One of the fears for anyone struggling with an addiction is relapse. Even after long periods of abstinence from a behavior or substance, people in recovery are at risk for relapse. Even if you have successfully stopped drinking, using drugs or acting out for several months or even years, you are still at risk of reverting back to your old behaviors.
Although relapse does not mean that you failed in any way, it can cause a lot of emotional and physical consequences and therefore an addict needs to do everything that he or she can to avoid a relapse. It is important to note however, that if a relapse does in fact happen, do not beat yourself up! Speak to your therapist or sponsor immediately as a relapse that is processed properly and dealt with appropriately can actually serve as a great learning experience; one which will enhance your recovery.
In order to help prevent relapse, you must identify your personal triggers. Triggers are various things that might induce thoughts of certain behaviors, which are known as “cravings.” If you can identify the triggers in your life that cause your cravings, you will have greater success in your recovery.
The three most common triggers for relapse are:
Stress
Re-exposure to the substance
Environmental cues
Feelings of stress often lead people to engage in their addictive behaviors. The feelings of euphoria associated with substances or by acting out sexually can provide relief from stress and difficult emotions. However, as someone in recovery knows, this is an extremely unhealthy and ineffective way to deal with these feelings. Healthy alternatives to relieve stress include: exercise, meditation, taking up a hobby, or spending time with friends and family. Going to meeting or calling your sponsor would also be very beneficial for someone dealing with a stressful situation. Finding healthy ways to lower your stress levels will help you prevent relapse.
Other people relapse when they are re-exposed to their substance of choiceor another substance for that matter. In order to prevent this from happening to you, keep alcohol and drugs out of your presence at all times. If you can’t see alcohol or drugs, you’ll be less likely to have cravings. Similarly, if you are struggling with a sex addiction you need to be vigilant to keep porn or anything else that may remind you of your old ways away from you. Keeping substances or acting out materials out of your life as much as possible is crucial for long-term success in your recovery.
Environmental cues are a very common reason for relapse. “Cues” include people, places, activities or anything else in your environment that causes cravings. A common environmental cue is seeing friends you used to drink or use drugs with. It could also be as simple as passing by your old favorite bar or strip club for the sex addict. In order to avoid environmental triggers, you will have to make lifestyle changes. If your friends are still abusing drugs, you will have to make new ones. If your trip home from work takes you by a place at which you used to use or act out, then you must find a new way home. Identify all the environmental cues that cause cravings, and then eliminate them from your life.
To decrease the chances of relapse, I help my clients identify the personal triggers in their lives, as well as ways to eliminate them. This is just one important way I work with my clients to create a comprehensive plan for a long-lasting, successful recovery from addictive behaviours.
