Relapse Can Be Fatal, Even the First Time

The Research is Out, Even One Drink can be Detrimental to your Health
The Research is Out, Even One Drink can be Detrimental to your Health
January 4, 2018
Managing Money in Recovery
Managing Money in Recovery
January 8, 2018

Drug and alcohol addiction is a difficult struggle to have. Recovery is such a wonderful life transforming decision that you can make for yourself. As great as life in recovery is, cravings to use can be a challenge, especially in the early days of recovery.

Relapse is when a person uses drugs or alcohol after a period of quality sobriety. Relapse is not being sober for a day and then using again. In order for relapse to occur, you need to have worked on sobriety and maintained some clean time.

Relapse is emotionally damaging, but returning to active addiction can actually increase the risk of death. Medical research and statistics have proven that the risk of accidental overdose is greatly increased when drugs are used after a period of sobriety. The reason for increased risk is tolerance.

Tolerance occurs when you chronically use drugs like heroin, alcohol, or cocaine. Eventually, your body becomes used to the substance and you need more and more of the drug in order to feel the same type of high. After a period of abstinence from drugs, your tolerance decreases but you still feel like you can use the same amount of drugs. This process increases the risk of death by overdose. Essentially, you still think you can use the same amount, but your body cannot take it.

You may also find it difficult  to bounce back from a relapse because of guilt and shame. You put in so much work to start your journey of recovery that it can feel like you will never get it back. Often times, the guilt alone will keep an addict in active addiction for a long time.

Signs of relapse can include:

  • Hanging out with old friends or calling them
  • Stop going to meetings and support groups
  • Having a “Forget it” attitude
  • Idealizing addiction
  • Forgetting what addiction did in your life
  • Losing motivation
  • Agitation

If these warning signs apply to you, you may consider going to treatment to prevent relapse. Even if you have been to treatment before, you can prevent relapse by going back. If you are in the midst of a relapse, there is hope. All you need to do is get to the phone and call a sober friend. If a sober friend is not available call The Kimberly Center at 855-4-CENTER. The Kimberly Center can teach you how to overcome a relapse and get back on track.

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