The Warning Signs of Relapse

There are two basic components to addiction or alcohol treatment: Detox and Clinical treatment, followed by a lifelong program of Relapse Prevention. However, there exists a general misconception that once the initial, intense part of treatment has been completed it’s only a matter of staying away from drugs or alcohol. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy for most people. In fact, addiction experts estimate that as many as 90% of all people who get serious treatment for addiction will subsequently relapse and use again. More alarmingly, most of those people will go on to relapse over and over again, with each relapse event more severe than the last. This is the true progressive nature of the disease of addiction, and knowing the warning signs of relapse can literally make the difference between life and death. There are a number of major steps in the treatment of addiction or alcoholism. First, the addict or alcoholic must go through a detox program in order to physically “clean up” from the drug. This must be done in a professional medical detox center in order to manage sometimes severe symptoms related to Acute Withdrawal Syndrome. After detox a person will usually enter one of three types of programs: residential inpatient treatment, day/night treatment and outpatient treatment. If any of these programs are to be successful they must focus on treatment of Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome or PAWS and Denial Management. Symptoms associated with PAWS often pose a massive risk of relapse to the sufferer. Even if everything else is going great, the physical symptoms of PAWS alone can cause a person to seek relief by using drugs again. These and other symptoms of PAWS must be recognized in order to prevent would could be a disastrous relapse. *Loss of Routine One of the first signs of impending relapse is the loss of daily routines. Sleeping, eating, exercise and sexual habits are all important for long-term recovery. The loss of these routines indicates the likelihood that a serious problem is present that must be addressed. *Compulsivity In place of their former addiction, people might obsess over other things like food, sex, pornography, shopping, or other compulsive behaviors. These are strong signs that a relapse may imminent. *Inability to Solve Simple Problems PAWS can cause a person to be unable to organize their thoughts or solve even simple problems. This in turn leads to other problems such as depression, which poses a serious risk of relapse. *Lack of Physical Coordination The term “dry drunk” was coined for a reason. People suffering from PAWS can be very unsteady on their feet or be unable to easily manipulate objects with their hands. *Social Withdrawal This often happens in conjunction with the abandonment of a routine. People who are about to relapse will distance themselves from anyone who might try to prevent this from happening. *Disproportionate Reactions When relapse is imminent a person can exhibit some very unusual behavior; especially severe over or under-reactions to people or situations. If you recognize these warning signs in yourself and you feel like you might be on the verge of a relapse, you need to seek help right now. It’s not worth waiting any longer.

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