Recovery encompasses overcoming challenges, celebrating victories, and sometimes facing setbacks. While going through all of this, it is important to notice the warning signs of relapse to maintain long-term sobriety.
This guide provides deep insight into the early signs that may suggest an impending relapse, supported by current data and relevant studies.
Southern Sky Recovery is committed to walking this path with you and supporting you through every high and low. Our outpatient rehab in Bluffton, SC, can help you get back on the path to recovery. Contact our team today to learn more.
The Early Birds Catch the Worm: Identifying Warning Signs
Relapses don’t happen instantly but develop slowly over weeks or even months before the actual incidence. Recognizing these first symptoms can mean the difference between stumbling or falling completely.
Emotional Stage Signs
The journey toward relapsing usually begins way ahead of the return of physical cravings. Here are some emotional symptoms to watch for:
- Becoming more isolated: Moving away from friends, family, or recovery groups who might be offering support.
- Missing meetings: Failing to go for therapy sessions or support group meetings without genuine reason.
- Mood swings: Having swift unexplained mood shifts from fury to sorrow.
- Defensiveness: Reacting negatively when loved ones raise issues concerning their conduct or well-being.
Mental Stage Signs
Then, it starts getting tough as one’s mind battles against itself. The warning signs within this phase include:
- Pining for past use: Remembering past substance abuse fondly while forgetting about its adverse outcomes.
- Negotiating: Considering using “just one time” or thinking they will handle themselves better this time.
- Lying: Hiding true feelings and actions from themselves and others around them.
- Planning a relapse: They are beginning to plan when, where, how much drugs to get, and how they are going to do it.
Physical Stage Signs
This is the final step before a full relapse occurs and is often characterized by:
- Reconnecting with old friends: Contacting friends who still use.
- Going back to hiding places: Visiting areas where drugs were commonly used.
- Craving the substance in physical form: Yearning again for substances that were once consumed.
Staying One Step Ahead: Treatments for Each Stage
At each point of these warning signs, various measures can be essential in preventing a person from falling back into addiction.
Emotional Stage Interventions
- Boost support networks: Re-engage with helpful family members, friends, and groups.
- Voice feelings: Encourage open communication channels regarding feelings and challenges that arise during the recovery process.
- Take care of yourself: Concentrate on maintaining good health through regular exercise, enough sleep, and a balanced diet.
Mental Stage Interventions
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): Helps people change negative thought patterns.
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): Equips individuals with strategies for coping with stressors while managing emotions and enhancing relationships.
- Medication-assisted treatment (MAT): A form of treatment appropriate for some patients, helping them manage cravings while stabilizing their moods.
Physical Stage Interventions
- Immediate professional help: If you need urgent professional help, immediately call Southern Sky Recovery Center or any other relevant treatment facility.
- Drug intervention services: Stage an intervention before the actual relapse transpires.
- Family therapy: Involving the entire household in healing enhances an individual’s support throughout this period when understanding is needed most.
Harnessing Hope: Southern Sky Recovery
The path toward recovery is not always straight, but it can be navigated with diligence, support, and the right tools. Knowing the warning signs of relapse is essential for maintaining sobriety.
At Southern Sky Recovery, we are more than a treatment center; we are a community that supports each other.
If this is your first time seeking treatment or recovering from a relapse, we have resources to meet your unique needs. These include:
- Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
- Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
- Outpatient Care
- Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
- Intervention Services
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Family Therapy
- Individual Therapy
Face the Warning Signs of Relapse with Southern Sky Recovery
Facing the risk of relapsing is challenging, but you do not have to go through it alone. At Southern Sky Recovery, we offer a caring, holistic approach to addiction treatment, as we believe it’s the best way to help those struggling with substance abuse.
For us, recovery is not about finding a cure—it’s about living better. Our team of professionals understands the complexities surrounding substance use disorders and can help guide you through the maze of recovery.
If you or someone you know exhibits warning signs of relapse, we encourage you to contact us today.
