10 Common Reasons for Addiction Relapse

10 Common Reasons for Addiction Relapse

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Relapse and Non-12-Step Treatment Solutions at Passages Malibu

Addiction is a serious problem, and relapse is one of the biggest challenges that individuals struggling to stay sober face. Addiction relapse can occur when an individual returns to the use of drugs or alcohol after any amount of sobriety. Addiction relapse in individuals may be influenced by several factors, such as biological, neurological, psychological, social, and environmental influences. The most significant thing to point out when it comes to relapse is whether or not the underlying conditions are being addressed in the proper manner.

Addiction and cravings

• Cravings are a warning sign that you need to seek help. Cravings can signify that you're leaning toward old patterns and habits.
• If you have an active addiction and are trying to get or stay sober, then cravings will sometimes sneak up on you. But don't be discouraged if they do: they can also serve as signs that something isn't right in your life and that you need to get more support!

Failing to identify triggers.

One of the most common reasons for relapse is failing to identify triggers. A trigger is anything that causes you to crave drugs or alcohol, such as being in a particular place, feeling stressed or depressed, having an argument with someone close to you, seeing someone who uses drugs regularly or drinks heavily, and so on. Triggers may differ for different people; some people might have triggers related to particular places, while others may be triggered by certain feelings (such as anger).

Feeling stressed.

Stress is one of the most common triggers for relapse. It can be caused by work, home, relationships—any number of things in your life. Stress itself is a natural response to pain or discomfort (like a burn from the stove or a sense that something isn’t right). For example: if your doctor tells you that your blood pressure is high and you need to go on medication for it, this would probably feel like an unpleasant situation—and thus cause stress!

The more serious problem comes when we don't understand how stress affects us physically and emotionally (or even cognitively). So, for example, if someone has an addictive personality that leads them toward self-medicating with drugs or alcohol when they're feeling overwhelmed by life's difficulties, they may find themselves vulnerable when faced with life circumstances that trigger these same emotions again after completing treatment successfully once before.

This means there are two key factors here: understanding both how addiction works and how stress affects us, so we can better recognize what situations might cause us trouble later down the road should we not take steps beforehand now.

Feeling lonely or isolated.

If you feel alone, lonely, or isolated and are not receiving the support you need to overcome your addiction, then this could be a factor in a relapse. Feeling disconnected from others is one of the most common feelings individuals experience as they go through addiction recovery. If this is happening to you, reach out and find someone who can listen and help you through it.

Thinking success is defined by the absence of relapse.

If you feel like your recovery is a long-term journey that can never be completed, it’s essential to learn how to deal with relapse effectively. It’s not about giving up or failing; it’s about learning from mistakes and continuing on the path of recovery.

To do this, you need to understand why relapse occurs to avoid falling back into old habits and patterns again.

• Stressors at work or home (family issues, financial problems)
• Social influences (friends who use drugs)
• Peer pressure (being around others who encourage drug use)
• Unresolved childhood trauma

Neglecting mental health issues.

The most common mental health issue is depression. It's not always easy to recognize depression, but it can be as simple as not getting enough sleep or feeling hopeless about your future. Depression can also be more complex, like having a history of trauma or abuse, which can lead to feelings of low self-worth.

Mental health issues related to addiction include:

• Depression and anxiety
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Bipolar disorder

Losing the motivation to stay sober.

Motivation is a crucial part of recovery, often based on fear of relapse or the desire to feel better. For example, you might be motivated to stay sober because you want to be healthier or happier or because you don't want to burden your partner and children with your addiction problems anymore. As long as you have this kind of motivation, there's no need to worry: you'll continue moving forward with your sobriety program. But if your reasons become less concrete—if they're based more on "ideals" than actual goals—then it's possible that these abstract notions won't hold up in the face of temptation and stressors.

Struggling with a poor self-image and low self-esteem.

If you struggle with low self-esteem, it's essential to understand that this problem is common for people with addiction. Low self-esteem is a negative perception of oneself or how one views their abilities, personality, and worth. A person with low self-esteem may believe they are incapable of living up to expectations or being accepted by others. They may feel like they're not good enough and therefore don't deserve happiness or success.

Low self-esteem can be caused by various factors, such as:

• Childhood trauma (e.g., physical abuse)
• Bullying at school
• Toxic home or work environments
• Financial struggles
• Sudden job loss
• A broken relationship
• Social media & comparing your life to others online

Neglecting social skills or a healthy social life.

Social skills are learned behavior, and they're essential to staying sober. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, people who have good social skills tend to do better in recovery than those who don't. Conversely, many individuals find healing more complex than they imagined it would be because of their lack of social skills (or because they've never had any). Socializing with others while sober is an effective way to learn how to interact with people without relying on drugs or alcohol as an excuse for poor behavior. If you're going through recovery alone, consider finding ways to get out there and make friends—whether it's taking classes at your local community college or gym—anything that will help build your confidence and give you something else besides drugs and alcohol over which to focus yourself!

Addiction is not your fault.

You may believe it is your fault for not being able to quit because of something you did or didn’t do. After all, many people who are addicted, quit and go on to live very happy and sober lifestyles. You may wonder, why not you?

You are not responsible for your addiction because it was caused, is being kept alive, and active by one or more of the Four Causes. When you understand what created and is keeping your addiction active, it makes sense why certain events trigger the feelings that well up inside when they occur again in some way (which could be anytime). Those feelings can cause depression, fatigue, unhappiness, pain, and frustration when they well up. These symptoms become unbearable if left untreated because they cause a relapse into old habits or even worse behaviors such as self-harm or suicide attempts to feel better temporarily, even though none of these things will help long-term!

At Passages, we do not believe addiction is a disease. We believe that a person who is addicted to alcohol or drugs is motivated to seek substances by one of four underlying conditions:

Relapse is not a failure or an indication that treatment hasn't worked; it's an indication that you need to revisit the four causes of addiction and evaluate what is driving your motivation to use drugs and alcohol.

When recovering from addiction, it's essential to understand what drives your desire for drugs or alcohol. Addiction can be overcome if there is a strong enough reason for change—your experience with getting sober can provide this reason. In addition, the more successful you are at living life sober and experiencing the endless benefits of sobriety, the less likely you'll return to seeking out those substances again.

Reach out for help at Passages Malibu today.

Even though addiction relapse is common when an individual has not received proper treatment, there is hope. If you’re struggling with an addiction to drugs and alcohol and want help for yourself or a loved one, please call Passages Malibu today. Our caring staff members are here 24/7 to provide you with the support and guidance you need during this challenging time in your life. We offer non-12-step treatment options to meet your needs and address your concerns. Most insurance is accepted.