The Cycle of Addiction: Understanding the Reasons for Relapse
By Space Coast Daily // February 21, 2025
Regardless of what you see in the movies or on television, most people dealing with substance abuse can recover successfully.
In fact, 7 out of 10 people who’ve struggled with substance abuse are in recovery or view themselves as recovered, according to the latest survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
While encouraging, these numbers don’t take away from the fact that millions of people suffer from relapse. What might sound surprising is that relapsing forms a part of addiction recovery. Relapsing doesn’t equate to failure. It simply indicates that reevaluation may be necessary.
How Common are Relapses?
A relapse goes by many names—a slip, a recurrence, or a lapse. It describes a scenario where someone turns to substance use after abstaining for a certain period.
What makes a relapse particularly dangerous is the higher risk of a fatal overdose. After a period without substance use, the body has a lower tolerance for drugs or alcohol.
Estimates show that up to 60 percent of people who have received addiction disorder treatment will relapse. This figure varies depending on the substance. For instance, opioid addiction has a high relapse rate of 91%. Compare this to those suffering from alcohol addiction, which has a 70% relapse rate.
Understanding the Reasons and Triggers for Relapse
Several reasons or triggers are behind a relapse, and these vary from one person to the next. If there’s one thing that explains why a person might relapse, it’s that addiction is a chronic disease.
Big Apple residents who have checked in a New York City drug rehab facility often learn about the various triggers that can disrupt their recovery journey in such a high-energy urban environment. By identifying these specific stressors early on, individuals can work with specialists to develop personalized coping strategies that safeguard their long-term sobriety.
Even people who feel healthy and happy may suffer a relapse simply because these conditions are unfamiliar. More commonly, though, people relapse when things aren’t falling into place because they seek a place of comfort. Terrible experiences may be used as an excuse to give in to cravings.
According to rehabilitation experts from HARP Rehab Sydney, five primary triggers cause a relapse. These include stress, negative feelings, encountering people or going to places connected to addictive behaviors, tempting sights or smells, and celebrations or holidays.
As earlier noted, relapse triggers may be different from one person to another. This is precisely why the most effective rehab in Sydney includes a personalized approach that identifies unique triggers and how to respond to them.
3 Stages of Relapse
Relapse doesn’t happen in the blink of an eye. Three stages lead to recurrence, and knowing these stages can help prevent relapse.
- Emotional Relapse
The first step to recurrence happens when you no longer take care of your physical or mental health. Telltale signs include staying up late, eating unhealthy foods, and isolating yourself from people close to you.
- Mental Relapse
Ignoring the signs indicated above could lead to the next step of recurrence, which is a mental relapse. This involves overthinking about substance abuse and romanticizing past behaviors. You may also feel the need to reconnect with the people with whom you used drugs or alcohol. Another sign is convincing yourself that “just one beer is okay.”
- Physical Relapse
This stage involves the actual ingestion of a substance. The gravity of going through a physical relapse may feel heavier compared to the initial bout with addiction. This is because you may feel as if you’re not strong enough to beat your substance abuse. But help is always available. Reconnect with family and friends who have shown support in the past. And, of course, consider enrolling in an alcohol, drug, and gambling Sydney program to help you get back on track to recovery.
