusing on self-care. This can include trying to get more sleep or making changes to your diet.
Mental Relapse
In the second stage, you’ll experience alcohol cravings and think about the places and people you associate with drinking alcohol. You may minimise the consequences of past alcohol use and think about past alcohol consumption favorably. With time, your mental resistance to relapse may decrease. People going through mental relapse try looking for opportunities to relapse, actively plan a relapse, or come up with ideas to control their alcohol use.
When recovering alcoholics are in the mental relapse stage, it’s important that they avoid high-risk situations. These are situations that trigger an increase in anxiety and stress, prompting you to drink. Working with your therapist to strengthen your coping skills is an effective way to deal with mental relapse.
Physical Relapse
This is the third stage of an alcohol relapse and involves going back to using alcohol or drugs. Some medical professionals divide the third stage into a lapse and relapse. This refers to an initial situation where you drink and returning to alcohol use in a way that’s out of control.
If you or a loved one experiences a relapse, you’ll need to refer back to the relapse prevention plan. A relapse incident doesn’t mean that you’ve failed, but it’s possible that your treatment plan requires adjustments.
What Causes a Relapse?
The cause behind a relapse is much more complicated than someone failing to say ‘no’ when they’re offered a drink at a party. It goes beyond physical dependence and is a complex condition with emotional and psychological triggers. We all have a special object or person we turn to when dealing with difficult times. For people with an addiction, alcohol or drugs become that one thing, so when they decide ti stop drinking, that source of reassurance is taken away.
Now without alcohol, their body must adapt to new situations without alcohol or the substance they used for a long time. Consequently. the feeling of disorientation can be overwhelming. At the rehab center, an alcohol-free space, they were protected from triggers. Now that they’re transitioning to life without alcohol, every difficult situation comes as a major shock. This is where they need support from their loved ones the most. Otherwise, they’ll turn to an old coping strategy that they’ve always relied on.
Here are a few examples of such causes
- Being in a situation that tempts them to consume alcohol, like going to a place where they previously had alcohol or other drugs.
- Being in circumstances that trigger the use of alcohol as a coping strategy, like unemployment, homelessness, or financial problems.
Preexisting mental health issues and/or disorders like depression, anxiety, or borderline personality disorder.
Risk of Overdose During Relapse
Alcoholism is a chronic disease in which your body develops a tolerance for alcohol, so you need more of it to achieve the same effect experienced initially. When you undergo treatment for addiction, you stop taking alcohol, which causes your tolerance to reduce.
Consequently, alcohol or drug use after a long period of staying sober can lead to an overdose. The warning signs of alcohol overdose include vomiting, mental confusion, having trouble breathing, and a low body temperature. If you suspect that a loved one is experiencing an alcohol overdose due to changed tolerance, seek medical help immediately.
Signs That Someone is Experiencing Alcohol Abuse Relapse
Recovering alcoholics show some signs when they’re at risk of relapsing. This involves a changed attitude towards drug and alcohol abuse, along with unusual behavior, which can take place at any time in the recovery process.
- They seem withdrawn from social situations and avoid social interactions
- They’re making excuses that can potentially sabotage their alcohol recovery.
- They’re experiencing uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.
- They’re in denial about their alcohol abuse and dependency.
- They’re mood is fluctuating and/or they’re overreacting to situations
- They’ve started questioning the benefits of sobriety
Regularly talking to someone recovering from alcoholism allows you to notice when these signs appear. This allows you to deal with them as soon as you notice them; the earlier you address concerns about a relapse, the lower the risk of a physical relapse.
What You Should Do If Someone Is Relapsing
Knowing how to manage a relapse is a long-term strategy in alcohol addiction recovery because solutions are immediate and focus on long-term behavioral changes. When you find out that a loved one has relapsed, check to see if they’re experiencing unusual or dangerous symptoms. If they were sober for a long time, relapsing is especially dangerous because their tolerance may have reduced, increasing the risk of alcohol poisoning,
Immediate Strategies
You should also make sure they’re in a safe space and members of their support network, including other family members and their addiction therapist. You should schedule an appointment with their therapist to help stabilise their emotional state and avoid excessive feelings of guilt.
Maintain Healthy Boundaries
Sticking to your boundaries can feel difficult when your loved one is relapsing, but it can make a world of difference in their recovery journey. By setting boundaries, you send a message saying that you’re there to support their recovery, but won’t support their alcohol abuse.
Encourage Them To Seek Help
When people relapse and start using alcohol again, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they need to go back to a rehab center, but the benefits of structured rehab support should still be considered. It does, however, indicate the need for further treatment options. If they feel frustrated, guilty, and hopeless, take them to an addiction therapist to help them work on coping strategies.
Long Term Strategies To Maintain The Alcohol Recovery Process
In the long run, your loved one may experience withdrawal symptoms, compulsive thoughts, and feelings of hopelessness, all of which can further increase the risk of relapse. To prevent a relapse, make sure they have access to adequate support and help them implement the following strategies:
- Make sure they avoid people, places, and things that encouraged them to use alcohol and other drugs.
- Involve clinical support, as well as family and friends, in the recovery process to help prevent harmful behaviours in response to harmful situations.
- Encourage them to engage in meaningful activities that help them build a better self-image while having a positive impact on their community.
- Encourage them to take better care of their mental and physical health. Because alcoholism can contribute to poor physical health, a healthier lifestyle is an important part of long term recovery. This includes getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, and exercising everyday.
In the long term, keep in mind that it takes about five to six attempts before a person can make a change and maintain it successfully. Remind your loved one about this so they can continue working towards long term sobriety. You should also take the opportunity to learn more about the relapse trigger that caused it.
How To Help a Loved One Avoid Relapse
While your loved one is recovering from alcohol use disorder, you can take certain measures to help them avoid a relapse. An essential step is to allow open communication so they can tell you when they experience cravings and negative thoughts. Let them know that you’re available to talk and that they have your support.
If your loved one’s case manager prepared a relapse prevention plan, make sure you have a copy of it with you. When you see signs of a relapse, remind them to use their recovery skills. But besides offering support, it’s important to know when it’s time to seek help. You can also reach out to UK Home Detox for confidential advice and tailored support options to help your loved one get back on track.
