What To Do After A Relapse: Steps To Get Back On Track

Knowing what your triggers are will better help you fight them and find a way to minimise them. This stands for before you enter treatment and after you leave it. If you enter treatment with unrealistic expectations you will be disappointed and frustrated. It may be the case that you are bottling up how you feel, denying that your problems exist, isolating yourself from those around you, and neglecting self care.

Types & Stages of Relapse

This means actively and mindfully living in a way that supports sobriety, no matter how difficult and challenging life becomes. With the proper tools and support, a recovering person will never have to drink or use them again in order to cope with difficult emotions and situations. Watch for the signs of relapse, including emotional relapse, mental relapse, and physical relapse. Aim to avoid or minimise triggers and reach out to people for help. Reconnecting with supportive individuals following a relapse what to do after a relapse can be a critical step in the recovery journey. The process involves open communication, vulnerability, and a willingness to seek help.

Reaffirm Your Commitment to Recovery

All of these things may be important for you on your path to recovery following a relapse, but you know yourself best, and what you as an individual might need to focus on the most. Just remember that relapse can be just a stepping stone on your long-term road to recovery. Rather, it is another step on your continuing path to recovery and a sign that you need additional support and help. It is important that you recognize the reason(s) for your relapse, and make the necessary changes. You need to make a list of the people, places, and things – your relapse triggers – that can undermine your recovery. This will enable you to avoid these high-risk situations in future that prompt or trigger you to engage in destructive and addictive behaviors.

Sustaining Recovery After Relapse: Strategies for Consistency and Self-Care

It is commonly stated that relapse often starts with a risky situation or a trigger and is then followed by poor coping mechanisms and a lack of support. Once you’re aware of these stages, you may be able to prevent the physical relapse by identifying the early warning signs. Whether through artistic expression, outdoor activities, or social events, leisure activities offer a way to recharge and balance one’s life. By incorporating these self-care strategies into a recovery plan, individuals can enhance their ability to remain sober and live a satisfying life post-recovery. Consistency is a cornerstone of successful recovery from substance use disorders (SUD). It provides a stable framework that supports the healing process and helps individuals maintain sobriety.

• This could be due to various mental health issues, or it could also mean that the person’s brain is finding it hard to focus without the coping mechanism of alcohol or a drug.
• Open discussions on addiction, especially with children, can teach the realities of substance use.
• Addiction is so incredibly complex, and so are you as a human being.
• She has held a number of senior leadership roles in the substance use and mental health sector in the NHS, the prison service and in leading social enterprises in the field.

Preventing Initial Use

A relapse isn’t a hard reset; it can just be a momentary slip. But the truth is that sometimes relapse is out of our control; specific situations, emotions, or unexpected events can trigger the mental, emotional, and physical stages of relapse. Experiencing a relapse isn’t the end of your recovery journey—it’s a detour.

• Hiding and spending more time alone can be a sign too, as this would keep other loved ones from noticing some of the more obvious signs.
• In order to understand how to prevent relapse, it is essential to first understand the relapse process itself.
• When you are able to focus your mind on recovering, with having taken responsibility for the relapse, reaching out to a sponsor should be the next step.
• You can also contact us to talk to one of our recovery coaches.