What is Relapse

achieve long-term recovery

Relapse is the return to drug use after a drug-free period. It is a prime characteristic of addiction, and one of the most painful. Most people who struggle with addiction will have one or more relapses during their ongoing attempts to recover. This can be incredibly frustrating and painful for patients and families.

There are often multiple and interactive factors that can increase the likelihood of relapse. Some of the commonly known factors are drug related “reminder” cues such as; sights, sounds, smells, drug thoughts or dreams. Negative and positive mood states or even a very small sampling of the drug itself can also lead to relapse.

Part of Addiction as a Chronic Disease

Even with the availability of many forms of effective treatment for addiction, the problem of relapse remains a major challenge to achieving sustained recovery. People who are trying to recover from drug abuse and addiction are often doing so with powerful drug-related memories, diminished impulse control and altered brains. Combined with intense drug cravings, these brain changes can leave people vulnerable to relapse even after years of being abstinent.

In order to achieve long-term recovery, treatment must address specific, individual patient needs and must take the whole person into account. It is not enough to simply get a person off drugs as the many changes that have occurred such as physical, social, psychological changes, must also be addressed to help people stay off drugs, for good.