Why Relapse is So Common
Relapse is common for several reasons. For certain substances, such as alcohol, relapsing is common partly because of the availability of the substance and how normalised its use is in society.
In other cases, a person relapses because of their mental health. Mental disorders are often a trigger for substance use, and if a person’s symptoms flare up, they may fall back into old patterns of drug or alcohol abuse.
Some people may also relapse because they lack support. Having a strong support system is vital in addiction recovery, and many drug and alcohol rehab centres help their patients build support networks outside of treatment.
Relapse is a part of the recovery journey; it doesn’t mean treatment has failed. It means that treatment has to adjust their support. However, a person may have to go through drug or alcohol detox again before receiving further treatment.
