Recognizing 10 Warning Signs of Relapse for Alcoholics and Addicts

Before we address the warning signs of relapse for alcoholics and addicts, we must ask ourselves: What is a relapse? For alcoholics and drug addicts, a relapse is when consuming an alcoholic drink or using an illegal substance takes place after a period of abstinence. Relapse is common for patients, both just starting in recovery and patients who have managed their recovery for longer periods.

There are several kinds of Warning Signs of Relapse, characterized by how significant the relapse turns out to be and the behavior the person exhibits. When an alcoholic or drug addict begins using again temporarily, that is, they are consuming it in small amounts, this is called a slip. Conversely, when a person returns to regularly drinking alcohol or using a substance again, that is described as a full relapse. Additionally, different behaviors become more prominent preceding and during relapse, such as changes to emotional, mental, and physical behaviors. We will discuss all of these points and more in the succeeding sections.

How Common is It for an Alcoholic or Addict to Relapse?

How does a person suffering from either alcoholism or substance use disorder get to the point of relapse? The warning signs of relapse occur far before the actual incident, signaled by a change in behavior. The behavior that leads up to these incidents is triggered by several indicators, as discussed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Warning Signs of Relapse including:

• • Cravings and withdrawals
  • Stressful life events
  • Encounter cues or reminders of alcohol or drug use
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Isolation
  • Losing interest in one’s recovery
  • Neglecting responsibilities

Relapse, surprisingly, is more common than a general consensus would believe. In a study conducted on rates and predictors of relapse after natural and treated remission from alcohol use disorders, published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and PubMed Central (PMC), patients and non-patients of alcohol use disorder were compared at two points of remission, one at three-years and at 16-years. Its findings show that non-patients, those who received no help, were much more likely to relapse at the three-year mark.

Additionally, patients who surpassed the three-year mark but used avoidance coping mechanisms and still drank but did not see their drinking as a problem were more likely to relapse by 16 years.

In another study, conducted by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), on Risk Factors for Relapse in Health Care Professionals with Substance Use Disorders, 25% of those surveyed had experienced a relapse. Factors that contributed to the surveyees’ substance use disorders relapse included:

• • Family history of substance use disorder
  • Historical major opioid use
  • Diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder

What Causes Alcoholics and Addicts to Relapse?

The causes for relapse of alcoholism and substance use disorder include a wide array of factors. Some warning signs described in the section above are also seen as causes, such as cravings, stressful life events, encountering cues and reminders, and any mental health disorder. These warning signs covered mental and emotional behaviors of alcoholism and substance use disorder that one exhibits when potentially about to relapse. In addition to these, let’s discuss the physical factors that trigger an alcoholic or addict to relapse.

• • Indirectly interacting with alcohol or a substance
  • Remaining or returning to the environment where alcohol or a substance was consumed
  • Encountering alcohol or a substance when least expected
  • Being physically abused or being in a toxic relationship
  • Celebratory events and holidays
  • Poor-self care that results in affecting your mental health

These points aim to give you a good general understanding of what triggers relapse of alcoholism and substance use, although they may not cover every instance an addict will encounter. For example, expounding on the point of being in a triggering environment, this includes returning to physical locations where you drank or used a substance, hanging out with other substance abusers, and going out with friends to bars or clubs.

What Are Cravings and How Long Do They Last?

Before we go further, let’s hit on the issue of cravings when recovering from alcoholism or substance use disorder. Why? As explained above, cravings play a role in relapse, especially if you consumed alcohol or used a drug for long periods at a time. Over longer durations of substance use, your brain adapts to addiction. As discussed in a study about metabolic changes in the brain due to cigarette craving, regions of the brain associated with “sensory integration … are activated during exposure to … craving” and are “similar to findings with other addictive substances.”

Additionally, a question that is brought up time and again is how long do cravings last? How long cravings last depends on the substance being used and the person using it. For alcohol, cravings may never fully dissipate; however, they certainly lessen over time as your brain is reconditioning itself to no longer needing a substance for it to function.

Cravings are a sign of withdrawal. Your brain is telling you that you need that substance. Withdrawal from alcohol and most substances is serious, and you may wish to receive medical attention to ensure your healthy recovery. In order for a full, healthy recovery, you may want to seek medical attention.

Core Principles of Recovery for Alcoholism and Substance Abuse

Avoiding relapse sounds impossible. Imagining a lifetime of never drinking or using a substance again is improbable. Whether you are a recovering alcoholic or addict, you know how tight of a grip these poisons have around you. They live on free real estate in the back of your mind, and you wish they never moved in to begin with. You want these squatters gone. How do you approach kicking them out, though?

