One of the persistent challenges of fighting addiction is the risk of relapse — the full return to an addictive lifestyle after an attempt to quit. Addiction crosses all demographic borders, and it’s possible for anyone recovering from drug or alcohol addiction to relapse. It’s also possible to never relapse during your recovery. Remember, relapse is a setback, not a failure. Click the image below to view a larger version.
What You Should Know About Relapse
Forty-seven percent of recovering addicts relapse within the first year after treatment begins. The possibility for recurrence is high: of those who relapse, 61% will relapse again. Over a five-year period, 97% of opiate (not including heroin) and painkiller abusers will relapse at least once. Recovering crack, alcohol, and heroin addicts have similarly high rates of relapse over the course of five years at 84%, 86%, and 87% respectively. The good news is that if you stay clean for more than five years, your chances of relapse drop dramatically. Although the five-year relapse rates can be a little scary, the overall relapse rate for drug addiction of 40-60% is comparable to other chronic illnesses such as Hypertension, Type 1 Diabetes, and Asthma. Dual diagnosis and the presence of common triggers — such as exposure to drugs/alcohol or others who are using — can increase your likelihood to relapse.
What to Do If You Suffered a Relapse
If you or someone you care about suffered a relapse, you need to secure treatment immediately. The earlier you quit, the less challenging your withdrawal and recovery symptoms will be. As you probably already know, addictive behavior intensifies quickly. When your little voice is telling you that you cannot quit on your own, the time to get help is now. At The Ranch PA, our Recovery Support Team helps people who have relapsed into addiction recover every day. We can help you get through withdrawal with a safe and thorough medically managed detox. You can avoid the uncomfortable symptoms you remember from your first attempts at sobriety. Once you are ready, you can hit the restart button on abstinence and remind yourself why living sober is the only way to health, happiness, and satisfaction. Addiction is not curable. It is treatable, however. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other respected independent organizations, individuals who accept that addiction is a lifelong disease requiring a commitment to ongoing care are more likely to achieve better long-term outcomes. That means even if you or a person you care about has relapsed into addiction, getting help now and staying involved later with therapy or counseling can help you sustain sobriety for the rest of your life.
The Ranch PA Can Help You
The Recovery Support Team at The Ranch PA is ready to answer your questions about addiction, relapse, and recovery. Do not wait until rock bottom to ask for help — multiple studies indicate that early intervention improves treatment outcomes enormously. You can quit for good. You can start now. All you have to do is call The Ranch PA for help. Sources National Institute on Drug Abuse SoberPlace Foundations Recovery Network If you enjoyed this infographic, please share it with your friends!!