Listen, we believe honesty is the best policy in most every area of life—and especially when it comes to information about substance use disorders.
So, here is something true that we truly wish were not: Between 40 and 60 percent of people who seek treatment for a substance use disorder will experience a relapse in the first 30 days of their recovery journey. The percentage is even higher if you expand the time period from 30 days to one year.
When faced with that truth, it might be tempting to conclude that treatment does not work or that relapse is inevitable or that the effort it takes to get sober is simply not worth it.
Given the relapse statistics, we understand how you might arrive at those conclusions. Still and all, we would like to encourage you to think about relapse in a different way—a way that reminds you that sobriety is difficult, setbacks are part of life, and yet progress can still be made.
Sobriety Is Difficult
What a joy it would be to announce that once you go through treatment for a substance use disorder you will never, ever experience a relapse. But the reality is that a substance use disorder is a disease of the brain that can be treated but not cured. That means the risk of relapse is an ongoing part of the recovery journey.
And the triggers for relapse are many. You might find that you are beset by cravings you struggle to resist. Too much stress or a major disappointment in your day-to-day life can lead you back to drugs or alcohol. Toxic relationships can contribute to relapses as can feelings of regret about the past or intense worry about the future. It can feel like vigilance is always required, and that can be exhausting—and those feelings of exhaustion are yet another potential trigger for relapse.
Of course, when you go through treatment, you learn strategies and gain resources intended to help you keep relapse at bay. But no matter how prepared you feel, you will still inevitably face challenges.
Setbacks are a Part of Life
It is hardly a secret that setbacks and disappointments are part of most everyone’s life. How we deal with a setback says a lot about us—and determines whether the setback derails us permanently or serves as an opportunity for course correction.
As we have noted, those who experience a relapse can conclude that their recovery is doomed. They made an effort to regain their sobriety but simply could not maintain it for very long—and therefore, the thinking goes, treatment was a failure and long-term sobriety is unattainable.
But we know that is not the best mindset to bring to a setback. Imagine you are trying to learn a new skill. After you have some success, you find that you are making mistakes more frequently than you would like. You could conclude that you will never be able to learn the skill in question. But it is much more helpful to remind yourself that ongoing effort is often required to find the way forward and to build up your skills over time.
The same could be said of the recovery journey. Ongoing effort is required to find the most effective strategies for maintaining sobriety, and that process can—in fact, probably will—take some time.
Progress Can Always Still Be Made
Here is the most important reminder we have to share: you can always make progress toward your goal, even after a setback.
In the case of a relapse, the best way to make that progress is to take a step back. Returning to treatment to regain your sobriety and to fine-tune your strategies and resources for maintaining it is a must. While that might seem counterintuitive (it did not work the first time, so why would it work the second?), the fact is that getting back into treatment allows you to reset and start your recovery journey again.
Since we are committed to honesty in this blog, we should point out that going through treatment a second time still does not immunize you from the possibility of another relapse. But each relapse is a setback—not a final verdict on your ability to maintain your sobriety.
First Step: Reclaiming Your Sobriety
The issue of relapse is only relevant if you take that important first step—regaining your sobriety in the first place. At Wooded Glen Recovery Center in Indiana, we offer personalized treatment for substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders that may be intertwined with your struggles with drugs or alcohol. We will help you regain and maintain your sobriety—and we will always be available to help you restart your recovery journey should you experience a relapse. We believe progress is always possible, and we are committed to helping you see that progress in your own life.