On your road to recovery from alcoholism and substance abuse, and when looking for preventative solutions to relapse, you will encounter the need for attaining core principles. These principles reflect your past and present selves—yourself as an alcoholic or addict and yourself as a sober member of society. How these principles help you on your journey through recovery is by molding future actions and thoughts with intentions of remaining sober.

For example, imagine you are picking up groceries, and you pass by the alcohol aisle. A thought runs through your mind that slipping a case of beer into your cart would not hurt. By the end of your grocery trip, you have resumed your old substance-abusing behaviors.

You know you are an alcoholic, and yet you buy that case of beer. Now, take that same example, but when the thought crosses your mind, you uphold the principle of honesty—with yourself and others. It reminds you at that moment that you suffer from a substance use disorder, that you are not well. Instead of buying that case of beer, you continue on your grocery trip unfaltering. Additionally, when it comes to how others perceive your addiction, honesty is vital. It allows emotional, mental, and physical remedies for your illness.

When entering a treatment facility or joining a twelve-step program, you may encounter a system of core principles that intend to bolster your ability to recover from alcoholism or substance abuse. In twelve-step programs, these principles are consistent. Most 12-step programs advocate for:

• • Honesty
  • Hope
  • Faith
  • Courage
  • Integrity
  • Willingness
  • Humility
  • Love
  • Discipline
  • Perseverance
  • Awareness
  • Service

When administered into a rehabilitation facility, the principles you encounter tend to include some of those listed above as well as those unique to the facility. For example, facilities that want to distance themselves from religion might eliminate this principle from their catalog (albeit faith is described in terms of spirituality and not a religious belief in a twelve-step program).

Surrounding yourself with structured principles and the ability to follow through with them improves your capability to avoid relapse. Furthermore, in a 2007 survey by Alcoholics Anonymous as well as a 2009 survey by Narcotics Anonymous, published in NCBI and PMC, a community that encourages a sober environment, supported by a foundation of principles, has helped 33% of people with substance use disorders remain sober for between 1 to 5 years.

How to Prevent Relapse with a Plan

Avoiding triggers of relapse is near impossible. They sneak into your peripherals at the most unwanted of times. Certain triggers you simply cannot control. Developing coping mechanisms for unwanted stimuli that could affect your sobriety tends to follow a plan to prevent relapse. Seeking help through a recovery facility (in-patient, out-patient, or sober living home) builds your ability to cope with triggers that would otherwise cause you to relapse.

At Real Recovery Sober Living, we work with you to build a personalized plan to prevent relapse. We institute a structured program around policies and procedures that ensure you succeed in your recovery, which includes:

• • Passing a 16-panel urinalysis test and breathalyzer test
  • Setting goals for sobriety, length of stay, and future plans
  • Alcohol and drug abstinence
  • Work with a twelve-step sponsor with one year of continuous sobriety
  • Attend weekly mandatory house meetings to discuss progress
  • Attend at least five twelve-step meetings per week
  • Within fourteen days of admittance, members are required to either be enrolled in school, occupational work, or volunteer work

Additionally, we work with our members and their family members to provide accountability and support for their illnesses, including strategies to continue with long-term recovery.

Following a plan to prevent alcohol or substance use relapse is effective. Doing so with a sober living home improves that chance. In a study published by NCBI and PMC about sober living homes and their effectiveness of preventing relapse and substance use abstinence, residents that “reduced or stopped their substance use” over a six-month period and follow-up “maintained those improvements at 12 and 18 months.” These improvements are seen as 68% of residents remaining sober at 6 and 12 months into recovery versus previous recovery attempts.

Build A Strong Foundation in Sobriety at Real Recovery

 Alcoholism and drug addiction are detrimental to your mental and physical health. If you or a loved one show Warning Signs of Relapse and need treatment for alcoholism or substance use disorder, please seek help as soon as possible. For treatment at Real Recovery Sober Living, we ask that you complete a medically supervised detox before your stay with us—as withdrawal from alcohol and most drugs can be dangerous and can be life-threatening. In-patient treatment is recommended for those at risk of relapse.

At Real Recovery, we welcome those who are serious about their recovery, and we are happy to help you transition from your treatment or rehab facility to our sober living homes. As Florida’s largest provider of sober living beds and highest rated sober living home, Real Recovery offers a safe and stable environment with a strong community support system to help men successfully transition back into the real world. To learn more about achieving long-term sobriety, speak with one of our recovery specialists by calling (727) 290-9156.