Addiction Relapse After Treatment

 

Rates of relapse after addiction treatment can be extremely high: almost three quarters. When factors which contribute to addiction are still there or new ones crop up, it is tough to stay away from an addictive substance. It is crucial that a recovering alcoholic or drug addict remember that recovery is an ongoing learning process and not succumb to self-loathing but identify factors which influenced relapse.

Addiction Relapse Factors

One major cause of relapse is stress, often a catalyst which led to substance abuse in the first place. Stress might emanate from troubles with a spouse and children, job issues, health problems, or friendships.

Peer pressure to continue drinking or doing drugs is another contributing factor in cases of relapse. When others drink around a recovering addict and encourage him to have a beer or a glass of wine with them, saying no is extremely difficult.

Restricting access to a substance is a good idea: easy access makes relapse too easy. Add either of the other two factors and an addict will be tempted to take advantage of accessible substances. Recurring relapse is also common, especially when underlying issues are not dealt with.

One must consider whether or not treatment was complete. Returning to a therapist on an intense basis for a short time or enrolling once more in a full program of outpatient treatment could be a good option and is not a sign of failure.

Recovering from Relapse

While feeling discouraged is natural, try not to dwell on a sense of failure if you relapse. Take time to think about the reasons you drink and what you can do to change your circumstances. Talk to people who provide positive encouragement: a counselor, your sponsor, or a trusted friend. Choose to be around people who do not drink and respect the effort you have been making. This is potentially a time to stop being around friends who influence you negatively. Have someone remove all the alcohol from your home. Address causes of stress by talking to the boss or whoever you are experiencing friction with. Sign up for marital counseling. Most importantly, there is no limit to how many times you can start again.

Is Alcohol Really More Dangerous Than Heroin?

When discussing drug abuse, some people often claim that alcohol abuse is not as dangerous as heroin abuse. This misconception can also be blamed on the media, which normally focuses on the perils of heroin addiction. Since alcohol is legal while heroin is illegal, the myth of heroin addiction being worse than alcohol addiction may make sense to many people. The truth, however, is that alcohol addiction does more harm in society than heroin or any other drug for that matter. The question you may ask is, "Is alcohol really more dangerous than heroin?"

Why Alcohol is More Dangerous than Heroin

A recent study in the U.K. was carried out to determine the dangers of different types of drugs ranging from alcohol and heroin to tobacco and other types of drugs. Each drug was rated on a scale of 1 to 100, with the latter being the most dangerous. The results of the study revealed that alcohol was the most dangerous, with a score of 77. Heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis scored 55, 54 and 20 respectively. There are many reasons why people consider alcohol to be less harmful than heroin. They include:

• Alcohol is legal, so it is considered a recreational drug, while heroin is an illegal substance, so it is considered harmful. Possessing, manufacturing, using or distributing heroin is illegal and may land a person in jail.
• Alcohol use is usually shown in a positive light on TV commercials and programs, while heroin use is portrayed negatively, thereby influencing the opinion of the viewer.
• Alcohol manufacturers invest billions of dollars to make alcohol seem acceptable to consumers.

There are many other reasons why alcohol use may be considered acceptable and less harmful to personal health and the society in general. The truth, however, is that both drugs are harmful, but alcohol abuse is far more prevalent than heroin use. Think of the number of accidents that have been caused by DUIs, the domestic violence cases that were fueled by alcohol intoxication and the deaths caused by alcohol abuse. While the same can be said about heroin, alcohol-related cases are significantly more frequent.