Staying Clean or Sober for Good: How it Can Be Possible

Even though addiction is a chronic condition, you can successfully counter its disruptive effects on your health, relationships and life. If you are struggling with substance abuse, making the decision and the commitment to go to treatment is a major accomplishment. Though this initial step is important, continuing in sobriety can be a challenge.

Making the changes necessary to get sober and stay sober can be difficult. Therapy can help.

The Challenge of Relapse

According to Summit Behavioral Health “An alcohol or drug relapse is the recurrence of any disease that has gone into remission or recovery. As a chronic disease, addiction is subject to periods of relapse. During the recovery process, you may become exposed to certain triggers and other risk factors that increase your risk of returning to substance abuse.” Relapse can be a major challenge for those in recovery.

Recovery can have many hurdles, realizations, setbacks, moments of self-awareness, and victories; and is usually not characterized as an easy process. It can be challenging, and you may experience many “ups and downs.” There could be instances when you may backslide, and you could feel the initial advances you have gained during your rehabilitation have been lost. Also, you may have moments of weakness, especially when confronted by people, places and things that remind you of your use. The risk for relapse is real and can lead to repeat treatment episodes.

According to Psychology Today, “approximately half of all individuals who try to get sober return to heavy use, with 70 to 90 percent experiencing at least one mild to moderate slip.” The Journal of the American Medical Association says, “staying clean or sober is difficult especially for some drugs, like heroin.” In other words, just wanting to be sober or submitting to a medically assisted detox program may not be enough to address your addiction. The more difficult, yet successful approach to prevent relapse, can be behavior and lifestyle change.

The Science Behind Why People Fail

Relapse doesn’t happen because you are weak or undisciplined. Scientific studies show that the brains of those people addicted to a substance may be susceptible in a way that’s different from a non-addicted person’s brain. According to psychologist Charlotte Boettiger, lead author of a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, “addiction is a disease, not a character flaw.”

This study reveals that staying clean or sober for good is difficult. Subjects who have a history of alcoholism have increased activity in a part of the brain which involves evaluating rewards and not as much activity in the brain’s decision-making and judgment processes. The authors surmise that these variations could indicate a diminished ability to process the consequences of their decisions. This is one of the reasons why relapses are common.

Thus, it is inaccurate to say that relapse is a “failed effort,” in confronting addiction. With the high percentage of relapse, many experts believe that it should be viewed as a “part of recovery.” This means that during the process of recovery, there is the chance that you can use again. Although a common occurrence, relapse does not have to be inevitable. By increasing your awareness of triggers and using relapse prevention strategies you can decrease the likelihood of a relapse.

Facing the Possibility of Relapse in the Future

Though relapse isn’t certain, statistics show that many people can. It is equally important to understand that, though, the chance of relapse tends to be higher immediately after treatment; the risk may never completely be gone. This is a reason why recovery is said to be “a lifelong healing process” or that “staying clean and sober” could mean a lifetime of prevention and healing.

After going through a program and while on your journey of recovery, there can be a tendency to underestimate the chances of relapse. You may think that you can decrease your risk by yourself. Recovery tends to be more successful when you continue with treatment. Having a therapist you know and trust can make a huge difference.

Rather than blame yourself or feel helpless after relapsing, let it be a reminder that you may need to re-examine your strategy, or change it. Counseling can help.

Preventing Relapse with Counseling

Counseling can be a core aspect of successful substance abuse treatment. As there may be a need to modify your lifestyle, cognitive behavioral therapy is often utilized as a treatment that may be combined with other methods. Family and/or marriage counseling can also be used to generate meaningful support from your loved ones. Addiction is a chronic disorder, the possibility of relapse is ongoing which makes “maintenance therapy or counseling” an effective intervention.

According to Web MD, “counseling is particularly important to stay clean or sober when the addiction is severe or the substance being abused has a high risk for relapse, such as opioid addiction. Counseling can also be helpful when you are surrounded by environmental stimuli for substance abuse.”

If you relapse, you don’t have to blame yourself or give up. A lot can be learned from a relapse, this information can help you to stay sober moving forward. Counseling can help you to recognize your triggers and learn healthier ways to cope. Get started today with Carolina Counseling Services – Fayetteville, NC. Call now!

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