Addiction, whether to alcohol, drugs, or any other harmful substance, is one of the most triggering health issues. Before we dive into addiction relapse, it is crucial to understand that addiction is a hazardous disease. It debilitates the immune system, increases the risk of illnesses, and leads to long-term health concerns such as lung diseases and heart conditions. There are several side effects to addiction, but luckily, it is curable. There are many therapy and treatment options available for overcoming addiction problems.
However, what’s worse is addiction relapse. Imagine being on such a challenging road to recovery, only to reevaluate where you began. Addiction relapse, in literal terms, means a person returning to using drugs or alcohol after a specific recovery tenure. Several elements trigger a relapse, including stress, negative emotions, interpersonal problems, peer pressure, etc. Let’s now discuss the best way to deal with addiction relapse.
Get help
Never hesitate to get help, even when you get the slightest hint of a relapse. The sooner you call for help, the quicker you’ll be able to recover. Alcohol and drug detox without professional service is pretty dangerous. It can cause harm to the person and anyone helping them. So, you might want to check out the Serenity at Summit facility, as it provides excellent drug detox treatments.
Addiction severely affects your mental health. And it is best to consult with a professional to avoid developing mental health conditions. Also, a rehab facility can provide you with therapy and other options that can bring your mental health at ease. A rehabilitation facility can also dig into the underlying issue and figure out what is causing your relapse. Counselors then try to make sense of the reasons and help you accordingly. Rehabs also assist in creating healthy boundaries to break the addiction.
However, it is vital to note that help doesn’t have to be professional. You can ask for help from any family member or close friend as well. In reality, people whom you are most comfortable with can help you the most. So, seek support from your family and friends and let them help you recover.
Avoid triggers
The most common addiction relapse triggers include stress, people or places connected to addictive behavior, challenging emotions, and seeing and sensing objects of your addiction. Being around triggers will only increase your yearning. It is best to try and stay far away from as many triggers as possible for you. But often, these triggers become unavoidable. In that case, you must minimize your contact with them.
Try and avoid situations that cause excessive stress. Evaluating the pressure you are experiencing is critical to preventing relapse. Consider practicing mindfulness, managing your time more effectively, and indulging in moderate daily exercise. These practices can help eliminate stress and assist you with recovering from your relapse. It will be helpful if you learn how to control your feelings and realize that negative emotions don’t have to be a setback.
Learn to recognize triggers and how to deal with them. Embrace that you want to improve yourself and see how recovery becomes more manageable than ever.
Self-care
We can’t stress this point enough but never stop engaging in self-care. Self-care can be emotional or physical. Both are equally essential. Emotional self-care helps in setting healthy boundaries to protect us from harm. It helps prevent negative emotions such as anger and resentment and teaches us to avoid contact with abusive individuals.
Physical self-care includes activities such as yoga, meditation, journaling, reading, exercising, etc. It is an excellent way to ward off stress and anxiety. Self-care can generate soother feelings, make you more productive, and improve your self-compassion. Concerning mental health, self-care can prevent several illnesses and increase your energy.
It makes you feel more content with your existence and accepting of reality. Eventually, you find out who you are and how much you have to offer.
Be kind to yourself
The most crucial thing to avoid is beating yourself up during a relapse. Be kind to yourself and give yourself time to recover. Being kind to yourself can help you move forward from difficult situations. It makes you feel happy and confident. Most importantly, you start treating yourself the way you expect others to treat you.
By treating yourself respectfully, you automatically give people less power over the way you feel. You learn how to turn bad experiences into a silver lining and an opportunity for you to learn and grow. When you feel satisfied with your decisions, you set an example for others, excel at your job, and become kinder.
You must realize that being unkind to yourself serves no purpose. It will only hurt you.
Conclusion
Addiction recovery is a challenging path, but it is not unachievable. With the right intention and effort, you can overcome your relapse in no time. However, it is vital to acknowledge that recovery is not a straight line. There will be several uncertainties and fickleness, but you will need to fight them.
Remember, relapse does not mean failure. If you recovered once, it’s possible again.
