Drug and alcohol addiction comes with both physical and psychological considerations. Treatment programs with relapse prevention components focus on these factors. A person should stay in treatment for the duration of their program. Doing so helps to prevent relapse.
How Addiction Affects Relapse
Addiction to drugs or alcohol rewires a person’s brain. This chronic disease changes how a person responds to stress. These effects linger long after the body purges itself of an addictive substance.
Reversing the brain’s dependence on drugs or alcohol requires a lifelong commitment to recovery. Getting support and insight on this journey helps a person deal with triggers and cravings.
Understanding the Importance of Oregon Relapse Prevention
Falling prey to the disease of addiction does not mean a person fails. Relapse is a common aspect of the battle against addiction. They face the challenges brought on by repeated use of drugs or alcohol that disrupted their brain circuitry.
How they feel pleasure and process rewards operate under different rules. Brain chemistry changes their memory, decision making, and ability to control impulses. Repeated use creates a dependency on the substances.
A physical dependency causes withdrawal symptoms and cravings if the person tries to stop. They do not feel normal unless their drug or drink of choice interacts with their brain.
Returning to the substance seems like the only way to combat their strong cravings and withdrawal symptoms. This puts them in a vulnerable position of self-medicating. Therapy during rehab gives them tools to recognize this state and change to avoid relapsing.
Early Help for Oregon Relapse Prevention
The early stage of avoiding a relapse usually begins with emotions. Recognizing the beginning of emotional relapse reminds the person to ask for help. They also recognize anxious feelings and begin practicing relaxation techniques learned during rehab.
Mastering this crucial stage helps the person avoid desires to escape what they are feeling. Practicing self-care is an important part of relapse prevention. It reminds a person that they used drugs or alcohol to relax, escape, or reward themselves.
Self-care to counter the pull of addiction during this phase helps them avoid exhaustion. Otherwise, they may enter the next phase of mental relapse.
Oregon Relapse Prevention: Dealing with Mental Urges
A person creates a fantasy once they start thinking about using again. They tell themselves that one drink will not hurt. Their version is they can control their use – this time. However, one drink can easily lead to more drinks and waking up the next day feeling ashamed.
Most urges to use last less than 30 minutes. One way to combat a mental urge is to wait for this amount of time. Staying busy with other things passes the time, and the urge quickly goes away.
Another technique is recognizing that recovery happens one day at a time. Dwelling on forever may feel like an eternity for the person dealing with lots of urges. Recovery in small, progressive steps lessens the chance of sabotaging their determination to abstain.
Your Journey to Recovery Begins Today
Safeguard your commitment to sobriety by learning more about an Oregon relapse prevention program. Your productive life, free from addiction, begins today.