Whether someone has completed an addiction treatment programme at a drug and alcohol rehab or not, they are always susceptible to falling – and reinitiating their drug or alcohol consumption – due to relapse triggers.
A relapse is when someone who has recovered or is recovering, from drugs or alcohol, returns to consuming these addictive substances.
Believe it or not, relapse is not only common but an expected part of the process. In fact, it is estimated that between 40% to 60% of people who are addicted will experience a relapse [1].
Many people who have recovered from their addiction end up relapsing, only to feel as if they are back to square one. However, there are many ways to not only proceed following a relapse but to avoid relapse triggers.
Relapse triggers come in many different forms, and they will come at many different points during someone’s life, not only during the initial stages of recovery. We can distinguish some of the relapse triggers by categorising them into internal and external.
Internal relapse triggers are those which come from within. What we mean by this, is that the relapse triggers are driven by the person’s unique feelings.
Common triggers which come from within include:
While it is important that we take accountability for our actions, external relapse triggers are presented by things other than us, serving as an example of how our environment can affect us.
This can include other people, places, or events.
However, it’s hard to just simply cut everyone out of our lives and to remain at home, avoiding any environment which may present a relapse trigger.
Socialising, and taking part in activities, whether it be visiting cafes, restaurants, going to the gym, or visiting your friends, are integral to our mental health.
In fact, behavioural activation [4] is used as a form of therapy which is used to not only treat depression, but drug and alcohol addiction.
Behavioural activation is experienced when someone takes part in activities, completes tasks and goals, and more. It is often achieved in social settings as well as those in the home.
Merely avoiding these places which may have relapse triggers would simply exacerbate social isolation and boredom, which are internal relapse triggers. Therefore, it is important to balance our lifestyles in a way where we can be social but avoid – or resist – relapse triggers.
There are many different tips and precautions which people can take in order to not only avoid relapse triggers but to resist them and build a healthy lifestyle.
Tips may vary from one person to another according to their unique lifestyle, however, here are some of the most effective methods which you can implement in order to avoid triggers.
While much easier said than done, it is important for all people, not only addicted people, to reduce the level of stress they experience in order to build a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
Negative emotions such as stress are inevitable in life, especially when faced with the death of a loved one, financial insecurity, and more, however, there are ways we can minimise our stress levels.
When someone is faced with a great level of stress, they may turn towards drugs and alcohol as a destructive form of coping mechanism. Instead, there are other, more proactive and adaptive methods of coping.
Aside from seeking help from a licensed counsellor or mental health professional, turning towards mindfulness [5] and meditation is a fantastic way to improve one’s quality of life.
Meditation is a form of holistic therapy, and it can improve someone’s mental health in a number of ways, such as:
While it seems simple and too good to be true, journaling is also another way in which people can experience emotional purging or catharsis.
The idea behind journaling is that by writing down the things which worry you in great detail, you are externalising your stress, anxiety and worries. This can help you unburden many of the stresses in your life which you have found difficult to communicate with others.
It is difficult to cut everyone out of your life, especially when the majority of the population enjoys consuming intoxicating substances and you may have people who you enjoy seeing in sober activities.
However, if you are a formerly addicted person who is recovering, it is important that you set yourself boundaries.
Some of these boundaries include:
Joining a support network offers many benefits, such as minimising social isolation, externalising stress and emotional purging, positive social reinforcement, and establishing a new form of a supportive community.
At a support group, you will share a space with like-minded individuals. Although you will meet people from all walks of life, of different genders, ages, classes, wealth, beliefs, and so on, you will all share a common goal, which is to achieve and sustain recovery.
Support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous [6], Narcotics Anonymous [7], or SMART Recovery [8], allow people to meet others who are striving towards the same goal.
In these sessions which are often led by a formerly addicted person, you will be able to not only share your experience and insight with others, you will be able to listen to other people’s experiences.
This allows you to gain insight into how other people cope with addiction recovery, and it also helps you vocalise your thoughts and emotions.
Because everyone is striving towards the same goal, positive social reinforcement is in abundance at a support network.
Non-judgemental communication is a huge component. This means that you will feel much more confident vocalising these issues with friends and family members outside of the support network.
While it is important that you confront these issues related to addiction, it is also important that you focus on yourself as a whole.
