Causes And Signs Of Alcohol Relapse: By Recovery And Rehab Specialists
Alcohol!
When it comes to substance abuse, alcohol addiction is the most common one. It is also very easy to develop an addiction to this substance without even knowing. Developing an addiction is not anyone’s fault.
Everyone makes mistakes; after all, we are human beings. The best thing is when the individual takes steps towards recovery and quitting substance abuse. During or even after the recovery period, individuals often experience alcohol relapse.
Here, in this article, we will talk about the causes and symptoms of alcohol relapse. Knowing them will be able to understand it and when you will need assistance from an individual. Let’s start with what relapse is.
What Is A Relapse?
Let’s keep it simple. When you are going through the alcohol rehabilitations, or detoxification, or have completed the part. In case again you start drinking after a period of abstinence, it is called alcohol relapse.
During those initial days of recovery, those heavy cravings and also obsessive thoughts about drinking alcohol might feel impossible to ignore. It triggers if you are stressed or unhappy with your day-to-day life.
In spite of your best efforts of staying sober and clean, you might turn to drink again as a usual coping mechanism or relapse. In these types of situations, a detox center comes to rescue you. Opt for Gallus Detox, one of the best detox centers, which will be able to handle your requirements and relapse issues.
What Are The Warning Signs Of Alcohol Relapse?
We hope you have a brief understanding of what alcohol relapse is. Now, we will have a look at the warning signs of alcohol relapse, which you should not avoid at any cost.
● Psychical Withdrawal Symptoms: Sweating, elevated blood pressure, increased heart rate, and tremor that can be so distressing that an individual may start to drink again in order to alleviate all these discomforts.
● Anhedonia: It is addressed as an inability to experience pleasure in everyday life. Eventually, it leads individuals to relapses in the try of obtaining some fort of pleasure from drinking alcohol.
● Anxiety: Individuals with anxiety might start drinking all again as a way to avoid their feelings of panic and nervousness.
● Dysphoria: It is a usual feeling of dissatisfaction with life. In this case, alcohol consumption can be a form of escape.
● Stress: There are several clinical demonstrations, which state that individuals who usually relapse are prime to be more sensitive towards the effects of stress. Those individuals might start drinking as a way of relief.
● Very Little Or No Family And Social Support: any form of social support is directly associated with a higher level of abstinence. It is because positive relationships actually help in alleviating stress, offer emotional support along with providing a sense of belonging. Lack of all these thus can set the stage for a relapse.
● Failure To Engage In Recovery Aftercare: As per clinical research, participating in 12-step individual or group counselling indeed increases the levels of remission and, at the same time, decreases relapse rates.
What Are The Causes Of Alcohol Relapse?
So, now, you have already developed an idea about alcohol relapse and its signs. Now we will look into the causes of alcohol relapse. We have pointed out some most common reasons, which play a vital role behind alcohol relapse.
1. Mental Health
Your mental health plays a huge role in relapsing. In case you are going through some mental health issues, like the challenges of depression, anxiety, or too much stress, you might end up relapsing and start drinking alcohol in order to avoid this emotional turmoil.
2. Withdrawal
A huge number of individuals relapse within the first week of quitting their substance abuse for skipping withdrawal symptoms. It also can take place during post-acute withdrawal symptoms. It can last upto 6 to 18 months. People who are quitting alcohol might experience various degrees of withdrawal symptoms.
3. Places
Liquor stores, bars, strip clubs, wineries, parties, or casinos are some of the obvious places for people who are into that recovery phase from alcohol. Any place, which may attract your underlying desire, works as the trigger point in your recovery. Going to these places might force you to start drinking again.
4. People
Individuals, who are into alcohol addiction, usually surround themselves with like-minded people. So, after recovery, if you are in touch or surrounded by the same group or same type of people, you might end up drinking alcohol once again.
5. Things
People, places, and things, these three come hand in hand when it comes to substance abuse. Just the way old people, specific places can trigger your addiction towards alcohol consumption, some particular things also can trigger your cravings for alcohol. So, you have to identify them and try hard to stay away from them.
6. Poor Self-care
When you are recovering from substance abuse, you have to be very cautious about yourself. A self-care routine is the best thing you can do for yourself. Poor self-care sends automatic messages to yourself that you are careless about your well-being. This might trigger a relapse. Not having nutritious food will affect your mood, and it eventually makes you start drinking again.
7. Relationship And Intimacy
Dating and intimacy often involve alcohol consumption. If you are in a relationship from the start of recovery, your partner will always support you and try to keep you away from alcohol. But in case you are searching for a partner after the recovery period, he or she might not know about your substance abuse issues and might end up dragging you into the addiction again.
8. Uncomfortable Emotions
Any kind of substance abuse takes place when you can not handle your emotional state. Overstressing, emotional turmoil might lead you to start drinking alcohol once again. We all want to avoid uncomfortable emotions, but engaging yourself in substance abuse can not be the solution. You should opt for mental and emotional therapy from an expert.
9. Boredom And Isolation
Your boredom in life or any sort of isolation is another thing that triggers alcohol relapse. During substance abuse, you might have cut connections with your old friends and developed new relations with like-minded people. After recovery, you will not want to get in touch with those people who are already into substance abuse; on the other hand, you have already lost your old friends. This isolation or boredom works as the catalyst.
