What Is a Drug Relapse?
Many people ask, “What is a drug relapse”? There is no standard definition because people experience setbacks in different ways. Each person’s recovery is unique, and not everyone will experience a relapse after treatment ends. Setbacks are a reality of recovery for many people because addiction is a lifelong condition that does not have a permanent cure.
A relapse can mean:
A person uses drugs or alcohol after abstaining from them for some time
A person experiences a slip-up, or uses drugs or alcohol once, and then returns to sobriety
Someone resumes drug or alcohol use after treatment and then returns to rehab
Someone experiences a full relapse and slips into old patterns and habits
A relapse does not mean:
That someone is a failure
That rehabilitation did not work or that it can’t work
That all the progress someone made in recovery is undone
Recovery is possible for everyone, regardless of whether they’ve faced a setback. Setbacks are common and many people can get back on track with sobriety after experiencing a setback. A healthy way to frame a relapse is that instead of viewing it as a failure, view it as a learning opportunity that teaches how to manage life in sobriety.
Stages of Relapse
Setbacks can be unplanned and the result of an impulse. However, there are three stages of relapse: emotional, mental and physical. A relapse typically happens in three stages.
The 3 Stages of Relapse:
1. Emotional Relapse
Most emotional relapses involve someone re-experiencing emotions that they used to feel when they were actively using drugs or alcohol. During an emotional relapse, a person may not be thinking about using drugs, but they might be heading toward familiar patterns of addiction. A person who is experiencing an emotional relapse might be in denial, grow irritable, isolate themselves and avoid friends, family and support group members.
2. Mental Relapse
During the mental relapse stage, a person actively thinks about using drugs or alcohol again, and they may attempt to rationalize returning to drug use. Internal conflicts and bargaining are frequent during this stage as people feel strong urges to use drugs or alcohol, but know that doing so hinders recovery.
3. Physical Relapse
The final stage is a physical relapse, involving drug or alcohol use. A physical relapse can last for minutes or months for some people and may indicate the need to return to treatment. However, a physical relapse does not always indicate that someone will face addiction again or need rehab.