Overcoming a substance addiction and finding a life of recovery is an amazing accomplishment. Addiction is a disease and one thing to remember is that even if you’re in recovery, the addiction doesn’t go away. In the first years after treatment specifically, relapse is common. Instead of letting relapse define you, or leading you back into active addiction, give yourself grace.
At Emerge Healing Center, we treat individuals who have relapsed often. In fact, multiple treatment experiences are more common than not. What’s important is knowing the warning signs of a relapse, how to counteract it from occurring, and knowing that help is always available.
A life of sobriety is never out of the question.
Relapse Statistics
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, between 40 and 60 percent of people relapse within their first year of treatment. Remember, addiction is a disease and can’t be cured completely. Instead, it can be managed by successful treatment, enabling individuals to gain techniques and practices to live a joyful life of recovery.
NIDA also explains that, “The chronic nature of addiction means that for some people relapse, or a return to drug use after an attempt to stop, can be part of the process, but newer treatments are designed to help with relapse prevention. Relapse rates for drug use are similar to rates for other chronic medical illnesses. If people stop following their medical treatment plan, they are likely to relapse. While relapse is a normal part of recovery, for some drugs, it can be very dangerous—even deadly. If a person uses as much of the drug as they did before quitting, they can easily overdose because their bodies are no longer adapted to their previous level of drug exposure. An overdose happens when the person uses enough of a drug to produce uncomfortable feelings, life-threatening symptoms, or death.”
That’s why knowing what treatment options are available and being aware of relapse signs is vital for yourself or your loved one.
Signs of a Relapse
Addiction relapses don’t often occur out of nowhere. If part of a community, which is highly encouraged, the members of the community will likely notice some changes in a person in danger of relapsing.
There are some early signs of relapse. These can include:
- Isolating themselves from friends or family
- Lack of normal level of excitement
- Avoidance of parties or social gatherings (depending on the situation)
- Increased anxiety
- Lack of desire to participate in anything that they normally would
- Changes in appetite
- Lack of personal hygiene
- Neglecting responsibilities
Once relapsed, the individual will likely either feel so ashamed that they continue to use, or come back to community and get the help they deserve. If they continue to use, they will likely start showing signs of active addiction.
Signs of an individual living in active addiction can include:
- Not being able to limit the amount they drink or use your drug of choice
- Having the desire to cut down on drinking or using but being unsuccessful in their attempts
- Spending most of their time either drinking/using, figuring out how to get alcohol/drugs, or recovering from drinking/using
- Continuing to drink or use even when it causes problems at work, school, or socially
- Having withdrawal symptoms when they don’t drink/use, or drinking//using to avoid withdrawal symptoms
- Poor physical hygiene
- Negative mental health
Emerge Programs for Substance Addicts
At Emerge Healing Center, we offer Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHPs), Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOPs), and Trauma & PTSD Programs.
PHPs are outpatient programs that allow clients to live and sleep at home, while attending treatment on set days of the week. PHPs are able to provide a range of addiction treatment services including detox treatment, individual counseling, group counseling, and more.
An IOP will work with you to decide how many days per week you need to attend treatment. Once your treatment is over for the day, you are able to go home. This gives people the flexibility to still maintain a level of their normal daily life, fulfilling family obligations, holding down a job, or going to school as usual.
We offer the Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Program because PTSD is a serious mental health condition that disrupts millions of lives on a daily basis. It can be the root cause of addiction for many. To recover from PTSD, individuals must understand their root cause issues and develop new coping skills.
Getting Treatment
If you or a loved one are currently dealing with alcohol or drug addiction and would like to know more about treatment options in Atlanta, contact us today. At Emerge Healing Center, our team can help you to decide which program is right for you, as well as design a treatment program that will maximize your chances of success. Gain control of your life with the help of the right treatment center, and find out just how fulfilling an addiction-free life can be.