The theory of ‘holism’ is that everything within us is interconnected. That means that our mental, physical, and spiritual health are tightly interwoven, and one affects the other profoundly.
By adopting a holistic approach to life, you will experience benefits in all facets which will also make you more resilient to poor lifestyle choices and also to relapse triggers.
Another reason we need to adopt a holistic and healthy lifestyle is that the more positive actions we make, the more likely we will make them again, like a snowball effect.
Eating a diet which is rich in nutrients and devoid of saturated fats and processed sugars will greatly minimise your physical cravings for things such as junk food and alcohol.
By opting for a healthier diet, you will benefit from higher energy levels and improved cognition which will reinforce your resilience to relapse triggers.
Exercise provides a wealth of physical and mental benefits. Even without considering the physical benefits of exercising, it would still be worth practising in order to benefit from the mental benefits.
When we exercise, our brains will release positive hormones and chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin. An example of this is the commonly used phrase “runner’s high” one experiences following a bout of running.
Additionally, while it may seem contradicting, movement and exercise can increase our energy, as well as improve our sleep quality.
There is a misconception that exercising means that we need to complete one hour of intense weight lifting, kickboxing, or running a marathon.
Exercising comes in all shapes and forms. Lower-intensity forms of exercising, such as walking, stretching, and even gardening, can benefit our hearts and our mental health tremendously.
In order to benefit from our light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep [9] (Rapid Eye Movement), everyone (not only addicted or formerly addicted people) should be striving to get around 8 hours of sleep per day.
Sleeping for 8 hours greatly increases your cognitive function and energy levels, and it also improves your mood.
Those who sacrifice their sleep for other activities (such as spending too much time on their phones) are more likely to suffer from impaired memorisation, coordination, and an increase in irritability.
REM sleep, which is mostly obtained from hours 6 to 8 in our schedule, fosters brain activity, memorisation, muscle relaxation, and more.
Getting more REM sleep, by sleeping for around 8 hours, will help people make more positive and healthy decisions in their day-to-day life, which includes resisting the temptation of these relapse triggers.
While there is certainly no need to be self-righteous about your sobriety around your friends (although it is undoubtedly a healthier lifestyle), it is important that you keep emphasising the negative effects that drugs and alcohol have had on your life.
This does not mean that you need to dwell on the past and on certain situations which may bring you shame or regret, but it is important to remember why you are where you are, and what the reasons which motivated your recovery are.
Clearly, you had a list of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations towards recovering from your drug and alcohol addiction, and it is important not to stray too far from the simple, yet important fact – that drugs and alcohol negatively impacted your life.
While it may be difficult, it is certainly not impossible for you to fulfil your healthy life of sobriety.
Everyone has the prerequisite skills, will, and knowledge to remain in recovery.
While substance addiction or substance use disorder is a disease, we can overcome it by taking small steps each day in order to remain in recovery, and to live a happy and healthy life.
[1] Understanding Relapse and The Risks – Hazelden Betty Ford https://www.hazeldenbettyford.org/articles/relapse-risks-stats-and-warning-signs
[2] Anxiety and Substance Use Disorders: A Review https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2904966/
[3] Substance Abuse and Depression: A Dangerous Downward Spiral https://www.psycom.net/depression/depression-and-substance-abuse
[4] The Effect of a Behavioural Activation Treatment for Substance Use on Post Treatment Abstinence https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5807178/
[5] Mindfulness for Addiction Treatment – Rehab Recovery https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/addiction-treatments/mindfulness/
[6] Alcoholics Anonymous https://www.aa.org/
[7] Narcotics Anonymous https://na.org/
[8] SMART Recovery https://www.smartrecovery.org/
[9] Sleep Basics: REM & NREM, Sleep Stages, Good Sleep Habits https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/12148-sleep-basics
Boris is our editor-in-chief at Rehab 4 Addiction. Boris is an addiction expert with more than 20 years in the field. His expertise covers a broad of topics relating to addiction, rehab and recovery. Boris is an addiction therapist and assists in the alcohol detox and rehab process. Boris has been featured on a variety of websites, including the BBC, Verywell Mind and Healthline. You can connect with Boris online at LinkedIn or X.com.
