Five Factors That Increase Relapse Risk

Relapse does not need to be part of recovery—and should not be the result of successful treatment. However, problems that we do not address during drug and alcohol recovery can leave us at risk for relapse. Here are five common factors that often lead to relapse in individuals who have undergone drug and alcohol treatment programs.

Five Factors That Increase Relapse Risk

• Untreated Root Causes
  The goal of drug and alcohol recovery should be to treat the underlying problem that has led to chemical dependency. Untreated root causes can range from childhood abuse to chemical imbalances, and when left untreated, dependency often returns. Successful treatment will address root causes and any ensuing beliefs, attitudes or outlooks that need to be healed or adjusted, to best position individuals for full recovery.
• Lack of After Care Planning
  Many treatment programs offer a severe lack of after care planning. This can lead individuals to feel jolted upon returning from inpatient treatment. Every person’s life will have unique relationships, situations and environments that may need adjusting in order to ensure recovery.
• Absence of Coping Skills
  During dependency, many people develop negative coping skills that simply do not work. Without counseling to help develop positive tools for coping with challenges, fears, arguments, or guilt, many people return to drug or alcohol use when the going gets tough. Old patterns of dishonesty, isolation or avoidance can quickly lead to relapse. Learning and practicing healthy approaches to stress, communication and socializing can help.
• Unhealthy Relationships
  Returning to an environment where a partner or friend still uses can have a “triggering” effect. Furthermore, any relationships that are exploitative, abusive or negative by nature will only foster old self-defeating beliefs.
• Low Self Esteem
  When previously dependent individuals have not healed their self esteem, they often lack a foundation on which to live a sober life. Self-doubt creeps in, making relapse look inevitable or appealing in comparison to self-loathing. Physical health often becomes overlooked, without the desire to nurture oneself with sleep, nutrition, exercise or pleasure. Ultimately, low self esteem leads us back to self-loathing and the destructive behaviors of dependency.

Related posts:

1. Common Relapse Rates in Drug Recovery
2. Low Self Esteem as a Root Cause for Dependency
3. Finding Hope After Relapse
4. Depression and Alcohol Dependency
5. Why Does Talk Therapy Matter in Recovery
6. Why Inpatient Recovery Is Effective After Relapses
7. Advantages to Inpatient Recovery Programs
8. Unearthing Dependency Roots Via Hypnotherapy
9. Explosive Anger and Chemical Dependency
10. Questioning Life-long Fears
11. Obscuring Emotional Pain With Dependency
12. Denial as a Defense Mechanism
13. The Role of Blame in Denial
14. Finding Power Over Alcohol
15. Why One Drink Can Endanger Recovery
16. Signs of Buried Emotional Pain
17. Why Physical Abuse Can Lead to Dependency
18. Anxiety Reduction Through Hypnotherapy
19. Medical Facilities at Inpatient Recovery Programs
20. Casa Esperanza Relapse Prevention and Outpt Services