How the pandemic can affect addiction relapse

written by Bryan Whitehurst for ATH

5 tips to help prevent substance misuse relapse

By now, COVID-19-related guidelines and orders for practicing social distancing and staying at
home have become the norm. This sudden lack of human contact, along with possible financial
problems and uncertainty about the future, can create an especially harsh reality for individuals
with addiction who may potentially be vulnerable to high levels of stress and anxiety.

Substance use disorders are challenging enough to deal with when the world is running
normally, so how does an individual stay sober and avoid relapse during difficult times that
require them not to leave their house? How does an individual — or their support system —
know when they’re relapsing, and what should be done?

Recognizing the stages of relapse

The three stages of relapse are often characterized as follows:
— Emotional.
— Mental.
— Physical.

Emotional relapse is frequently the first stage of relapse, and it occurs before someone in
recovery even begins to consider using again. The individual usually starts to experience
negative emotional responses, such as anger, moodiness and anxious feelings. They also may
begin to experience erratic eating and sleeping habits, and their desire for recovery often
wanes due to a lack of using their support systems. These are the initial warning signs that a
person in recovery could be entering the process of relapse, and it is important to recognize
them as quickly as possible. This stage occurs before a person is even aware that they could be
in danger of relapse. Intervening now, before they enter mental relapse, can prevent relapse
from taking hold.

The mental stage of relapse is when the mind begins to take emotions and rationalize them.
This is a priming process for returning to old coping mechanisms. Often, in this stage, a person
may experience the following:

— Romanticizing using or drinking.
— Glamorizing how escaping reality would feel so good.
— Engaging in risky behaviors, such as hanging out with old friends or at old places.
— Planning how and when to pick up the drug or drink again, with methodical rationalizations.

This stage of relapse is very hard to turn back from, so it is critical to talk to an addiction
counselor, therapist or sponsor who can help the individual get back to clear and calm thinking
before these thoughts of relapse are made manifest.

If the person doesn’t address emotional and mental relapse, it generally won’t take them long
to get to physical relapse. This is the last stage — and the time when an individual may drive to
their dealer or the liquor store. By this point, it’s almost impossible to turn the car around and
make a better decision, as they’ve already been thinking about this for some time.

These phases act like dominoes as they lead the individual into a relapse situation. This is why
it’s crucial to recognize early on that the potential for relapse is strong when emotions or
drifting thoughts begin to draw a person down a path they’ve already opted and worked hard
to leave.

How to help prevent relapse from occurring

These five tips may be helpful for individuals who have already relapsed or are looking to avoid
relapse.

1. Do not give up

This is easier said than done. While relapse can leave you defeated, it’s often part of the
recovery process. Instead of throwing in the towel and scrapping all of your hard work, now is
the time to stay strong and continue your journey. Filling your mind with positive thoughts is
the first step to not giving up. When you feel yourself slipping and having bad thoughts, find
some positive information to put into your brain. This could be reading a book, calling a friend,
watching a funny movie or doing something that truly makes you happy. Mindset is the key to
success.

2. Reflect

Reflection is something that is often overlooked and misunderstood. Take a few minutes. Step
back — and perhaps even look in the mirror — to focus on self-reflection and figure out how
you got to the point of relapse. Ask yourself a few questions, such as: Did I get complacent or
too comfortable with my recovery? Is it really because of the coronavirus crisis, or are other
factors involved? Did something happen prior to the pandemic that I never addressed? It’s
extremely important to take the necessary steps involved in reflection to get to the root of the
problem.

3. Do a mental health self-check

More often than not, substance abuse is tied to poor mental health. A thorough mental health
check with self-reflection can help you better understand what led you to relapse. If you’re feeling                                   emotional, sad, depressed or any type of low, call someone from your supporting cast to
help you with this process.

4. Connect to your support system

Now more than ever, your support system can play a stronger role than you might think. Even
though you may not be able to see your friends and family in person, technology allows people
to connect virtually. Reach out to any or all of the people from your support system. Most
treatment systems around the country offer virtual services for those individuals who are either
unable to meet face to face or who cannot do so while social distancing measures are in place.

5. Stay active in your recovery

This is vital to your success. Just because your meetings have gone virtual doesn’t mean you
should relax or stop going. Now is the time to get more serious than ever before. Schedule
more meetings and organize virtual meetups with other individuals coping with addiction, your
friends and your family.

If you or a loved one could benefit from support or more information about addiction, please
reach out to Addiction Treatment Helper at addictiontreatmenthelper.com or call 866-504-5062.