Substance use affects the individual abusing the substance and their close friends and family members. For this reason, your friends and family feel happy when they hear you’re going through the detox and rehab program.
In a perfect world, a person could go through drug rehab and walk away, never returning to drugs again. The reality is that many people relapse. When a relapse happens, a person feels depressed, frustrated with themselves, and sad because they feel like they’ve disappointed their friends and family who put so much confidence and so much faith in them. This could lead a person in recovery to work hard to hide the relapse.
This is very dangerous. It’s important to discuss your relapse with the people you care about the most so they can be proactive in helping you get the support you need. The sooner intervention happens, the faster soberness can be achieved. Regardless of how hard someone tries to hide the fact that they have relapsed, some signs of relapse quickly become apparent to everyone.
Signs of a Relapse
Your loved ones may rightly suspect that you have returned to substance use if they see changes in your behavior or personality. You may have gone through a period of stability where you have established new routines, and now you have fallen back into old destructive habits. It is difficult for your loved ones to watch you relapse. However, knowledge of relapse signs will be their greatest tool in helping you get back to sobriety.
Neglecting Responsibilities
A surefire sign that a person has relapsed is that they start to neglect their obligations. This could include work obligations or family commitments.
Fluctuating Moods or Attitudes
When a person is in recovery, they start to thrive again. However, when a person experiences a relapse, there could be a drastic change in their attitude or demeanor. This includes increased irritability, moodiness, and negativity. These are warning signs to family members that a person has relapsed.
Finding Substances
Finding drugs or alcohol, or drug-related paraphernalia in the possession of a person going through rehabilitation is a clear sign of a relapse.
No Longer Going to Support Meetings
Your family may notice that you were diligent about going to recovery meetings for several months or years. These meetings were an intrinsic part of your life as you were recovering. Now, they may see you avoiding your sponsor or avoiding meetings, indicating relapse.
Shows Symptoms of Withdrawal
One clear sign that a person has relapsed is withdrawal symptoms. These can include tremors, hangovers, anxiety, nausea, sleep disturbances, and sweating.
Unexplained Financial Problems
Unexplained financial problems are a sign of relapse, especially after a person has been financially stable for some time. These economic issues arise because a person is trying to fund the substance use or because they have been terminated from their job because of substance use.
Ways Your Loved Ones May Try to Help You When You Have Relapsed
If you have relapsed and your loved ones see some of the signs mentioned above, they may feel helpless. The setback is going to affect them emotionally. But because they love you, they will still support you and help you recover. The worst thing you can do is be defensive when loved ones try to help you and guide you back to sobriety. Listen to your loved ones when they remind you that you were able to beat substance use before and have it in you to do it again. They want to influence you positively and will not give up on you just because you have relapsed.
Both you and your family need to focus on the successful recovery you’ve already experienced, and you need to renew your commitment to sobriety. The earlier your loved ones become aware of the relapse, the sooner they can help you. A relapse is unfortunate. But it can be the catalyst to renew your enthusiasm and double your commitment to a sober lifestyle. Are you looking for help after a relapse? We can be there for you. Contact us today at 855-334-6120.
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