Hundreds of thousands of people attend treatment every year. Some people go to a different state to remove themselves from the current environment they are in, just for a glimmer of hope.
As an individual goes through the treatment program, completing the steps, and fulfilling the criteria of the program from the start— a relapse could still occur a few days after. Why is that?
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a relapse tends to be a part of treatment for some. This is possible as drug addiction is treated as a chronic disease, which involves changing habits. It also doesn’t mean treatment failed.
Of course, some individuals can successfully recover after treatment. However, we’ll discuss the reasons why others may relapse after drug rehab.
Factors That May Contribute to a Relapse After Rehab
After completing rehab, there’s an adjustment period every individual must go through.
Several factors come into play that disrupts a person’s recovery process, which includes:
- Toxic environments: For example, if you are an alcoholic, going back into bars or hanging out with alcoholics may not be in your best interest right after rehab.
- Stress: One of the biggest causes of relapsing is stress, whether it’s family, friends or finances.
- Thinking you can use drugs moderately: For some, the addiction is so strong that they believe using the drugs sparingly is okay, which it is not.
- Triggers: Certain people, objects, events, or places can trigger a person, resulting in immediate relapses.
- Mental health: If a person suffers from trauma, depression, anxiety, etc., it may regress a person’s progress, causing the individual to turn to drugs.
Conclusion
Whether this describes you or a person you know, relapsing after rehab doesn’t have to be a part of your story.
The recovery process calls for self-discipline and consistency. Also, a positive attitude and changes to one’s lifestyle can prevent a relapse after rehab.
Lastly, accepting you need help for your addiction and going back to rehab is an option, as relapsing doesn’t mean failure. Always seek professional assistance if you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction.