Chronic Relapse Treatment Centers

Renewing Recovery at a Chronic Relapse Treatment Center

Maintaining sobriety and warding off relapse after beating addiction can be just as difficult, if not more so. Individuals in recovery must take preventative measures to maintain their sobriety at all times. Many people relapse multiple times since it is so easy to do so.

If this occurs repeatedly, the person has what is known as a chronic relapsing disease and should be given a treatment designed for those with this condition.

You may already be familiar with the shame and cycles of relapse and treatment for addiction. If so, chronic relapse treatment centers offer hope for your lasting recovery.

Keep reading to learn more about the programs built around relapse prevention at Icarus Behavioral Health, and how to get a new start in sobriety today!

Who Fits the Bill for Chronic Relapse?

Relapsing into substance abuse after receiving treatment is chronic if one suffers from the continuation of backsliding into addiction. Most chronic relapsers have completed a short (30-90 day) rehabilitation program for their addiction. This is due to the fact that those with serious addictions typically require treatment for a minimum of 90 days before seeing any significant improvement.

Rehab for chronic relapse is essential for those with challenges that cause them to relapse repeatedly. This increases the likelihood that the lessons learned in recovery will stick, and decrease the odds of subsequent challenges of drug or alcohol addiction.

The Benefits of Programs Built for Chronic Relapsers

Long-term rehab care that facilitates reintegration into society is necessary for nearly all chronic relapse clients.

Addiction is different since it is an illness that lasts indefinitely. Constantly, people “slide back into addiction.” In many cases, friends and relatives give up hope that they will get well or figure out a way out.

Such addicts or alcoholics typically don’t respond well to 30-day treatment programs. A person who has a history of chronic relapse may enter treatment for 30 days but then revert back to drug abuse the moment they leave. It’s a frustrating and puzzling cycle that many families must deal with.

“Why won’t they stop drinking or using after rehab?”

This is a sentiment so often echoed by family members and friends – however, chronic relapse isn’t quite that simple. You may already be familiar with how complex and frustrating early addiction recovery can be and have seen either yourself or a family member struggle to find long-term recovery.

What are the Characteristics of Chronic Relapsers?

While every case of drug abuse and chronic relapse is unique, there are several telltale signs of chronic relapse that should never be overlooked. Among the most typical are:

Multiple Exposure to Various Treatment Programs

If an alcoholic or addict repeatedly relapses after receiving treatment, they are likely to give up on ever becoming sober. Many of Icarus Behavioral Health’s clients have tried inpatient therapy, sober living, support groups for sobriety, drug rehab centers, and other long-term treatment options in an effort to prevent relapses.

Many Icarus clients have attempted various addiction treatment and rehabilitation programs multiple times without success, leading to the need for specific chronic relapse treatment center assistance.

Family Members are Running Out of Emotional Endurance

Families of chronic relapsers may begin to lose hope that their loved ones would ever be able to maintain sobriety after so many failed attempts at treatment.

While their loved one is out on their latest binge, they are consumed with worry. They’ve reached their breaking point from dealing with the endless deceit and dishonesty of their loved ones.

The client may love his or her children or parents, but that doesn’t explain why their love isn’t enough to keep them sober.

They’re Experts at Manipulating

Charming and manipulative, the chronic relapser knows just what their audience wants to hear. They know how to make it look like they “got it this time,” but then they exit drug rehab and continue their destructive behavior.

A Relapse Rate of Around 60%

Substance abuse disorders have a recurrence incidence of 40% to 60% overall. More than half of those who are clean for at least two years after treatment is likely to remain so for the rest of their lives. Many factors, including the specific substance, consumed, play a role in determining whether or not someone has to enter rehabilitation for chronic relapse.

About one-third of alcoholics who sober up in the first year of recovery eventually drink again. After 2 years sober, only 21.4% of alcoholics relapse, and that number drops to 9.6% after 3–5 years.

Addiction is a disease; thus, it might be helpful to compare it to others that also have a high recurrence rate. Medical conditions like asthma and hypertension, for instance, both have relapse rates between 50 and 70 percent. Seeking continuous therapy for any condition, whether physical or mental, helps keep the client healthier and less prone to recur. Addiction and asthma may seem like a far cry from one another, but modeling chronic addiction relapse after a physical disease treatment where relapse is possible may lead to answers.

What Causes Chronic Relapse?

Those who are chronic relapsers can avoid rehab if they learn what triggers their relapses and how to overcome these triggers. There are a variety of factors that can lead someone to relapse into substance abuse. Typical examples include:

Attempts at Recovery with No Medical Presence

Many mistakenly believe they can overcome their substance abuse problems on their own without the assistance of professionals. Due to the potentially life-threatening nature of some withdrawal symptoms, detoxification should not be performed alone. A large percentage of those who attempt detox on their own fail within a short period of time and relapse into drug use. For this reason, as well as for safety, Icarus offers medically supervised detox as a pillar of our services.

Not Engaged in Professional Addiction Treatment

Those who are able to get through detox but who do not afterward get professional support to maintain their sobriety are at high risk of experiencing a rapid relapse. Addiction causes can be found and treated thanks to inpatient, outpatient, and aftercare programs. Participants in such initiatives are more likely to maintain their sober resolve.

Ignoring Red Flags of Chronic Relapse

Recognizing the triggers for a probable relapse is an important part of any addiction treatment program. Relapse prevention skills are taught in a variety of therapeutic settings, including individual and group psychotherapy. Some of the skills that participants in recovery programs learn to employ are stress management, goal-setting, and healthy coping mechanisms. These skills equip a person to resist the temptation to relapse.

Failure to Address Mental Health

Drug and alcohol addicts are twice as likely to additionally suffer from a mental health disorder as the general population. Because of this, it’s crucial that people get help for their mental health issues at the same time as their addiction. The temptation to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs is increased in the absence of treatment for mental health issues.

Struggling with mental health concerns like sadness or anxiety is a common contributor to relapse after treatment. In addition, trauma, either experienced before or after treatment, can play a role in the relapse process. In order to prevent a recurrence, mental health care should be sought by roughly half of all addicts. It’s vital to keep in mind that relapse does not indicate a failed treatment course but rather that additional treatment is required.

What are the Warning Signs of Chronic Relapse?

There are some symptoms that may indicate the beginning of a chronic relapsing condition. Because of this, it’s crucial for the person and their loved ones to keep an eye out for them. Indicators such as these include:

Problems After Treatment Completion Due to Inadequate Planning

The inability to prepare for life after rehabilitation is an indicator of future relapse. This highlights the significance of making post-rehabilitation plans.

Utilize the aftercare therapy and planning services offered by the facility providing your addiction treatment. That way, you’ll be well prepared for life outside of treatment with a detailed strategy in place before you even leave rehab. These strategies can help you proceed in the proper direction, and not relapse even when things may be going well due to the lack of preparation.

Lack of Proper Engagement During Sessions with Professionals

Make sure you’re on the correct track to avoid recurrent relapse by asking yourself the following questions.

• Do you intend to continue staying connected with sober supports and/or 12-Step programs after completing your treatment program?
• When do you anticipate returning to similar programs?
• In order to stay sober in the real world, what activities do you enjoy, and what coping mechanisms do you plan to use?
• For when you’re back in the real world, what strategies do you have in place to ensure that you don’t fall prey to destructive influences?
• Is it possible for someone who is sober to reside in your house?

Lack of Awareness of Personal Stressors

It’s important for people in recovery to learn how to recognize and cope with their own unique triggers for relapse. After that, individuals need to be aware of the strategies that work best for them in dealing with these causes of distress.

No Purpose in Life or Lack of Direction

Individuals who are fresh out of treatment and show no sense of purpose in life are also at increased risk for chronic relapsing disease. A person who leaves addiction treatment without any plans for the future is much more likely to relapse.

No Interest in Maintaining Sobriety

One must have a strong desire to stop drinking in order to succeed. If someone doesn’t want to get sober, they will almost certainly relapse after attending rehab. People who are forced to go to rehab despite not wanting to are more likely to have chronic relapsing histories.

Failure to Complete Substance Abuse Treatment

It’s important to finish a program for substance abuse rehabilitation if you want to get the full benefits. So, it’s clear that relapse risks increase for everyone who doesn’t even finish their addiction treatment program.

Interacting With Addicts Who Are Actively Using After Completing Treatment

To stay clean after completing drug rehab, patients must make adjustments to their daily routines. This means removing yourself from the company of addicts. When first getting sober, it’s not a good idea to hang out with those who are still using substances. What’s more, this can play a role in the onset of chronic relapsing illness.

Underlying Mental Issues

Substance misuse is frequently a person’s first attempt to manage the symptoms of mental illness. Ignoring mental health issues and failing to seek ongoing treatment can lead to a vicious cycle of relapse.

Make use of your coping skills and engage in regular self-care after completing addiction treatment in order to treat your mental health. You may also keep taking prescribed drugs and attending treatment sessions.

What are the Different Variations of Chronic Relapse?

There are three distinct phases of relapse when it comes to substance abuse: the emotional, the cognitive, and the behavioral. A chronic, recurrent condition may result from ignoring any one of these phases. Knowing the phases of relapse can help in avoiding relapse, as well as in crafting an airtight relapse prevention plan.

Relapse into Emotional Distress

The initial phase of a chronic relapsing condition is the emotional relapse stage. At this point, people’s actions make them more likely to relapse. Emotional relapse is a common stage, and many persons in it are unaware that they are there. Knowing the warning signals of an emotional relapse is crucial.

Indicates a relapse into emotional instability, such as:

• Spending time alone
• Keeping feelings bottled up
• Failure to appear at or take part in a support group meeting
• Lack of proper rest and nutrition
• A lack of self-care

In the second phase of relapse, one’s thoughts begin to wander. Relapse occurs in the mind when thoughts and cravings for substances return.

Mental Relapse

Mental relapse symptoms include:

• Lying
• Planning to relapse
• Cravings
• Excuses to use
• Promoting a romanticized view of drug use in the past

Physical Relapse

Physical relapse is characterized by sentimental reflections on times and places associated with drug use.

The third and final stage of relapse is a return to using substances again. People reach this point when they have formally relapsed and engaged in full-blown abuse. Many people, out of shame, cover up the fact that they’ve relapsed physically.

Strategies for Avoiding Chronic Relapse

Learning your triggers is the first step in avoiding the onset of a chronic, recurrent condition. When you know what sets you off, you can create strategies to deal with them. In reality, once you’ve established your coping methods, it’s time to develop a thorough strategy to avoid recurring relapses.

An individual’s chronic relapse prevention plan should consist of a detailed and specific set of actions and strategies designed to keep them sober. There are 5 steps to complete a chronic relapse prevention plan.

You should go through medical detox if you have a disorder that has a history of relapsing. After that, you should obtain treatment from a clinic that provides treatments for chronic relapses, such as our offerings with Icarus Behavioral Health. A chronic relapse treatment center provides care to clients for more than 90 days.

After completing detox and rehabilitation, it is crucial to develop a strategy for avoiding future chronic relapse and continue receiving aftercare services. After completing a course at a chronic relapse treatment center, some persons may benefit from additional time spent in a sober living facility.

After finishing chronic relapse treatment, you should immediately begin implementing your relapse prevention plan and sober support network and engaging in regular coping techniques. Doing so is crucial for long-term sobriety.

Our Effective Chronic Relapse Prevention Program

At Icarus Behavioral Health, we’re very familiar with chronic relapse treatment and the dangers of the lack of proper attention. However, we provide several programs and continued care solutions for those experiencing this challenge.

With the right personalized plan and effort from our team and client, we can help those seeking treatment a chance to experience long-term recovery. Even clients with dozens of relapse events in their past have found a healthy and sober lifestyle with our support and help in aftercare planning.

All calls are completely confidential when you reach out to discuss your situation, and most major forms of insurance are accepted at Icarus. For more information on our treatment plans to overcome chronic relapse, contact a member of our Admissions team today!