Drug addiction is a serious problem, and whether you’ve struggled with it for years or you know someone who has, you’re probably wondering why it’s so easy for drug addicts to relapse. That is an excellent question, and there are many different answers.
The biggest reason many people relapse after they’ve been able to abstain from using drugs for a period of time is because they failed to get drug addiction counselling. There is so much that goes into breaking free from a drug addiction, but if you don’t have the right kind of professional support, more often than not, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Drug addiction counselling offers you a great deal of valuable information that can help you stay quit for good.
Drug Addiction Treatment
Any drug addiction treatment program, whether inpatient or outpatient, begins with acknowledging and acting upon a need to stop using drugs. This can be very difficult for most people because they’ve grown physically and psychologically dependent on drugs in order to experience a feeling of normalcy in their everyday lives. Once a person has made the decision and kept to the commitment to become abstinent, he or she can start the next step of the process.
The next step in drug addiction help involves learning all about your addiction and how it pertains to you. You might not even be aware of the reasons behind your addiction. Perhaps there was a time when you first began abusing drugs when you made the choice to use to avoid a painful situation. This could have been a life-changing event such as a loss of an important person or relationship, or it could have been a difficult challenge you were facing at work. No matter what it was, when you used the drug, you felt better. Your brain began associating those positive feelings with a need to use the drug to feel any kind of positive feeling. As a result, you began abusing the drug, and over time that abuse grew into an addiction.
Drug addiction counselling addresses the feelings you’ll experience when you’re no longer having those positive thoughts and feelings. It’s normal for people to feel a bit of loss after they stop using drugs, but they don’t know why. However when you’re in treatment, you’ll understand why, which will empower you to press on toward your healing and freedom.
Other Reasons People Relapse
Of course, there are other reasons people relapse back into drug addiction as well. Those include:
- Feelings that just one use won’t cause any harm
- Not changing their behaviors, friends or hangout spots after they’ve quit using
- Romanticizing the “good old days” when they were actively using
- Giving up counselling before their treatment is complete
- Slacking off on using the tools they’ve learned to help them stay quit (examples of this would be journaling, exercising, healthy friends, etc.)
- Not having dealt with the underlying reasons which caused the addiction in the first place
It doesn’t take much for a drug addict to relapse. For some of them, they’re able to get back on track fairly easily, but not everyone has that experience. The best way to ensure that you don’t relapse is to maintain your appointments with your counsellor and follow your treatment plan for success. When you do, you’ll be able to really experience what freedom feels like.
Perhaps you’re struggling through a relapse of your own, or you know someone who is. Either way, drug addiction counselling can give you the support and the encouragement you need to get back on track. It can also provide you with the essential tools you need to really be successful in your quit. If you’d like to make an appointment for a consultation please contact me.
