Poor sleep, tension (stress), and negative emotional states increase the risk of relapse;[10] adequate sleep, rest, and relaxation are essential components of self-care, optimal functioning, healing, and recommitting to a healthy lifestyle in recovery.
The individual usually starts to experience negative emotional responses, such as anger, moodiness and anxious feelings. They also may begin to experience erratic eating and sleeping habits, and their desire for recovery often wanes due to a lack of using their support systems.
Relapse is a gradual process that begins weeks and sometimes months before an individual picks up a drink or drug. There are three stages to relapse: emotional, mental, and physical. The common denominator of emotional relapse is poor self-care.
First Steps to Take After A Relapse
An article in Psychology Today cites studies that show most relapses happen within the first 90 days of abstinence, which is why attending a rehab program lasting at least 3 months may be most beneficial.
People call relapses by different names including an attack, episode, flare up or an exacerbation. Relapses can last anywhere between a few days, up to weeks or even months. In between relapses are periods of remission where you may have no symptoms, or your symptoms are relatively stable.
The simple answer to this question is no, not exactly. Although a relapse is a setback during a person's recovery, relapse does not necessarily send a person all the way back to where they started. Some people find it valuable to count how many days they have been sober from drugs and alcohol and some do not.
In relapses, symptoms usually come on over a short period of time – over hours or days. They often stay for a number of weeks, and for most people are usually over within a month. But this can vary, from very short periods of only a few days, to many months. Relapses can vary from mild to severe.
Relapses most often occur in the bone marrow. Less commonly, ALL will relapse in the central nervous system (CNS; the brain and spinal fluid) or, in boys, in the testicles, without any bone marrow involvement.
The probability of relapse is predicted by craving [4], executive self-control [5] and mental health distress [6]. The associations between craving and actual substance use are complex and vary [4].
The root of the word relapse is Latin relab?, meaning “to slip back.”
Treatment can cure ALL, but the cancer can sometimes return. Doctors refer to this as relapsed ALL. ALL is most likely to develop in children under 5 years old, but the risk increases again once a person reaches the age of 50 years. Despite the higher rate of ALL among children, a relapse is more likely in adults.
Studies reflect that about 40-60% of individuals relapse within 30 days of leaving an inpatient drug and alcohol treatment center, and up to 85% relapse within the first year.
While relapse is part of the recovery experience for many people, it should not be taken lightly. Relapse not only endangers your recovery, but it can endanger your life, more so than your initial addiction.
It's your decision whether to tell someone about your lapse or relapse. It's totally normal to want to protect the feelings of your loved ones. And for some people, talking about your lapse could risk your personal safety or your living situation. But if you can, there are big benefits to talking about your experience.
You might feel like you failed after a relapse. You might feel like you let your loved ones down. You might struggle to get back on track because you feel that relapsing means that recovery and sobriety are not meant for you. You might feel hopeless after a relapse or that getting better is impossible for you.
By implementing physical exercise and a balanced diet, one can improve their quality of sleep. This can be done by setting up and following a structured sleep, exercise, and eating schedule. By doing this, one can retrain the body to sleep better and will also help reduce the risk of relapse.
After a relapse, many people experience feelings of shame or regret. Furthermore, you may feel like giving up the fight and giving into your addiction rather than continuing to work hard and overcome the fleeting desire to use. These are normal, but can create challenges to creating a drug-free life.
Sometimes lapses are triggered by stress and low mood, or simply fatigue. A relapse is a complete return to all of your old ways of thinking and behaving when you are anxious. People who have a relapse are usually doing the same things that they did before they learned some new strategies for managing anxiety.
Stage 1: Emotional Relapse. Emotional relapse is the first phase of the three phases of relapse. During this stage, the person is not actively thinking about using drugs or alcohol. However, their emotions and behaviors may be setting them up for a relapse down the road.
Stage Four: Action/Willpower
It generally lasts about 6 months, but it can literally be as short as one hour! This is a stage when people most depend on their own willpower. They are making overt efforts to change the behavior and are at greatest risk for relapse.